Inside EVs reviews the Taycan at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Inside EVs were able to ride shotgun in the Taycan during the Goodwood Festival of Speed and they provided some good insight about what the car is like.
The foot garages seem to do the trick for rear passenger seating.
The foot garages seem to do the trick for rear passenger seating.
There's a charging port for the Taycan that can appear on both sides of the car.Since the premiere of the Mission E concept – at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show – a lot of brainwork flowed into the Taycan. Before trying to unveil them, I take a good look at the machine. Despite its camouflage, it does not require much imagination to figure out its final form. Flat LED headlights in front, four frameless doors, 21-inch wheels and a rear-end with some parallels to the current Porsche 911's. Overall, the Taycan makes a powerful, yet slim impression.
I take another look into the rear seats. The idea is to see what getting in feels like, especially without hitting my head. The gently sloping lines of the roof and the rear side windows remind me spontaneously of a 911.
Surprise: in spite of being 1.88 m tall (6,17”) and having a cap on my head, I sit in the back in a deep, but very comfortable position. There’s some space between the top of my head and the glass roof.
Legs and feet get enough space. One reason for this is the so-called "foot garage". It was created by a recess in the battery pack, as the development engineers around let me know.
It appears to drive like a proper Porsche should.The brand’s typical development goals for the over 600 hp all-wheel-drive EV were race-track performance, multiple acceleration capability – crucial on a sports EV – and a range that is suitable for everyday use.
The 800V architecture of the vehicle allows for shorter charging times: about 20 minutes for 80 percent of a full recharge.
Speaking of recharging, in front of the front doors are small fins above the air inlets. If you slide them, a cover glides elegantly out of the body and presents the power connection. On both sides, by the way, what prevents having to lead a cable around or over the car. Very convenient, since it does not matter if the wallbox in your garage is on the left or on the right.
From the very beginning, the Taycan simply goes unimaginably fast and pushes me into the seat. Holy straw sack! (Actually, my reaction was a bit more heartily formulated, if you know what I mean.)
Spontaneously, my mind wanders to warp drive on "Star Trek", while my colleague on the steering wheel throws the car into the corner without (apparently) braking hard. Roadholding: very good!
Nine curves and 1.13 mile (1.82 km) later, we jet with a not unappealing sound (my impression: a touch of a turbine) through the finish.
My driver is clearly having loads of fun and cannot avoid the laughter, but I am no longer astonished. Porsche has done a damn good job. The final judgment – the one made behind the wheel – is of course still pending. The Taycan will only be put for sale by the end of 2019.
Until then, I can only draw a simple conclusion. In a way, the Porsche Taycan is a four-door 911, but fundamentally different. Same parents, different brothers – similar in driving dynamics, completely opposite in terms of motivation. Whatever. As the composer Gustav Mahler once aptly said: “Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.”
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