Full Power
The fully electric Taycan with rear-wheel drive is a completely different sort of Porsche, but yet also instantly familiar—and very much a thoroughbred
When Porsche announced it was going to put the Taycan into series production, some of the fabled sports car manufacturer’s fans were understandably worried. First and foremost, being an all-electric car, it was hitherto uncharted territory for Porsche.
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the question on everyone’s minds would be how to imbue the car with a distinctive Porsche soul, both visually and in its driving personality. The onus was to leave drivers in no doubt whatsoever that once they got behind the wheel, it would feel like a Porsche.
But honestly, those fans shouldn’t be worried, because Porsche has a long history of wading into uncharted waters and coming out on top. Almost 60 years ago, it proved just that with the 911—that a sports car could be both thrilling to drive and practical enough for daily use. In the carmaker’s more recent history, it again showed that there’s indeed a sports car in every Porsche with the Cayenne and Macan SUVS.
From a design standpoint, the Taycan is instantly recognisable as a Porsche, but one reinterpreted for the brave new world of electromobility in the 21st century.
On that note, the Taycan’s interior is just as progressive as its exterior lines and electric powertrain. The first thing you will note is the instrument cluster, a free-standing, curved 16.8-inch screen. When in use, information is displayed in circular “pods”, and its wing-shaped design is also reminiscent of other Porsche sports cars such as the 911.
To underscore just how digital and futuristic the Taycan is, that instrument cluster is joined by another pair of screens: a
10.9 inch Porsche Communication Management touchscreen infotainment system and a supplemental 8.4-inch touchscreen just below, which controls various functions such as climate control.
If that’s not enough for you, an optional 10.9-inch screen can also be specified for the front passenger.
However, it takes more than a familiar roofline, signature rump or up-to-the-minute interiors (with a healthy nod to heritage) for a Porsche to qualify as one. That is, it must also drive like a Porsche should. From the Taycan with its 476 PS output (with Performance Battery Plus in Launch Control) to the crushing Taycan Turbo S with its 761 PS, there’s pace everywhere to be found in the Taycan line-up.
But even that’s not enough to qualify the Taycan for true “Porsche-ness”. Every Porsche car has a certain something about them—an unquantifiable, almost magical ability to turn any drive into an occasion.
Take even the briefest spin in the Taycan and you will find that going electric has done nothing to diminish the fabled Porsche soul. In fact, in many ways, the Taycan’s
electric nature has enhanced it even further.
The newest member of Porsche’s electric vehicle family can accelerate from a standstill to 100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds, with Launch Control enabled. It’s also worth mentioning that time out in the real world feels even quicker than the numbers might suggest, thanks to the always-on surge provided by its electric powertrain.
That’s certainly something you are going to have to get used to, specifically, being thoroughly spoiled by the virtually instantaneous availability of torque in every Taycan—357 Nm for the Taycan and up to 1,050 Nm in the Taycan Turbo S.
One thing you won’t have to do in the Taycan, however, is make any adjustment to your current driving habits. It has space for up to 407 litres of luggage in the boot, with an additional 84 litres under the bonnet (remember, there’s no engine), and every Taycan is capable of travelling well over 300 km on a single charge. With the larger-capacity Performance Battery Plus equipped on the Taycan, it can travel up to 434km on a single charge.
When the time comes and the Taycan needs a “refuel”, it can be charged from almost flat to
80 per cent in as little as 22 minutes with high-performance charging at selected upcoming Shell stations in Singapore, though that’s not just restricted to our little island. Porsche and Shell will soon be rolling out Southeast Asia’s first cross-border, high-performance charging network (up to 180 kw) across six stations from Singapore to Penang. These stations are located along Malaysia’s North-south Highway, for maximum convenience on your future jaunts up north.
Furthermore, you can charge your Taycan across some 1,600 electric vehicle charging stations islandwide, with that number projected to increase to 60,000 by 2030, making range anxiety truly a thing of the past.
Adding to that peace of mind is the comprehensive five-year maintenance and warranty plan (a 15-year extended warranty is also available), as well as eight-year warranty for the battery, that accompanies the Taycan from Porsche Centre Singapore, plus the assurance of having a service area and mechanics solely dedicated to the maintenance of electric vehicles.
Of course, don’t forget about the government rebates that the Taycan attracts, and you will find that going electric isn’t just painless, it can also be rather attractive. And if nothing else, the Taycan is a Porsche, which means you will be getting a car with soul.
Porsche Centre Singapore 29 Leng Kee Road, tel: 3163 9982 porsche.com.sg