Table of Contents
Introduction
The Porsche Taycan is the car company’s new production electric vehicle. It is designed to put everything that people know and love from the company into a new platform of car that’s powered entirely by electricity. It’s also the car that’s set to kick off Porsche’s leap in electrification.
The company has bought stake in Rimac, one of the leaders in the battery technology world and the electric supercar world, and you can expect future electric Porsches to be on the cutting edge of what an electric car can do. The Turbo and Turbo S are the current versions of that.
The 2020 model year is the first year for the car, and the Turbo and Turbo S were the first ones to break cover. Shortly after, Porsche released a slightly detuned version of the Taycan in a trim level known as the Taycan 4s. The company will likely come up with even more versions of the car as the model progresses. The Taycan line will expand and change over time.
With the introduction of the Taycan, we enter a new age of Porsches and a new age for all cars. No longer are electric cars something that has to be a compromise. This car seeks to get make an electric car as impressive as any other Porsche on the road.
Powertrain & Performance
The Porsche Taycan Turbo and Turbo S feature the same layout. It’s an all-wheel-drive, fully-electric layout with two electric motors, one at each axle.
The Turbo is rated at 616 hp (670 hp with overboost) and 626 lb-ft of torque thanks to a 460 kW system. The Turbo S is rated at 616 hp (750 hp with overboost) 774 lb-ft of torque thanks to the same 460 kW system. Charging times for these models is also the same. It’s 10.5 hours for alternating current, 93 minutes for direct current with 50kW for 80 percent battery, and 22.5 minutes for direct current with the maximum charging power for 80 percent of the battery.
The 0 to 60 mph time for the Taycan Turbo is a fast three seconds flat. The Turbo S is clocked at a super-fast 2.6 seconds for the 0-60 mph. The top speed is 161 mph for both the Turbo and Turbo S. The maximum range for the Taycan Turbos is 256 miles.
Chassis & Handling
The Porsche Taycan features the company’s new electric platform that it will share with the Audi e-Tron GT. The car is a four-door vehicle with a curb weight of over 5,100 pounds. Despite this Porsche took pains to make the vehicle handle and feel like a Porsche out on the road.
The vehicle features a double-wishbone axle system with forged aluminum wishbones and hollow-cast aluminum lightweight swivel bearings upfront. The rear axle has a multi-link setup with forged upper aluminum wishbones and hollow-cast lower aluminum wishbones. All this helps the car handle like a sports car.
In addition to that, the company installed Porsche Active Suspension Management electronic shock absorber control system. This is standard equipment on the Taycan. The system helps react to road surfaces and the driving style to adjust the damping for each individual wheel. This system also works with the car’s drive modes, which are Range, Normal, Sport, and Sport Plus.
For dampers, the Taycan has single-tube dampers. Not only is this lighter weight than the conventional twin-tube dampers, but it also makes for improved response. It also makes the car more comfortable and improves the overall sportiness of the vehicle as it moves down the road.
The Taycan also gets three-chamber air suspension. The reason the company went with this setup is so that it could have a wide range of spring rates. You can also adjust the ride height. This comes in handy when entering and exiting a car park or going over a high lip on a driveway.
The car also gets Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport. It does exactly what it sounds like it does. It helps control the car by using electromechanical anti-roll bars. This keeps the car cornering flat. Pair that with the Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus system that electronically controls the differential lock on the rear axle and the rear axle steering and you have one of the most maneuverable cars in the Porsche lineup.
Stopping power on the car is no joke either. It gets Porsche Surface Coated Brake high-performance brakes as standard equipment. The brake discs are 415 millimeters and 365 millimeters in diameter front to rear. The cast-iron discs get a tungsten carbide layer applied to them. There’s also a Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake package that’s standard on the Turbo S and available on the Turbo.
Design, Styling, & Interior
The design of the Porsche Taycan Turbo and Turbo S are very similar. The Taycan looks very similar through all of its trim levels. One thing that’s interesting about the Taycan is how Porsche was able to translate its exterior styling to a new four-door model. It looks unique and interesting while still being very Porsche.
The car has many of the same shapes that the exterior of many of the company’s other models do. Even if you didn’t know this was an electric car, you’d immediately recognize it as a Porsche car. The Taycan is sleek and curvy while still looking muscular and like a four-door sports car in all the right ways.
The cabin is another familiar area. While the multiple touchscreen infotainment systems are advance and new for Porsche, the overall layout of the interior is recognizable as Porsche and it seems to borrow its main design from the iconic 911. The car takes what worked in the 911 and transforms it into a car built to inspire electric cars of the future.
The instrument cluster, infotainment screen, and all of the other technology are advanced, too. The automaker took time to make sure the infotainment system was up to date, endowing it with features like Porsche Connect, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity and much more.
Pricing
The 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo starts at $150,900 in the United States. It goes up to $185,000 for the Turbo S. This places them quite a bit higher than the basic Taycan 4S, which is the base model and sits at a $103,800. These being the two highest versions of the model right now, it’s no surprise they demand such a premium price.
When you compare this to the Taycan’s immediate competition, the Telsa Model S, you’ll find that the Porsche is more expensive. The Tesla starts at about $80,000 and the Performance version starts at about $100,000. Of course, you can keep adding to the Tesla until it’s price skyrockets. In general, though Porsche will have to rely on improved performance and its brand recognition to make up the difference.
Performance & Specifications Summary
| Make | Porsche |
| Model | Taycan |
| Sub-model | Turbo and Turbo S |
| Car type | Four-door |
| Category | Production Car |
| Built At | Stuttgart, Germany |
| Introduced | 2020 |
| Base Price (USD) | $150,900 |
Chassis, Suspension & Powertrain
| Curb Weight | 2322.8 kg (5121 lbs) |
| Layout | Electric, All-wheel Drive, 4-door Estate |
| Body / Frame | Unitary Steel & Aluminum Monocoque w/ Aluminum Hood |
| Suspension (F) | Aluminum double-wishbone front axle, Anti-Roll Bar, Adaptive air suspension incl. PASM |
| Suspension (R) | Aluminum multi-link rear axle, Anti-Roll Bar, Adaptive air suspension incl. PASM |
| Brakes | Ten-piston, aluminum monobloc fixed caliper brakes at the front with 415-millimeter rotors at the front and four-piston aluminum calipers with 365-millimeter rotors at the rear. |
| Tires |
F: 245/45 R 20 R: 285/40 R 20 |
| Transmission | 2-speed automatic |
Engine, Output, & Performance
| Motor | 2 AC synchronous electric motors (front and rear axle) |
| Battery | 93.4 kWh liquid-cooled lithium-ion |
| Range | 463 km or 287 mi (max) |
| Power (hp) | hp |
| Torque | lb-ft |
| 0-60 mph time | 2.6 seconds (Turbo S) |
| 0-100 km/h time | 2.8 seconds (Tubro S) |
| ¼ mile time | 10.8 seconds |
| Top Speed | 160 mph |
Gallery & Videos
Image Gallery
Video Gallery
The Porsche Taycan is obviously getting a lot of love from all of the car journalists on YouTube and here are some of the best videos out there from the top reviewers.
First up we have Carfeciton’s review of the Taycan Turbo S. The reviewer Henry Catchpole is one of those guys who obviously loves high-end sports cars. He seems to enjoy how the Taycan drives but he also mentions some of the car’s quirks and oddities.
Mr. JWW is a real deal car enthusiast and his videos showcase his expertise. It’s on display here as he takes the new Porsche Taycan Turbo S out for a spin and gives us his thoughts on the model. It’s interesting to get another take on this innovative electric car.
Last but certainly not least, we have Jack Rix with Top Gear. Although this isn’t a driving impressions video, the detail with which Rix goes into the Porsche’s design both inside and out is unique, and it’s worth the watch. The video shows all of the car’s minute details and that’s a very good thing.
We couldn’t leave off the official video of the Taycan from the company that made it happen. Here’s the official Porsche video that shows the Taycan in full.
Official Press Release
“The Taycan links our heritage to the future. It carries forward the success story of our brand – a brand that has fascinated and thrilled people the world over for more than 70 years,” said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, who opened the world premiere in Berlin: “This day marks the start of a new era.”
The four-door sports saloon is a unique package, offering typical Porsche performance and connectivity with everyday usability. At the same time, highly advanced production methods and the features of the Taycan are setting new standards in the fields of sustainability and digitalisation. “We promised a true Porsche for the age of electromobility – a fascinating sports car that not only excites in terms of its technology and driving dynamics, but also sparks a passion in people all over the world, just like its legendary predecessors have done. Now we are delivering on this promise,” emphasises Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board of Porsche AG – Research and Development.
The first models in the new series are the Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo. They are at the cutting edge of Porsche E-Performance and are among the most powerful production models that the sports car manufacturer currently has in its product range. Less powerful variants of these all-wheel-drive vehicles will follow this year. The first derivative to be added will be the Taycan Cross Turismo at the end of next year. By 2022, Porsche will have invested more than six billion euros in electromobility.
Performance meets efficiency
The flagship Turbo S version of the Taycan can generate up to 560 kW (761 PS; Taycan Turbo S: combined power consumption 26.9 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions 0 g/km) overboost power in combination with Launch Control, and the Taycan Turbo up to 500 kW (680 PS; Taycan Turbo: combined power consumption 26.0 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions 0 g/km). The Taycan Turbo S accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, while the Taycan Turbo completes this sprint in 3.2 seconds. The Turbo S has a range of up to 412 kilometres, and the Turbo a range of up to 450 kilometres (according to WLTP in each case). The top speed of both all-wheel-drive models is 260 km/h.
The Porsche Taycan on the road
The Taycan is the first production vehicle with a system voltage of 800 volts instead of the usual 400 volts for electric cars. This is a particular advantage for Taycan drivers on the road: in just over five minutes, the battery can be recharged using direct current (DC) from the high-power charging network for a range of up to 100 kilometres (according to WLTP). The charging time for five to 80 percent SoC (state of charge) is 22.5 minutes for charging under ideal conditions, and the maximum charging power (peak) is 270 kW. The overall capacity of the Performance Battery Plus is 93.4 kWh. Taycan drivers can comfortably charge their cars with up to eleven kW of alternating current (AC) at home.
Pure exterior design with Porsche DNA
With its clean, puristic design, the Taycan signals the beginning of a new era. At the same time, it retains the unmistakable Porsche design DNA. From the front it looks particularly wide and flat with highly contoured wings. The silhouette is shaped by the sporty roofline sloping downward to the rear. The highly sculpted side sections are also characteristic. The sleek cabin, the drawn-in rear C-pillar and the pronounced shoulders of the wings result in a sharply emphasised rear, typical of the brand. There are also innovative elements such as the glass-effect Porsche logo, which has been integrated into the light bar at the rear. With a Cd value from 0.22, the aerodynamically optimised basic shape makes a significant contribution to low energy consumption and thus long range.
The first models in the new series are the Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo
Unique interior design with a wide display screen band
The cockpit signals the start of a new era with its clear structure and a completely new architecture. The freestanding, curved instrument cluster forms the highest point on the dashboard. This places a clear focus on the driver axis. A central, 10.9-inch infotainment display and an optional passenger display are combined to form an integrated glass band in a black-panel look. All user interfaces have been completely newly designed for the Taycan. The number of classic hardware controls such as switches and buttons has been greatly reduced. Instead, control is intelligent and intuitive – using touch operation or the voice control function, which responds to the command “Hey Porsche”.
The interior of the Porsche Taycan
With the Taycan, Porsche offers an entirely leather-free interior for the first time. Interiors made from innovative recycled materials underscore the sustainable concept of the electric sports car. “Foot garages” – recesses in the battery in the rear footwell – ensure sitting comfort in the rear and allow the low vehicle height typical of sports cars. Two luggage compartments are available: the front compartment has a capacity of 81 litres and the rear 366 litres.
Innovative drive motors and a two-speed transmission
The Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo have two exceptionally efficient electric ma-chines, one on the front axle and one on the rear axle, thus making the cars all-wheel drive. Both the range and the continuous power of the drive benefit from the high efficiency of the permanently excited synchronous machines. The electric machine, transmission and pulse-controlled inverter are each combined into a compact drive module. The modules have the highest power density (kW per litre of package space) of all electric powertrains on the market today. A special feature of the electric motors is the “hairpin” winding of the stator coils. This technology makes it possible to incorporate more copper in the stator, increasing power output and torque while maintaining the same com
ponent volume.
The two-speed transmission installed on the rear axle is an innovation developed by Porsche. First gear gives the Taycan even more acceleration from a standing start, while second gear with a long gear ratio ensures high efficiency and equally high power reserves. This also applies at very high speeds.
Centrally networked chassis systems
Porsche uses a centrally networked control system for the Taycan chassis. The inte-grated Porsche 4D Chassis Control analyses and synchronises all chassis systems in real time. The innovative chassis systems include adaptive air suspension with three-chamber technology including PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) electronic damper control, as well as the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport (PDCC Sport) electromechanical roll stabilisation system including Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus). The all-wheel drive control with two electric motors and the recuperation system are unique. At up to 265 kW, the potential recuperation power is significantly higher than that of competitors. Driving tests have shown that approximately 90 percent of everyday braking is performed by the electric machines alone – without the hydraulic wheel brakes being activated.
The profile of the different driving modes basically follows the same philosophy as in other Porsche model series. This is supplemented by special settings which enable optimum use of the purely electric drive. Four driving modes are available: “Range”, “Normal”, “Sport” and “Sport Plus”. In addition, individual systems can be configured as required in the “Individual” mode.
A world premiere on three continents at the same time
The Porsche Taycan’s world premiere took place simultaneously in North America, China and Europe. The most important sales markets of the new electric sports car are on these three continents. The event locations are also a synonym for three ways of sustainable energy management: Niagara Falls at the border between the US state of New York and the Canadian province of Ontario representing hydro-power, a solar farm in Neuhardenberg near Berlin representing solar power and a wind farm on Pingtan Island, around 150 kilometres from the Chinese city of Fuzhou in the province of Fujian representing wind power. We perceive these natural forces with all our senses in exactly the same way as we experience the impressive power delivery of the first all-electric sports car from Porsche. This one-time triple event was broadcast worldwide via live stream on NewsTV.porsche.com.
Final Verdict
It will be extremely interesting to see how the Porsche Taycan stacks up against the Tesla Model S, specifically the highest trim level of that car. Already there are comparisons popping up on the web. With Tesla being Porsche’s main competitor here, the 2020 Porsche Taycan has its work cut out for it.
The car is an impressive machine, and it sounds like it lives up to the ethos of the Porsche brand and gives the electric car market exactly what it needs from a Porsche perspective. The Turbo and Turbo S are a good first move for the company and it’ll be interesting to see how the 4S is taken in by critics and the public.
We’re also looking forward to seeing the breakdown of sales for the different trim levels of Taycan. We’d assume the vast majority of buyers are going to go with the 4S, but it also sounds like there are plenty of buyers out there for the Turbo and Turbo S versions of the car.
One of the obstacles that car will need to overcome is the range issue. Tesla beats it there. If Porsche can provide a much better driving experience and owner experience than Tesla, then it would make sense for buyers to choose the Taycan over the Tesla. Most folks will have made up their mind long before they ever sit in the car, but there will be plenty of new people entering the electric car market in the coming years and they will be less stuck on brand and more about what car offers the best experience. Porsche should be able to make that happen.
