The Porsche Taycan range is expanding, it all began with the bang and ballistic battery power of the Taycan Turbo S and Turbo before the 4S joined the family. The latest offering is the Taycan, just Taycan. The big news is that it is the first rear-wheel-drive model liberating the front axel of a significant 90kg. Porsche marked the introduction of the car by casually setting a new world record for the longest drift at a lengthy 41km.
It costs £70,690, which is close to £13,000 less than a Taycan 4S or about half the price of a Taycan Turbo S (and they look identical…). For that you’ve got 321bhp from its single rear motor with 402bhp on overboost. Fork out another £4k and you can have 375bhp with a temporary 469bhp on overboost. Range will also climb from a 431 to 484 kilometres. 0-100km/h is achieve in 5.4-seconds with the bigger battery.
5.4 is not exactly ferocious speed, is it? Well, no. The base Taycan doesn’t have that neck snapping acceleration the world has come to expect from EVs, but that isn’t all bad. I’ve had the honour of piloting every variant of the Taycan and the Turbo(S) models deploy monumental speed in such a savage manner that it is almost impossible to use it on the public road. In the latest Taycan, this isn’t the case. You can plant your right foot and be satisfied knowing that you’re using all of the oomph on tap. You can exploit all the car has to offer without finding yourself in jail.
Fitted with smaller 19-inch wheels and optional PASM air suspension in conjunction with acoustically insulated laminated glass, this Taycan is a fantastic cruiser. When not focusing on the insane speed which other Taycans are capable of demonstrating, you focus on different elements of the driving experience. You are absorbed by and relish the tranquility and technology. There is regeneration under braking but you wouldn’t notice this when you’re hitting the pedal, feel is uncorrupted. One pedal driving is difficult as the force of the regen is rather mild and not configurable as it is in other EVs.
The screens in the Taycan are sublime. The curved driver’s display is a masterpiece that I found mesmerising. This is a seriously comfortable car to cover vast distances in. That’s not to say it cannot be quick when you need it to be. Yes, you’ll need to look for a bigger gap for overtakes, but it still has that ‘point and squirt’ instant torque. It’s agile too, assuming you remember that it weighs 2,130kgs DIN. The steering provides good feel and is well weighted. The seating position is as good as a 911’s and the infotainment is the best in class.
If only my experiences outside of the car were as good as those within the plush cabin. The charging infrastructure in the UK is abysmal and does a disservice to the Taycan and its marvellous refinement and quality. It will get better, hopefully soon.
Porsche GB have just started their own charging network across the UK meaning there will be fast, easy to use chargers. You’ll also be able to have a look around the Porsches on offer instead of a boring service station.
For most people the entry level Taycan will suit all of their needs with a significant saving over the rest of the range. However, if I was in the market for a Taycan it would have to be the 4S as it offers more of the allure of EVs with 530bhp and shocking acceleration (4.0 to 100). I can’t comment on the true hooligan facets of the rear wheel drive Taycan as the car I was driving (Coffee Beige) was not fitted with the optional torque vectoring rear differential. Perhaps that will add a touch of excitement to the Taycan. For now, the base Taycan is all that you could need from an EV and it’s a very good one by any measure.