Porsche Taycan an electric weapon

If you need convincing the Taycan is a different Porsche to anything in the company’s 71-year history, it comes from a glance at the instrument cluster.

While Porsche was an early adopter of digital speedos and partial digital displays for years, this is the first time the German company has shunned an analogue tachometer, a curved screen instead displaying vehicle information.

It may seem as trivial as the shape of the sesame seeds on a Macca’s bun, but to the Porsche faithful this is a big deal.

There is, of course, a perfectly reasonable explanation: the Taycan doesn’t have an engine.

The sleek and purposeful four-door is an evolution of the Mission E concept and has two electric motors, making it the first all-electric Porsche.

Under way there’s none of the reassuring rumble that defines a Porsche, the eerie silence interrupted only by the hum of tyres and some rustling wind around the windows, as well as the futuristic whine of electric motors — one up front and a larger one in the rear.

Dial up Sport Plus mode that is a link to typical Porsche sports cars and things get stranger, whirs and whizzes pumped through the speakers like Doctor Who has just started his space travel.

Think hints of Hollywood tinged with Atari, rather than anything authentic Porsche.

It’s one of few oversights for a car that impresses more every kilometre.

We had plenty of those. The media drive involved a European tour, our leg covering 850km across Germany, in turn taking in the fast-charging network being rolled out by Australian company Ionity.

The Taycan’s 800V electric architecture — double the voltage of other electric cars — allows for charging of up to 270kW.

That means something like 25 minutes to go from 5 per cent battery capacity to 80 per cent.

With a full charge the 83.7kWh battery pack that lines the floor promises up to 450km in the Turbo.

With wider, grippier tyres that have more rolling resistance, the more powerful Turbo S drops range to 412km, each dependent on temperature and how you drive.

Speaking of which, it’s the thwack in the back that defines what is a new era for Porsche.

Dive into the top-shelf Taycan Turbo S and there’s as much as 560kW and 1050Nm of torque.

Press the accelerator and the response is computer-game slick, the Taycan leaping almost instantly.

Initial acceleration is as brutal as any supercar, a monstrous amount of pull making itself known with a head-shoving lunge back into the snug seats.

With power delivered to all four wheels and a traction control system 10 times faster than any other Porsche, there’s a level of grip and control almost belying physics.

Few cars scrabble out of intersections or hairpins with the vigour of the Taycan. It’s brutally effective at unleashing — and, crucially, controlling — the 1050Nm, the clever all-paw system diverting drive to those wheels with grip and with millisecond precision.

There’s a lot going on ludicrously quickly, all of which colludes to deliver a car with immense talent.

Despite its straight-line party tricks there’s a level of finesse and cohesion that cements the Taycan as a complete performance package.

The basic EV architecture helps. Having 650kg of batteries so low in the car positions the centre of gravity not far above the road.

That helps with keeping the body unusually flat through corners, the active stabiliser bars of the Turbo S further limiting roll.

Precise and predictable steering adds to the fluidity.

Grip levels are generally high, the 21-inch tyres of the S outdoing the 20s of the Turbo. Push on and the nose eventually runs wide into understeer, but four-wheel steering that will be standard on the S helps swing the tail out of tight corners in a semi-playful way.

Enormous 10-piston brakes arrest things confidently, ready for a race track thrash as much as suburban duties that maximise the regenerative functionality to turn kinetic energy back into electricity.

That the Taycan manages this in a swoopy, mid-size sedan body with vague levels of practicality adds to its appeal, one that comes with a hefty price tag; think $300,000-ish for the Turbo and another $50K for the S.

While rear head room is bordering on tight, the “foot garage” that leaves a hole in the battery pack at least looks after the lower half.

Ultimately, though, it’s the immensely usable performance that makes the Taycan such an addictive machine. Any car that can make a Tesla feel borderline sluggish makes a big statement.

The Taycan does it with the style — and price tag — befitting one of the most respected names in sports cars. It is electric performance without the compromise.

A turbo in name only

The Taycan will be initially be offered in two model variants for Australia: the Turbo and Turbo S.

The electric drivetrain means there are no turbos, Porsche holding on to the nomenclature to link the Taycan to the rest of its range.

Each gets the same electric motors front and rear, the latter running through a two-speed gearbox allowing for faster speeds; top speed is claimed at 260km/h.

The Turbo S gets a more powerful inverter allowing more electricity to flow from the 83.7kWh battery pack, in turn resulting in more power and torque (560kW/1050Nm versus 500kW/850Nm).

However, those power peaks are only produced when utilising the launch control system. It delivers 2.5 seconds of peak power, something allowing for faster starts.

Once under way, the only difference between the two is the torque, each providing more than enough thrust for slick acceleration and effortless overtaking.

In regular driving, the peak power of the Turbo and Turbo S is identical — 460kW.

And, even when using launch control, once you’re travelling beyond 100km/h the acceleration between Turbo and Turbo S is identical, the two relying on the 460kW power peak over the torque as the electric motors spin to their 16,000rpm limit.

Porsche Taycan Turbo S 560kW

Price: $350,000 (estimated)

Motors: 2 synchronous AC electric motors

Outputs: 560kW/1050Nm

Transmission: Two-speed auto

Thirst: 26.9kWh/100km

Article Credit: Toby Hagon 
Photo Credit: Porsche Taycan
Full Article: https://thewest.com.au/lifestyle/motoring/porsche-taycan-an-electric-weapon-ng-b881344731z