The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Has Earned Its Stripes

An electric hypercar that’s earned its stripes – that’s the lesser-spotted Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. Jeremy Taylor and Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby drive a track-focussed grand tourer that produces an astonishing 1,093 horsepower – and it’s electric, too!

Car Review: Porsche Taycan Turbo GT

JT-P – Great Scot, are we off on a safari?

JT – Not exactly but there is an elephant in the room with our latest test car – or, at least, a very large zebra.

What on earth has Porsche been up to with the Taycan? One of my favourite EVs for a comfortable long journey by the way…

Pith helmet aside, this is the Turbo GT model and, like all Taycans, is 100 percent electric. Normally a moderately sensible, four-door, four-seat family cruiser, Porsche techies have given this latest model a humungous performance upgrade.

At over £186,000, you’d expect something special, or at least a larger tiger in the tank. What’s the crazy black and white colour scheme all about?

It is a bit of a talking point, isn’t it. So, this particular Turbo GT has the additional Weissach Pack, which removes the rear seats to save weight but also offers a special bodywork wrap for around £8,200. Look carefully and it reads ‘Taycan’. 

I guess you can peel it off with a hairdryer. Only kidding. What else makes this the most extreme Porsche of all time?

Note the carbon-fibre wing bolted on the boot and some huge ceramic brakes to help keep this ‘zebra’ in line. Porsche Active Ride suspension is fitted as standard and the aerodynamics have also been improved. Some equipment has been removed from the standard Taycan to save weight too.

So, you pay more for less car?

Well, in this case, less is more. In fact, 70kg less with the Weissach Pack, which removes the Taycan’s second charging port, floor mats and some noise insulation. Even the music system is less weighty.

I didn’t know floor mats could be such a weighty issue! 

The Turbo GT also packs something called a ‘pulse inverter’. It’s linked to the rear motor and gives this Taycan a real sting in the tail. That’s 0-62mph in 2.2 seconds, or 0-124mph in 6.4 seconds. Not bad for a car weighing 2.2 tonnes.

And this car is faster than the quickest 911 too – amazing!

I’m not sure I’ve driven a road car with so much explosive acceleration. There’s a launch mode for even faster starts and, just in case you need to go quicker, Attack Mode gives a madcap burst of speed for rapid overtaking.

And I suppose that because it’s electric, there is at least some potential for economical motoring?

If you can resist the temptation to drive the Turbo GT in the manner for which it was built, this Taycan can offer some 220 miles between charges. However, the real elephant in the room is, why would anybody want to buy one for the road

Really, the natural habitat of this Porsche is on the racetrack?

Yes, it’s as close to an all-electric racing car as it gets. With all-wheel drive, superb steering and flat-out performance, this is a car with few natural predators.

DISCOVER

Discover more about the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT at porsche.com