Porsche Taycan

Porsche 911 Turbo S vs Taycan Turbo S: which is faster?

We've got full acceleration data. Time to find out which is the fastest Porsche road car

A Porsche head-to-head for you today. Which is the fastest road car the firm builds? The thumping twin turbo petrol power of the new 911 Turbo S, or the new age tech of the twin-motor Taycan Turbo S which, of course, contains not a single actual turbo?

The raw stats are as follows. The Taycan’s twin motors produce 751bhp and 774lb ft. The 911 needs a whole lot more plumbing to deliver a whole lot less power: 641bhp and 590lb ft. But that plumbing doesn’t weigh much. The whole car comes in at 1,640kg. If the Taycan didn’t have to haul around a 93.4kwh battery pack it wouldn’t weigh 2,295kg, but since it does, its disadvantage is a colossal 655kg. And that means for the crucial drag race power-to-weight ratio the Taycan is at a disadvantage: 327bhp/tonne plays 397, and 337lb ft/tonne plays 360.

But electric cars deliver all their power, all the time. Yes, the Taycan has a two-speed gearbox on the rear axle to maximise launch, but aside from that little electric blip (and Porsche wouldn’t have done it if it didn’t make the car faster) there is no complication or interruption in the Taycan’s drivetrain. The 911 has a powerband. Max torque is only available from 2,500-4,000rpm, and that doesn’t coincide with maximum power which arrives at 6,750rpm, when the redline is only 250rpm away. There’s also the small matter of eight gears to be dealt with, even if each is only a minor interruption when there are two clutches to swap them in and out.

911 Turbo S Taycan Turbo S
0-10 0.42 0.41
0-20 0.80 0.85
0-30 1.15 1.26
0-40 1.57 1.67
0-50 2.05 2.14
0-60 2.53 2.61
0-70 3.18 3.28
0-80 3.84 4.08
0-90 4.59 5.03
0-100 5.56 6.12
0-110 6.68 7.35
0-120 7.84 8.80
0-130 9.29 10.62
0-140 11.05 12.77
0-150 13.12

30-70 2.03 2.02
60-130 6.76 8.01

¼ mile 10.40s @ 136.8mph 10.69s @ 131.6mph

100-0 80.75m 84.54m

 
Porsche Taycan Pricing For South Africa

The Porsche Taycan has started arriving in South Africa so the question everyone wants to know is, how much will you need to part with to add this entirely new offering from the folks in Stuttgart.

Local pricing has finally been confirmed as follows;

Taycan 4S: R2,586,000
Taycan Turbo: R3,426,000
Taycan Turbo S: R4,027,000

These are the base prices with the standard 3 year driveplan, with the option to extend to 5 year.

 
New Porsche Taycan in South Africa: prices for local range revealed!

The range kicks off with the Taycan 4S, which starts at R2 586 000. This variant offers up to 390 kW of “overboost power” plus 640 N.m from its pair of permanently excited synchronous electric motors (there's one on each axle). The 79,2 kWh battery pack has a maximum charging power (with direct current) of 225 kW, while the zero to 100 km/h sprint takes a claimed 4,0 seconds when using launch control (top speed is listed as 250 km/h).

The Taycan Turbo, meanwhile, is priced from R3 476 000, with peak outputs of up to 500 kW and 850 N.m. This derivative employs a 93,4 kWh battery, while maximum charging power increases to 270 kW. The Zuffenhausen-based firm says the obligatory sprint is over in just 3,2 seconds, while top speed is 260 km/h.

Finally, the Taycan Turbo S is priced from R4 077 000, making it the most expensive model in Porsche South Africa’s current range. This flagship generates up to 560 kW and a whopping 1 050 N.m, but shares the Turbo’s battery pack capacity. According to Porsche, the Taycan Turbo S will hit 100 km/h from standstill in 2,8 seconds (in the current local range, only the 911 Turbo S is quicker to three figures ... by a tenth of a second). Top speed for the Taycan Turbo S is also 260 km/h.

 
New entry-level RWD Porsche Taycan launches in China

Rear-driven Taycan touches down in China with up to 469bhp and a claimed 304-mile range

Porsche has introduced a rear-driven entry-level model of its Taycan electric saloon, describing it as “a perfect entry point into the fully electrified Porsche world”.

Badged simply ‘Taycan’, the newcomer is the fourth available version of Stuttgart’s Tesla Model S rival so far, joining the 4S, Turbo and Turbo S. It’s destined exclusively for the Chinese market for the time being, but could come to Europe as Porsche caters to growing demand for electric models. A Porsche spokesperson told Autocar: "There is no confirmed timetable for its launch in other markets."

It’s the first model in the line-up to send its power to just the rear axle. A single Permanent Synchronous Motor at the rear produces 402bhp when paired with the standard-specification 79.2kWh battery, but can be upgraded to 469bhp with the 93.4kWh Performance Battery Plus.

Despite the 67bhp gap, both versions are claimed to accelerate from 0-62mph in 5.4sec with launch control and reach a top speed of 143mph. That compares with the 4.0sec 0-62mph time and 155mph top speed of the 4S, currently the cheapest Taycan available in Europe.


Taycan 1.jpgTaycan 2.jpgTaycan 3.jpgTaycan 4.jpg
 
Driven: Porsche Taycan is an electric car for adrenalin junkies

It’s fully digitised, yet it looks the way you’d expect a Porsche cockpit to look, complete with wing-shaped upper and lower dashboard sections. The 42cm digital instrument cluster is curved at either side, and offers four display modes. There’s also a large central screen, measuring 27.6cm and housing the intelligent voice command system which activates when you shout “Hey Porsche”. Buyers can even opt for a passenger-side touchscreen, which is something we’ve never seen before.

So is this a worthwhile purchase?

The Taycan is a brave new direction for Porsche, and while you might miss the more involving and intimate sensation of a 911, this car has a completely different fun factor and it’s one that we certainly like. Yes, it is extremely expensive, particularly if you go for the flagship Turbo S (which you should), but man, what a car.

And don’t think for one moment that this is the only future path for Porsche - the company assures us that its iconic 911 will retain its internal combustion heart for as long as it’s around.


 
Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo: electric estate spied testing

Porsche's EV saloon will gain a crossover-inspired estate variant in 2021; new spyshots show on-road testing

The upcoming Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo has been spotted undergoing on-road testing for the first time.

Disguised prototypes of Porsche's second electric model have previously been spied testing at the Nürburgring, and being put though their paces near the arctic circle as part of winter testing. These latest images give us our best look yet at the rugged estate, which is set to join the German brand's line-up in 2021.

This latest test mule gives us a clearer look at the rear windowline and rear-end shape, as well as a front-end that appears to share a strong likeness with the Taycan saloon. Beyond the trailing edge of the front doors, however, the Taycan Cross Turismo receives its own unique styling, as with the Panamera and Panamera Sport Turismo.

Among the styling elements differentiating the Taycan Cross Turismo from the four-door Taycan are a longer roof and a steeper-angled tailgate – both aimed at providing it with greater load space. This latest prototype is also sporting roof rails, which should allow for even more practicality, while plastic wheel arche edging promises extra protection.


Snip 1.jpgSnip 2.jpg
 
Driven | Porsche Taycan Turbo S

So is the Taycan Turbo S a proper Porsche? It is staggeringly quick, truly dynamic to drive and rather luxurious. So that answer is a certain yes. It feels just like a Porsche and the smile on your face will last long after the Taycan Turbo S has been parked!

PRO’s

Mind-blowing acceleration
Handling
Build quality

CON’s

Range anxiety when having fun (Sport Plus)
On the pricey side (starting from just over R4 million).


Taycan 1.jpgTaycan 2.jpgTaycan 3.jpgTaycan 4.jpgTaycan 5.jpg
 
Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo: electric estate spied testing

Porsche's EV saloon will gain a crossover-inspired estate variant in 2021; new spyshots show on-road testing

The upcoming Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo has been spotted undergoing on-road testing for the first time.

Disguised prototypes of Porsche's second electric model have previously been spied testing at the Nürburgring, and being put though their paces near the arctic circle as part of winter testing. These latest images give us our best look yet at the rugged estate, which is set to join the German brand's line-up in 2021.

This latest test mule gives us a clearer look at the rear windowline and rear-end shape, as well as a front-end that appears to share a strong likeness with the Taycan saloon. Beyond the trailing edge of the front doors, however, the Taycan Cross Turismo receives its own unique styling, as with the Panamera and Panamera Sport Turismo.

Among the styling elements differentiating the Taycan Cross Turismo from the four-door Taycan are a longer roof and a steeper-angled tailgate – both aimed at providing it with greater load space. This latest prototype is also sporting roof rails, which should allow for even more practicality, while plastic wheel arche edging promises extra protection.


View attachment 878533View attachment 878535
And we thought the original panamera was the ugliest thing porch could do.
 
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