Porsche has always been a company that takes performance seriously. But there’s nothing like a little friendly competition to help raise the bar. In the case of Porsche, this is often demonstrated by the company’s numerous victories in endurance racing. Sometimes this courage is manifested on the road also. And that’s what we have: Porsche’s new fastest production car, the Taycan Turbo GT, overtakes the Tesla Model S with several new records.
A few weeks ago, Porsche set a new Nurburgring lap record in a yet-to-be-announced version of its electric sedan. Now we have all the details and they are absolutely stunning. The engine of the upcoming Taycan Turbo GT develops a starting power of 777 hp, which is an increase of 27 hp. More than the current Turbo S. But with a quick pull of the right steering wheel paddle, the Turbo GT can gain an additional 160 horsepower in 10 seconds.
getting better. With a two-second increase in engine power, the Taycan Turbo GT can produce up to 1,092 horsepower. This may not seem like a very long time, but it’s almost enough time to go from 0 to 60. This feat, 0-60, takes just 2.2 seconds in the standard Taycan Turbo GT. Add the free optional Weissach package and that number drops to a surprising 2.1 seconds.
The standard Turbo GT adds several performance features over the previous Turbo S, including PCCB ceramic brakes, a new front splitter, lightly sprayed carbon fiber on various body surfaces and special 21-inch wheels that have their own character . The spokes have been milled to reduce weight and it is shod with Pirelli P Zero R tyres. see
If you really want to lose weight, you need the free Weissach Option Pack. This model features more advanced aerodynamic modifications, including a fixed rear wing and a new splitter that generates 485 pounds of downforce, 175 pounds at the front and 310 pounds at the rear. The rear seats are removed along with the rear speakers, the muffler is removed, and Porsche also removes the secondary charger located on the left front fender.
The result was a weight reduction of 157 pounds and a car that set the electric production car record at Laguna Seca with a time of just 1:27.87. That’s almost half a second faster than the heavily redesigned Tesla Model S, which returns for 2021, and, more importantly, just 0.2 seconds faster than the McLaren Senna’s all-time record. Is slow.
This is absolutely world-class performance, and to get a taste of it, I went to the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta, Georgia to see it. The hero car of the event, the Turbo GT, was the more attractive of the two colours. Purple Sky Metallic is a bright color that will turn heads no matter where you park.
The second color, Pale Blue Metallic, is much more subtle, as the name suggests, and would be a better choice for those who want to be more discreet in their Taycan.
My guide on Porsche’s expansive race track was longtime endurance racer Jörg Bergmeister, who wasted no time in throwing me over the back of my seat as we emerged from the pits. Despite complaints about cold tyres, the Turbo GT not only delivered the impressive acceleration expected from its power and torque, but also demonstrated surprising handling prowess.
This is partly thanks to Porsche’s new Active Ride suspension, an advanced aerodynamic setup that can dynamically adjust ride height and compression in fractions of a second. I had a good workout at the Porsche Experience Center. The track there is incredibly narrow and hilly, with many of the corners inspired by or clearly copied from tracks found on major tracks in other parts of the world. As we flicked the little switch and raced around a hair-raising Nürburgring-like track, the Taycan Turbo GT was not only planted and tightly responsive, it was also fun to drive.
The Bergmeister had no trouble wagging the tail whenever he wanted, and the seat belts locked into place at every corner with the force of those carbon-ceramic brakes. However, during our cool-down drive, the Taycan was instantly smooth and quiet, confidently performing the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde routine.
The performance may be unreal, but the Taycan GT is real. It’s available at Porsche dealers this summer with a starting price of $230,000 plus $1,995 shipping. Once again, the Weissach package is a free option. All you have to decide is whether you want to seat two or four people in your world-class, record-breaking all-electric rocket ship.
