There was a great outcry when Porsche presented the Turbo S, the top model of its Taycan. An electric luxury sedan that had a lot, but no combustion engine and therefore no turbocharger. At the time, even some of those responsible in the Volkswagen Group shook their heads at the nomenclature used to make the Turbo S not an engine but an equipment variant. It has not harmed the success – on the contrary, because if you want the maximum electric power with four doors, you will not opt for the Taycan 4S, a GTS or even the standard Turbo, but for the Turbo S, which has a basic price of 189,600 euros and thus represents the upper end of the price range. At least until the Zuffenhausen-based company steps up again if necessary, so that the Tesla Model S Plaid or a Lucid Air GT with their more than 1,000 hp doesn’t take the butter off their bread, at least on paper.
Despite an overall length of almost five meters, you shouldn’t expect miracles from the space available in the Elektroschwaben. Nevertheless, the Taycan is a true four-seater in which two adults can also sit in the rear if they are not tall enough. The third seat in the middle can only be used as a jump seat for a child. In contrast to the Porsche Panamera, which is much more comfortable here, there is no electric seat adjustment in the rear, nor is there a version with an extended wheelbase, which could score particularly well in China. The rear occupants have a joint / separate climate control and the useful seat heating ex works. There is no electric shading of the side windows, rear window or the popular panoramic roof – which is always useful in the sun or in the cold of winter. Unlike some of the competitors, the Taycan, even in its luxury version, does not have heated armrests at the front or rear or door panels of this type, which would also be pleasantly noticeable in cold temperatures. The manageable loading volume of 366 liters can be significantly expanded by folding down the rear seats separately, and smaller items can also be accommodated in the front trunk with its volume of 84 liters.
460 kW / 625 hp and a maximum torque of 1,050 Nm sound just as powerful as this one pressing into the seats – can be increased to 560 kW / 761 hp in a short-term overboost. That’s enough for a spectacular image spurt from 0 to 100 km/h in a breathtaking 2.8 seconds, which, however, has no meaning in everyday life. The governed top speed of 260 km/h, on the other hand, sounds all too manageable for this engine output; especially since some of the competitors tempt you with significantly higher speeds. However, that may not hide the fact that the 4.96 meter long Porsche Taycan Turbo S is one of the sportiest luxury sedans you can currently get. The driver feels this in the well-contoured sports seats from the first meter, although the stately 2.4-ton all-wheel drive vehicle is anything but hard-tuned; however, loves it quite tightly. This is ensured in particular by the variable air suspension, which adapts to the conditions according to the speed and driving program and can also reduce the ground clearance. The steering provides fine feedback from the road on which the twin brother of the Audi E-Tron GT RS is currently driving, especially for electrical support. The acceleration potential when driving briefly onto the highway or when you want to overtake vehicles in front, even at higher speeds, is enormous. The sportiest of all Taycans accelerates wildly, spontaneously and without any delay from any speed.
But when you’re on the road, you have to pay hard currency for the dynamic propulsion at the charging station faster than you’d like. Because the officially promised electric range of 440 to 468 kilometers ensures great entertainment in the narrow passenger compartment, even in warm Californian temperatures. 320 to 350 kilometers are possible – everything else arises in normal everyday life from the realm of dreams and wishes. Nothing changes when the bright red Taycan Turbo S sometimes swims in the city traffic of Los Angeles, Santa Monica or Santa Barbara, which should significantly reduce real consumption. Finally, the calculated range in the city is given as up to 570 kilometers.
But even faster than the most powerful of all Taycans currently loses its range, it can regain its strength at the fast charging station all the faster. While even the German luxury electric competition with BMW i7 or Mercedes EQS can just refuel with 200 kilowatts, the Zuffenhausen-based company shines with a few years on the technical hump thanks to the 800-volt charging technology with 270 kilowatts. Up to the 60 percent mark, the charging capacity remains powerful and even after that it only goes down gradually. But when the battery is 80 percent charged, it becomes slower, so you should drive on and refuel again. If you charge in the morning, you usually pay less in the USA, so a kilowatt hour in downtown Santa Barbara or near Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles costs just $0.30. In around 20 minutes, the battery pack with its net capacity of almost 84 kWh fills up to over 80 percent, so the electric four-door is fit for the next 250 kilometers. This even amazes Pete at the charging station in the bank parking lot, who just bought his Mercedes EQS SUV two weeks ago. “Mine charges quickly with its 170 kilowatts, but it can do more than 250 kW,” he laughs with the obligatory morning coffee in his right hand, “now I know why my wife wants one.”
However, the almost 190,000 euros (US price: 185,000 US dollars) are not enough to ensure that the supposed lady of the heart is as impressed as Pete would like, because the standard equipment of the Porsche Taycan is very high, even in the top Turbo S version moderate. If you want air-conditioned leather seats, matrix LED headlights, double glass or distance cruise control, you have to dig deep into your pocket. Even things that are taken for granted such as folding exterior mirrors, driver assistance systems, head-up displays, logo projections from the doors or cameras all around push the price easily above the 200,000 euro mark. There is no less than one of the best electric cars currently on the market.
