Porsche Taycan Turbo S, a new beginning
First impression: The Porsche Taycan Turbo S can only be described as the best of both worlds. On the one hand the future of electric cars with zero carbon dioxide and on the other end of the scale the “old world” with pure driving pleasure. Did Porsche really nail it?
Some Porschists will argue that the Taycan will never provide the real Porsche-feeling. Something they did say a lot in the last 2 decades. First the Cayenne, then the Panamera and later the Macan. Somewhere in between Porsche has dropped some diesel and hybrids into the world and now… Now Porsche offers its first fully electric car, the Taycan. The world is changing and being stationary means getting behind. Porsche sees that and just goes at it. With full power!
No vroom vroom, but no zoom zoom aswell
Could it be another heading? The Porsche Taycan Turbo S makes a … special … sound, if you activate it. Personally, we love to float around on a soundless cloud, but we get the point if you really want to hit the fast-button. Fast is the wrong word, the "extremely mindblowing fast"-button would be better. Just driving around in the most ecological setting, the car is still pretty darn fast and you feel the gearbox -yes, a gearbox on an electric car- at work when you floor it and you have a small delay, but it really doesn’t bother. That's also the only moment you ever notice the gearbox. In sport +, it changes everything. The car becomes a real rocketship out of The Jeffersons and gearchanges doesn't seem to exist. Everything is just crazy fast. On every speed, every time you hit the acceleration pedal and the car just flies away. Even more impressive when you do a launch control, after a launch control, after a launch control. You see Tesla, it’s possible!
That launch control! We - at Car Journalism - have driven some ridiculous fast and powerful cars, but nothing compares with the instant fly-off in the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. But what did you expect? 761 hp and 1050 (!) Nm instant torque, four-wheel drive, and 2.295 kg ... wait? What? Yes, 2.295 kilograms! Don't ever think you feel this weight on the road, even when you are pushing the car into illegal territories. We can't explain all the magic Porsche did, but they nailed it. Zero to 100 km/h in sub 3 secondes (2,8 secondes). Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, Ferrari 812 Superfast, Koenigsegg Agera RS some of the cars in the same league.
Staying true to the concept
Porsche did a bold and cool thing by keeping faith in their concept. Some things - like the suicide doors - didn't make it on to the production model. Still, the lines are perfect! Classy, sleek, and daring. Certainly in this spec with the carbon details and huge, huge, huge brakes and calipers. One thing we dislike? Thinking, thinking, thinking. The spoiler could be bigger? But let the pictures speak for themselves.
Digitally squared
Entering the car, looking for the start-button - oh yeah, on the left side of the steering wheel - and the car comes to life. So we think. Because you can't hear it, duh! How do we know the car is alive, thanks to all the digital dials that magically appear. Almost everything in front of you - and the passenger - is possible to change at will. Speedo, G-meter, battery capacity, a navigation system, your music choice, ... BTW, the sound system works awesome!
The seats keep you comfy and keep you well in place, while the steering wheel fits perfectly and reacts immediately to every command. Really, everything is of a high standard and works like you come to expect in a Porsche. Except for the rearview camera. Strangely enough, the image looks like one out of a ten-year-old Opel. Porsche? Why? What went wrong?
Conclusion
Is the Porsche Taycan Turbo S a real Porsche? You betcha! New isn't always a bad thing and the Taycan is the living proof of that! In the market for a Tesla? Definitely go visit Porsche!
Also, we want to thank the owners of the car for giving us the opportunity to get a first taste of the Taycan! A big thanks to Stefan Aerts and Kenzo Aerts of AMK scaffolding!
