The article was originally produced on September 17, 2020, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

The sports cars of the future are here and with the Taycan Turbo S, Porsche is on the electric train. In addition, you show the former gentlemen on the roof where the cupboard should be!

In this article series, I have test driven three different electric cars. First up was Volkswagen's people's car ID.3 (read article here), then came the Swedish creation Polestar 2, (article here) and now it's time for the most powerful and sporty electric car of them all. The pride of Porsche: the Taycan Turbo S.

I have talked about the fact that electric cars are more fun to drive than most regular fossil cars. But if we compare with pure sports cars? This also applies to the Taycan Turbo S, I can state. I have driven most sports and hypercars, some with well over a thousand horsepower, but I have never experienced anything that compares to the direct contact with power that the Taycan Turbo S conveys!

V10 engine at full speed

The only thing I really miss about electric cars is a rumbling engine sound. Few things make the hair stand up like a howling Italian V12 or a furious V10 engine at full revs. Or the rumble of a chubby V8, or why not the chirping sound of a straight five? I probably don't need to go into the fact that an inspiring engine sound is something that is close to the hearts of us reactionary car enthusiasts, that's just the way it is. 

The biggest nut for Porsche to crack in the development of the Taycan was that it needed to make a better car than the Tesla. A task which, however, was not impossible for one of the world's most experienced German sports car companies. Unlike the young company from California, Porsche has not let its customers be beta test pilots for its products. When the Taycan was introduced, it was a much more fully developed product with few, if any, childhood problems. Something you feel when you get into the car, the feeling of quality is top notch.

classic Porsche manner

You start the Taycan on the left side of the steering wheel in classic Porsche fashion. But nowadays it is done with a button instead of a key. Instead of a traditional gear selector on the center console, there is a switch on the right side of the steering wheel to choose between drive mode "Drive" and "Reverse". 

If you put it in D and press the gas pedal to the bottom, you will be shocked. The acceleration in the Taycan Turbo S is brutal! 761 electric horses react the moment you press the pedal. No downshifts, no torque buildup, no turbo lag, just pure electric power straight to the asphalt. It just says bang, then you're off and have passed the hundred mark after 2.8 seconds! It is difficult to explain the hysterical acceleration of the Taycan Turbo S in words. It's not just about from a standstill, but all the time. Regardless of speed, if you press the gas pedal to the bottom, the car is thrown away with enormous force. 

But it's not just the acceleration that's astounding. The road characteristics are also beyond normal. Of course, you expect top class from Porsche, but even so you are surprised. Thanks to the location of the heavy battery in the floor, the center of gravity is very low. I test drove the car on a classic winding stretch of road in the Stockholm area where I am used to how cars usually behave. Other potent sports cars have small but still noticeable body movements and they come to life when going fast through tight corners. 

The Taycan feels like it's attached to the road with magnets. The car makes its way undramatically through the tightest curves, even at speeds well above normal. 

To stop the Taycan Turbo S, ceramic brake discs are larger than LP discs. It may be needed when you have to slow down the 2,370-kilogram car. But in everyday driving, it is actually the regenerative electric motors that take care of most of the braking effect. However, you do not have the option of driving the car with only the gas pedal as a "B mode" on other electric cars, but the function is largely the same. The electric motors handle moderate braking and the mechanical brakes only kick in when you brake really hard. A function that will clearly give longer life to the prohibitively expensive ceramic brakes. 

A lot of power is needed to charge the car. The best way is via Ionity's charger, which has the capacity to charge up to 350 kW, but the Taycan does not charge with a higher output than 250 kW. From a five percent charge, you still reach 80 percent in just 22 minutes. 

The range of the Taycan Turbo S is just over 40 miles. A figure that is beaten by the equivalent Tesla. But even if Tesla beats Porsche in terms of range, the Taycan Turbo S is still the obvious choice if you want quality and driving experience from the brand that builds some of the best sports cars in the world. Porsche!

Porsche Taycan Turbo S

Basic price from	SEK 2,080,000
Engine	Electric, 761 hp. Torque 1,050 Nm
Battery:	Lithium ion, 93.4 kWh, 800 volts. Max charging power 250 kW
Transmission	2 electric motors, four-wheel drive. 1-speed reduction box at the front, 2-speed reduction box at the back
Acceleration	0-100 in 2.8 seconds
Top speed	260 km/h
Consumption acc. WLTP	2.69 kWh/mile
Range acc. WLTP	41.2 km
Weight	2,370 kg
Guarantees	New car 2 years, carriage damage 3 years, rust protection 12 years. Tax: SEK 360 per year
Web	www.porsche.se