Porsche Taycan Turbo S: electrified sports car

J-C Etter

6 years ago

The first electric Porsche. Not the last.

After years of development, 6 million kilometers of testing and months of teasing, Porsche finally unveils its first electric car. September 4th 2019 is an important milestone for the 71 year old brand, which has evolved from a single model company – the 356 then the 911 – to an extended range which includes SUVs, sedans, mid engine sports cars, rear engine GTs and now an eletric sedan.

Porsche has invested massively in its electrification. More than 6 billion euros will have been invested by 2022 to expand and prepare the historical Zuffenhausen site to assemble the Taycan and making it carbon neutral. This car, alone, has brought more than 1200 new jobs to the Stuttgart area.

The Taycan is a derivative of the Mission E Concept unveiled at the 2015 Frankfurt autoshow. The « Taycan » name (turkish for young lively horse) was selected out of a list of 600 ideas and follows a similar construction to other models: “ay” like Cayman and Cayenne, “can” as in Macan. The first letter, T, points to a new era.

Porsche has chosen to unveil this groundbreaking new model simultaneously in three symbolic venues: Neuhardenberg, a solar farm near Berlin, the Niagara Falls, a hydroelectric site, and on the island of Pingtan near Fuzhou, China, where the world’s largest offshore wind farm is located.

The Porsche Taycan is based on a specific plateform – codename J1 – which it will share with the upcoming Audi e-tron GT. Its styling remains true to the Mission E concept. The four door sedan coupe integrates the design language of the brand with a sloping roof line, sculpted haunches and C pilars reminiscent of the 911.

The electric system operates under 800 Volts, a first for a series production electric car and twice that of other electric passenger cars. Increased voltage brings the benefits of reduced weight. The battery pack has a gross capacity of 93.4 kWh, which results in a range of up to 450 km according to the WLTP standard.

This battery pack can be charged at up to 270 kW of power. This allows to charges from 5% to 80% in 22.5 minutes, or to refill 100 km of range in 5 minutes. The Taycan also carries a 11 kW AC charger for domestic use or destination charging.

Two models are initially introduced, Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S, following the same naming hierarchy as the other models. Both feature four wheel drive and claim a top speed of 260 km/h.

Model	Taycan Turbo S	Taycan Turbo
Overboost power	761 hp	680 hp
Power	625 hp	625 hp
Torque	1050 Nm	850 Nm
0-100 km/h	2.8 s	3.2 s
0-200 km/h	9.8s	10.6s
Cons. kWh/100km	26.9	26.0
Range (WLTP)	412 km	450 km
Weight DIN	2295 kg	2305 kg

The rear motor is mated to an automatic gearbox with two ratios to further enhance acceleration.

Porsche has carefully studied the integration of the battery pack in the floor to preserve a low driving position similar to the 911 and carving space for rear passenger feet. Careful work on aerodynamics yields a Cd value of only 0.22.

Dimensions are slightly more compact than a Panamera:

	Taycan	Panamera 2
Length (mm)	4963	5049
Width (mm)	1966-2144	1937
Height (mm)	1378	1427
Wheelbase (mm)	2900	2950
Trunk (L)	81+366	495 / 1304

The chassis applies proven Porsche solutions: adaptive air suspension with three-chamber technology including PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) electronic damper control, as well as optional anti-roll PDCC and four wheel integral steering.

Inside, the center piece is a curved 16.8″ display which supports four different display modes:
– Classic mode with circular dials and a power-meter at the center in lieu of the engine revs indicator
– Map mode which displays the navigation map in the center
– Full Map mode which displays the navigation map on the full width of the display
– Pure mode, which only displays speed, road sign reminders and navigation directions.

The outer edges are touch sensitive and enable the selection of lighting functions (on the left) and chassis settings (on the right). Four driving modes are proposed: Range, Normal, Sport and Sport Plus.

Two steering wheels are on offer: a base steering wheel with colored inserts, or the GT steering wheel with a mode selector at 4 o’clock. The ignition switch is located on the left hand side of the steering column.

The dashboard integrates a 10.9″ infotainment display and an optional second display of the same size facing the front passenger. The center console features a third 8.4″ display with haptic feedback.

The drive selector is inspired from the 918 Spyder with a simple lever on the dashboard. Simplification and minimalist design are overarching themes. Virtual Airflow Control for instance replaces conventional manual vanes to channel air flow.

Materials on offer span a broad spectrum from traditional to sustainable. Classic leathers are on offer, but also Olea leathers tanned with olive tree leaves. Alternative to animal hides come in the form of Race-Tex textile, a microfiber based on recycled polyester. Floor carpets are made of Econyl, a fiber made of recycled fishing nets.

The Porsche Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S are available immediately for configuration and order. Pricing for Switzerland is set respectively at CHF 194’900 and CHF 237’500. Swiss customers get an extended options package which includes a 2 years of extended warranty and additional equipment. Pricing for France is €155’552 and € 189’152.