Soul Electrified
The new all-electric Taycan from Porsche delivers on every level from stunning good looks to breath-taking performance. Paul Agnew embarks on a test drive and declares it sensational! Photography: Roger Moore
Most new cars are fine, some are good, many are excellent, but occasionally, just occasionally, a new car pulls up that is (deep intake of breath) nothing short of sensational.
One such example is the all-electric Taycan from Porsche. In a word – wow!
So brilliant a motor vehicle that even Oliver Blume, the Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche, struggles to do it justice when he says: “The Taycan starts a new era for Porsche, linking our heritage to the future. It carries forward the success story of our brand – a brand that has fascinated and thrilled people the world over for more than 70 years.”
Come on Mr Blume, don’t be so bashful. This superb, four-door, eye-popping sports/sedan is so much more than that!
The Taycan offers a unique package of typical (by any other marque ‘outstanding’) Porsche performance and connectivity with everyday usability. The manufacturer promised a car for the age of electro-mobility, one designed to not only excite in terms of its technology and driving dynamics, but also to spark a passion.
Has it delivered? Has it ever.
Porsche isn’t just playing at electro-mobility – by 2022 it will have invested more than six billion euros in the project. Serious stuff.
The Taycan is the first production vehicle boasting a system voltage of 800 volts (electric cars usually have 400 volts). In just over five minutes, the high-performance battery can be re-charged up to 100 kilometres (62 plus miles). No need for any ‘range anxiety’ here with a battery capable of delivering upwards of 225 miles.
The overall design – clean and puristic – is unmistakably Porsche, particularly wide and flat at the front with highly contoured wings and a sporty roofline. The cabin is super-sleek and there are many innovative elements such as the glass-effect Porsche logo integrated into the rear light bar.
The cockpit has a clear structure with freestanding, curved instrument cluster and a central, 10.9-inch infotainment display. The number of switches and buttons has been deliberately scaled down. Instead, control is intelligent and intuitive, using touch operation or the voice control function, which responds to ‘Hey Porsche’.
With the Taycan, Porsche offers an entirely leather-free interior for the first time. Interiors made from innovative recycled materials underscore the sustainability. Two luggage compartments offer 81 litres capacity (front) 366 litres (rear). There are four driving modes: Range, Normal, Sport and Sport Plus along with an Individual option.
As for kerb appeal, this is the eye candy of the car world. A stunner.
Once you have managed to get your jaw back up to where it should be and stopped drooling over the looks, the next step is to ease yourself aboard, enjoy the privilege of being in the driving seat and take a spin.
And it’s every bit as good as you dared hope. It’s surprisingly plush, regardless of whether you’re in the 4S, as I was, with 19-inch wheels or the Turbo and Turbo S with their bigger alloys. Bumps come and go with little fuss or interruption and the steering and cornering is top class.
It certainly turns a head or two on even the shortest test drive and, talking of turning, you can even turn on ‘Electric Sport Sound’ to create the exciting roar of a turbocharged Porsche!
It’s super-quick off the mark too, ripping to 60 mph in 2.4 seconds with a top speed 162 mph.
This car will definitely suit the sports car enthusiast with an eco-conscience, particularly those in business as the BIK (Benefits in Kind) offers significant tax advantages.
The Taycan range starts from £83,367.
Finally, I thought you might like to know more about the name. Taycan is of Turkic origin, roughly translated as ‘soul of a spirited young horse’, a perfect description for this lively, impetuous, vigorous, freedom-loving machine.
A thoroughbred sprinter in every sense, a winner in every race.
Porsche Centre Preston
Watery Lane PR2 1QJ
01772 911911
porschepreston.co.uk
