Porsche’s bargain hypercar
The new Taycan Turbo GT seemingly has no limits when it comes to raw power
The mere suggestion, had it been made a few years ago, that we would soon be looking at a near-1,100bhp Porsche Taycan, “would have caused bouts of hysteria”, says Matt Saunders in Autocar. “And yet, here we are – the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT has landed.” But perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. “Porsche’s cars tend to get faster and more powerful as they get older, one rarefied, GT-badged version at a time.” The German carmaker will say it is exploring the limits of what its “electric poster child” can do. As it happens, it can do a lot.
Porsche has put the new Taycan through “some serious engineering”, says Paul Horrell for Top Gear. The two-motor system has been boosted to 871bhp, for instance. “But it can peak at a crazed 1,034bhp, during ten-second bursts, activated by a paddle for ‘Attack Mode’.” Overall, 75kg have been “carved out” of the prior Turbo S. In the Weissach Package option, the back seat has been taken out and replaced with a carbon-fibre helmet rack. And the mobile rear spoiler is now a fixed carbon-fibre wing. Certainly, “the aero differences are more significant”. And “crickey”, it’s fast. In Attack Mode, the Weissach will launch you from 0-62mph in 2.2 seconds. “It is genuinely uncomfortable.” You can hit 125mph in just 6.4 seconds. Top speed is 190mph.
An attack on the senses
That level of acceleration is “brutal”, says Yousuf Ashraf in Auto Express. “The Turbo GT pulls so much performance out of the track that initially, it feels like your bravery – rather than the car’s ability – is the limiting factor.” But give yourself time to “settle in” and you will “grow accustomed to the speed”. Slow the car down, which is “not always easy given the momentum”, and as you turn into a corner, “the nose hooks into the apex with great accuracy”. Thanks to Porsche’s clever “Active Ride” system, the car won’t “heave and roll” under the cornering forces “as your brain tells you it should”. The suspension support keeps the car almost flat. It “gives you the confidence to… use the mountain of performance” at your disposal.
And yet, doing so is still very much “an attack on the senses”, says Dave Humphreys in The Sunday Times Driving. It is astonishing that such a car is for sale to the public “with no questions asked”, provided you have the requisite £186,300. But “even at that price, it must be one of the hypercar-level performance bargains of the year”. In creating the Turbo GT, Porsche hasn’t “rested on its laurels. It’s gone out and earned a whole new set of them”.
“Your bravery – rather than the car’s ability – is the limiting factor”