2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S
POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS
DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front/rear motor, AWD
MOTOR TYPE AC permanent-magnet electric motors
POWER (SAE NET) 750 combined hp
TORQUE (SAE NET) 774 combined lb-ft
MAX MOTOR SPEED 16,000 rpm
WEIGHT TO POWER 6.8 lb/hp
TRANSMISSION Front 1-speed automatic; rear 2-speed automatic
AXLE/FINAL DRIVE RATIO Front 8.05:1/8.05:1; Rear 8.16:1/15.6:1
SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Control arms, air springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink,
air springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar
STEERING RATIO 9.3:1-14.2:1
TURNS LOCK TO LOCK 2.5
BRAKES, F; R 16.5-in vented, drilled 2-pc carbon-ceramic disc;
16.1-in vented, drilled 2-pc carbon-ceramic, ABS
WHEELS, F; R 9.5 x 21-in; 11.5 x 21-in forged aluminum
TIRES, F; R 265/35R21 101Y; 305/30R21 104Y Pirelli P Zero NF0 Elect
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE 114.2 in
TRACK, F/R 66.5/65.2 in
LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT 195.4 x 77.4 x 54.3 in
TURNING CIRCLE 34.1 ft
CURB WEIGHT 5,109 lb
WEIGHT DIST, F/R 49/51%
SEATING CAPACITY 4
HEADROOM, F/R 38.2/36.8 in
LEGROOM, F/R 41.8/32.2 in
SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 56.4/53.2 in
CARGO VOLUME 2.8 front; 12.9 rear cu ft
TEST DATA
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30 1.0 sec
0-40 1.4
0-50 1.9
0-60 2.4
0-70 3.1
0-80 3.9
0-90 4.8
0-100 5.9
0-100-0 9. 8
PASSING, 45-65 MPH 1.1
QUARTER MILE 10.5 sec @ 130.7 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 103 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION 1.02 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT 23.6 sec @ 0.87 g (avg)
CONSUMER INFO
BASE PRICE $186,350
PRICE AS TESTED $205,360
STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes
AIRBAGS 8: Dual front, f/r side, f/r curtain, front knee
BASIC WARRANTY 4 years/50,000 miles
POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 4 years/50,000 miles
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 4 years/50,000 miles
BATTERY 8 years/80,000 miles
BATTERY CAPACITY 94 kW-hr
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 67/68/68 mpg-e
EPA TOTAL RANGE 192 mi
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 50/50 kW-hr/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.00 lb/mile (at vehicle)
RECOMMENDED FUEL 120-/240-volt AC & 400-/800-volt DC electricity
FROM 20-MI RANGE, L3 (150 KW)
CHARGE TIME TO ADD 100/150 MI17 min/27 minFROM 20-MI RANGE, L3 (350 KW)
CHARGE TIME TO ADD 100/150 MI11 min/19 minand shaggy-haired lone American driver
for the otherwise buttoned-down German
car company.
What we all want to know is how Long
alters his driving style to accommodate the
Taycan’s power and weight. Lapping our
nearby figure-eight course earlier, I didn’t
change anything—I drove as I always do,
but I could feel its tendencies.
In the twisting part of the Fontana
course’s infield, Long slams over the curbs
... tha-whump! We bounce hard; the Taycan
is tough. Hanging on through the esses, the
weight is obvious; direction changes are
sharp, but not the scalpel cuts of a mid-
engine car with its concentrated drivetrain.
Squashed low in the car, the battery
and its heft are helpful because weight
transfer diminishes overall cornering grip
due to tire grip’s nonlinearity with load.
But because the weight is spread out like
a pancake, it increases the polar inertia
(even more so in skateboard-platform
EVs). That’s bad through these infield
esses, where repeated swiveling around
its axis requires extra energy and eats
away tire grip that’s better used for lateral
acceleration (though the lightning-quick
response of electric AWD is very efficient
with what remains). That could be why
Long is blasting over the curbs.
“How are you driving this car differ-
ently?” I ask as we touch 139 mph on a
short straight. “This is the fastest I’ve ever
been here,” Long says, then he’s on the
brakes—regeneration be damned. The
giant carbon discs are shedding heat like
four smokestacks as we arc into the corner.
“The acceleration on exit is so great that
I’m modifying the line to get into the power
as soon as possible.” This makes sense.
That night, I drove north through the
desert out to Barstow, windows down,
heater on full blast to quickly exhaust the
battery before I clocked its recharge time
at a 350-kW Electrify America charger. It
thumped over bumps with Porsche’s usual
solidity. Lifting the accelerator brings
either “sailing ” (no drivetrain resistance)
or a regen rate that’s too wispy for one-foot
canyoning. A third, heavier rate is needed.
At 75 mph, I scanned across the Taycan’s
slick, colorful starship display panels.
Listened to the motor’s sampled siren. And
wondered: Are you really a Porsche? Do
you have passion? Do you hold true to the
Porsche heritage? Here lies the Taycan’s
central question.
Stuttgart’s turn to insert Porsche DNA
into the cool, sterile electric car has
sparked life; in many ways, it’s better-
driving than any gasoline Panamera. The
Taycan also answers the question: What is
the Porsche we need for a livable planet? Q
MAY 2020 MOTORTREND.COM 59