ELECTRIFYING!

TAYCAN 4S 0-100 km/h: 4.0s 522 hp Top speed: 250 km/h MSRP 119,400

TAYCAN TURBO 0-100 km/h: 3.2s 670 hp Top speed: 260 km/h MSRP 173,900

TAYCAN TURBO S 0-100 km/h: 2.8s 750 hp Top speed: 260 km/h MSRP 213,900

PORSCHE CENTRE VANCOUVER 688 Terminal Ave | (604) 736-7911 | www.porschevancouver.ca

No, this isn’t Porsche’s first electric car. In fact, Porsche’s very first car EVER was an electric: In 1898, Ferdinand Porsche designed the Egger-Lohner C.2 Phaeton, which was powered by a four-horsepower electric motor and had a top speed of just 25 km/h. Times have changed, and here we are with the 522 (4S) to 750 (Turbo S) horsepower Taycan (pronounced tie-kahn).

I have to admit, I was never the biggest fan of electric cars. Yes, they may be fast but they often lack personality and I didn’t feel passionate about them. Then, at the 2015 Frankfurt Auto Show, Porsche unveiled the Mission E concept car and I didn’t care which drivetrain it would get - the car was just stunningly beautiful. In late February 2020, the production Taycan was simultaneously revealed in locations which

represent three forms of sustainable energy: Niagara Falls (hydropower); a solar farm in Neuhardenberg, near Berlin in Germany (solar power); and a wind farm on the China’s Pingtan Island, around 150 km from the city of Fuzhou (wind power).

My first close encounter with the Taycan was last year in Dubai but the first chance for an in-depth several day test-drive with the first production electric vehicle to use a two-speed transmission and an 800-volt electrical system, was September. I was handed the keys to the 670hp Taycan Turbo in white with black leather interior.

Wait - “Turbo”? Yes – Porsche states that the word Turbo has become a subbrand, denoting the fastest models in every model-line, regardless of the type of drivetrain.

The exterior – stunning with unmistakable Porsche DNA. Let’s just say it is more of a futuristic stretched 911 than a shrunken Panamera. An aggressive front with LED matrix headlights, a low and sleek roofline that gives it a very dynamic profile, and a sharply emphasised rear with Porsche lettering in glass-effect in the light bar.

The interior is a bit smaller than that of a Panamera but there is plenty of room and, most importantly, the driving position is excellent. However, what really sets this car apart for me from a Tesla is its vastly superior interior quality. Everything you see and touch is of the typical high Porsche standard. It looks and feels expensive.

Once you are behind the steering wheel everything is very familiar. The rising centre console, the shape of the dash, the steering wheel – it is all 100% Porsche. However, upon closer inspection, you can see the revolution.

All instruments are fully digital. Behind the steering wheel sits an industry first – a big 16.8” curved display that can either mimic traditional dials, be a huge navigation map or, left blacked out, can just show the speedometer. Left and right are touch-sensitive buttons for lights, suspension and stability settings. There are three touchscreens in the dash. First, a 10.9” full HD screen in the centre console. Below it, a smaller screen with haptic feedback, and an optional second touchscreen in front of the passenger. Personally, I like this much better than the big “glued-on” screens you will find in other electric cars.

As for the “shifter” - it sits on the right side of the steering wheel. Flipping it up puts the car in reverse, down is for Drive mode. And yes – there is a starter button which sits Porsche-typical on the left side of the steering wheel. Actually, you don’t really need it as once you walk up to the car and get in, all you have to do is to put

it in Drive-mode.

The test-car came with a few extras and all of them make sense. The Premium Package includes the fixed panoramic sunroof and a surround view camera system. The Performance Package adds Dynamic Chassis Control, the Porsche Electric Sound, rear axle steering and the Sport Chrono, and the 150-kW charger that triples the maximum charging power at 400-volt DC fast-charging stations really is a must. In ideal conditions at 800volt high-power charging stations, with a maximum charging capacity (peak) of 270 kW, charging time for five to 80 percent SoC (state of charge) is 22.5 minutes. Overall, the extras added another $18,000 to the $173,900 MSRP.

ON THE ROAD Turn on the Porsche Electric Sport Sound (so you at least have some noise), put it in Sport Plus mode ... and kick it. Weeeeee- it’s violent. Yes, yes, I know - comparing it to a Tesla Model S P100D it is not as fast, or doesn’t go as far but you will find out that numbers aren’t everything and to be honest with you, my stomach is ok with a three second sprint to one hundred. What fascinates me the most in the Taycan is the spot-on steering, the overall ride quality with one of the best air-suspensions I have experienced so far, and the fantastic brakes. Well, actually up to 90% of your braking will be by regen, which is why the discs have a special coating to prevent rusting.

As for the consumption – we managed to go a bit further than 400km on one charge, and I would suggest that you can get up to 480 km on long-distance drives. Head over to Porsche Centre Vancouver for more information and to book a test-drive.