Full throttle with 1100+ hp
Porsche Taycan GT: When all inhibitions fall away
At the same time as the radical overhaul of the Taycan, Porsche has introduced a new top model: the Taycan Turbo GT. It delivers more than 1100 hp - albeit only for two seconds. In its track-oriented, fully escalated version, it becomes the tycoon of the racetrack. "Krone" motoring editor Stephan Schätzl drove it on the Circuito Monteblanco near Seville.
Just two seconds after the start with Launch Control, the full power of 815 kW/1108 hp is available, but the Taycan GT passes the 100 km/h mark in the blink of an eye. And it continues for eight seconds with 760 kW/1034 hp and 1340 Nm. The 300 km/h mark soon comes into view.
But this power and speed boost on the straights is not what Porsche's supercharger is all about, which is why there are no gimmicks on the display, as can be found on the Tesla Model S Plaid, which was recently declassified on the Nordschleife.
The power kit
Nevertheless, we first need to clarify the drive system and its performance, as it is not all that simple here and caused some confusion among the journalists at the presentation. Porsche basically differentiates between three power levels in the Taycan: the generally available power, the power that can be called up at the push of a button or pull of a lever and the overboost power with Launch Control from a standstill. With the Turbo GT, peak power is added on top.
In concrete terms, this means the following: In principle, the Turbo GT has 580 kW/789 hp in normal operation, i.e. 10 kW more than the new Turbo S. If you call up Attack Mode while driving using the steering wheel paddle, you have 700 kW/952 hp for ten seconds. With Launch Control, you have 760 kW/1034 hp for ten seconds. If the battery is below 90 percent, this is the maximum. If it is better filled, an additional 55 kW is available for the first two of these ten seconds - making a total of 815 kW/1108 hp.
Once the ten-second counter has counted down to zero, the Taycan only needs a four-second breather before Attack Mode can be fired up again.
For comparison: the Turbo S normally has 570 kW/775 hp, with Push-to-Pass (which corresponds to Attack Mode) it has 640 kW/870 hp and with Launch Control it fires itself towards the horizon with 700 kW/952 hp. This corresponds to the power of the Turbo GT in Attack Mode. During normal driving, the GT therefore has just 10 kW more than the S, but 60 kW/82 hp more in hot mode. All clear? Here is a brief overview:
Arg and angrier
There are two variants to choose from: the bare Taycan Turbo GT and the Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package. The drive is the same in both. The price is also the same. But the driving performance is different. With the package, the GT manages the sprint to 100/200 in 2.2 or 6.4 seconds and runs at 305 km/h; without it, it is one or two tenths and 15 km/h slower.
With the Weissach package, the GT is a lightweight track tool with a fixed rear wing. With a DIN weight of 2220 kg, it weighs 70 kg less than without the Weissach package and 75 kg less than the Turbo S. In return, you have to do without the rear seats, which are replaced by a carbon cover with integrated storage compartment.
The analog clock from the Sport Chrono package, floor mats and some insulation material are also included. There is also only one tailgate on the driver's side, which can be opened manually. The sound system and the Matrix headlights (top version not available) are also compromised.
In general, carbon fiber can be found on the GT in the B-pillar trims, the exterior mirror housings, the inserts in the side sills and in the CfK full bucket seats.
The most striking difference is probably the fixed rear wing, which replaces the movable wing with attached Gurney in the Weissach package. This alone provides 140 kg of downforce at 305 km/h, which together with the 80 kg on the front axle adds up to 220 kg of total downforce.
The reward for the effort is top racetrack potential, which makes the Weissach GT the fastest production electric car on the Nordschleife (7:07:55 minutes) and the fastest four-door car regardless of the drive type. It also recently set an electric record time of 1:27:87 minutes at Laguna Seca.
Race track drive in the GT in Monteblanco
At the Circuito Monteblanco in the south of Spain, where Porsche presented the new Taycan, we were able to do a few laps of the racetrack in the top model. Not for time, but for emotion. This is usually neglected in electric cars. Porsche helps with (switchable) drive sound and the Taycan GT also fires up the adrenaline and endorphin production with impressive longitudinal and lateral acceleration values.
The Pirelli P Zero R tires specially tuned for this vehicle offer the best grip and the Porsche Active Ride suspension, which comes as standard in the GT, plays to its strengths. It consists of air suspension and actively controllable adaptive dampers, each with two valves that are pressurized electro-hydraulically. This not only provides maximum compensation for uneven surfaces, but also keeps the entire vehicle level in all driving conditions and allows it to actively lean into bends, similar to a boat or helicopter.
The GT also achieves up to 400 kW of recuperation power when braking. On the track, of course, the standard carbon ceramic brakes (420-millimetre discs with ten-piston fixed callipers at the front) come into their own. They decelerate massively and with good pedal feel, but become somewhat soft after some time under full load, so that contact between the sole of the foot and the ground does occur. A good 2.3 tons including the rider probably take their toll. However, there should be no lack of actual braking power.
The steering works flawlessly - as you would expect from Porsche - and translates every driving situation into the driver's brain with the best resolution.
Top performance also in the battery
It's a good thing that Porsche has also fundamentally improved the Taycan's battery. The version installed in the Turbo GT stores 105 kilowatt hours gross, with a net capacity of 97 kWh. The Zuffenhausen-based company specifies the WLTP range as up to 554 kilometers and the consumption as around 21 kWh per 100 kilometers. We were unable to find out exactly how far the Turbo GT gets at racing speed. Just this much: on two laps (from pit lane to pit lane) the SoC dropped from 94 to 83 percent, one lap is 4.43 km long.
Price and driving cite
243,982 euros must be worth the full fun in the Turbo GT, with or without the Weissach package. All inhibitions have to fall, because the Turbo S costs a whopping 30,000 euros less. And at 2.4 seconds, it sprints to 100 km/h a tenth slower than the GT, but still four tenths faster than its predecessor. But in these price regions, it's perhaps not about rational decisions, but simply about the maximum possible. And that has been achieved with the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. At least for the time being.
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