A record-breaking all-electric Porsche is still a Porsche. No matter what some detractors may have to say about it, the EV represents the best Zuffenhausen has to offer. But customers need to ask themselves a quick question before speccing one: is it really worth it? Let's find out.
Both the Taycan Turbo GT and the Taycan Turbo GT with the Weissach Package can put out 1,093 hp (815 kW) and 988 lb-ft (1,340 Nm) of torque for two seconds when Launch Control is enabled and Overboost is available. When Overboost doesn't activate, the maximum power output is 1,019 hp (760 kW). In normal conditions, the EVs will make do with 777 hp (580 kW).
No matter how you look at it, the Taycan Turbo GT is a "zero-emission" weapon. Cruising around with almost 780 hp on tap is mental. Nobody needs that kind of power on public roads. There's no situation that calls for such a machine to flaunt its maximum go ability. But it's important to have automakers push the boundaries of what's possible. Hypercars and supercars are necessary. Without them, progress might take a lot longer.
But should you buy a 2024 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT? No matter what you like, the starting price is the same - $230,000. That's a nice, round number. But unlike Lucid, Porsche isn't selling a fully loaded Taycan Turbo GT to its customers for that sum. You can still add a ton of options, which is what we did.
We built the most expensive Taycan Turbo GT we could, and it resulted in an MSRP of $292,215. We could've made it even more pricey by choosing the $30,020 paint-to-sample plus option.
However, Pastel Orange felt like the best option possible for this outrageous machine. Admittedly, we also couldn't come up with a color we loved much more than what was available for $13,150.
Some of the priciest options we picked were the Porsche Design Subsecond Clock ($220 more expensive than the carbon ceramic brakes), the panoramic roof with an electrochromic function, the deviated stitching interior package, and the Burmester 3D High-End sound system (almost $6,000).
Photo: Porsche
Now, a 1,020-hp tri-motor Tesla Model S Plaid that's capable of reaching 60 mph from a standstill in 1.99 seconds costs $89,990. For the price of our Taycan Turbo GT, we could get three Model S Plaid units and have some spare cash to pay taxes. Only one of these comes with the NACS port and native access to the Supercharger network!
The Porsche beat the Tesla fair and square – sort of. It removed the rear seats to secure the win on Nurburgring. So, you could take your Taycan Turbo GT Weissach Package and laugh at Tesla owners. But will they feel any shame at all? Probably not, especially since they know that their car has one extra motor and costs over three times less than the Porsche.
They might even start giggling once they check popular car sales websites and realize that depreciation isn't avoiding the Taycan. In fact, it's becoming an issue for many owners and dealerships that can't offload their inventory.
The magic of Porsche is that it managed to create a dual-motor car that's temporarily more powerful than the maxed-out tri-motor Tesla. That's a preview of what's to come and is the thing that got me excited about the prospect of a somewhat attainable German-made super-EV.
Finally, don't hesitate to share with us below if you would spend house money on an EV that can go blisteringly fast and handle corners well at high speeds.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News