Taking Manchester The Porsche Taycan

6 days ago

What do the Taycan and a Manchester tram have in common? Electricity!

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Motoring editor Jeremy Taylor and Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby explore the northern powerhouse in a Porsche EV.

Car Review: Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo

J-TP We’ve tested the Taycan Turismo estate before, right?

JT – Yes, that was the Sport, this is the Cross version. It’s a s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d coupe with plenty of room in the back for passengers – but not much space in the boot for luggage on our trip up north.

They are both estate versions of the Taycan coupe. What’s the difference between our Cross and the Sport Turismo?

The Cross runs on slightly higher suspension for added ground clearance and features extra body cladding for the butch, off-roady look. Really, both models are very similar, with the same 97kWh battery and four-wheel steering – the latter making for great handling.

It is sensational to drive for such a big car, helped by air suspension and a typically refined and sporty Porsche interior.

Well, the list price is £100,400 but we were probably seduced by £30,000 of extras on our test car. The claimed battery range is 360 miles, but fully-charged, the screen still only read 303 miles, probably due to the cold weather.

And no offence to Manchester trams, but it was quieter and more comfortable, too. The Taycan also had the bonus of heated seats and steering wheel!

Interesting fact, Manchester first operated trams in 1877, before they disappeared just after the Second World War. The city’s Metrolink then launched in 1992 and has since spread its tentacles in all directions. Good job too because, as we discovered, traffic can be dreadful!

Well, we parked the Porsche at The Lowry Hotel in the city centre, which is right next to the River Irwell – once the thriving heart of the dockland area. It has a bank of electric car chargers and some five-star dining for hungry travellers.

Now, as you know, I grew up in Manchester, but since then the city has changed beyond all recognition. The skyline is dominated by new-build tower blocks, but down at ground level, there’s a treasure of architecture and history to explore.

Our first stop was the People’s History Museum, which explores the rights of workers and democracy in Britain over the last 200 years. Some amazing artefacts relating to social history.

Yes, I note I was diverted there instead of the Manchester City Stadium Tour, but agree it was worth it. Then we went on to The Lowry theatre and gallery complex, which has the world’s largest public collection of JS Lowry paintings

He of the ‘matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and dogs’ folk song fame?

Indeed, for those of a certain age who remember Top of the Pops in 1978!

Shame the John Ryland’s Library was under renovation, but even without the museums and cultural attractions, central Manchester is like a giant Hoxton. There’s a palpable buzz to the world’s first industrial city. Lively, vibrant, multicultural and exciting.

Yes, we definitely need to come back and explore the Manchester of your ‘yoof’!