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New Taycan Variant
About one year ago, Porsche premiered the Taycan — a fully electric sports car worthy of wearing the German automaker’s nameplate. The Taycan boasts impressive performance, but that EV wizardry comes at a price — a six-figure price. Today Porsche makes the Taycan more accessible with the debut of a base-level variant that starts below $80,000.
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Proper Porsche
Taycan was initially launched with the 750-horsepower Turbo S as seen here. “We promised a true Porsche for the age of electric mobility — a fascinating sports car that not only excites in terms of its technology and driving dynamics, but also sparks a passion in people all over the world, just like its legendary predecessors have done. Now we are delivering on this promise,” said Michael Steiner, an executive board member of Porsche AG research and development.
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Simply Taycan
Simply called Taycan, this base trim will be the only rear-drive Taycan in the EV lineup. To create the entry model, Porsche engineers removed the front electric motor, which reduces vehicle weight by about 200 pounds. The rear power unit and battery architecture remain unchanged from their configuration in the Taycan 4S.
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Still Powerful
Output from the Taycan’s single electric motor is a robust 402 horsepower with the standard battery; with the Performance Battery Plus, horsepower bumps up to 469. Although the Performance Battery Plus increases power output it also adds weight, so both configurations delver acceleration to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. A quarter-mile run is slightly quicker with the bigger battery. Also of note: Even with the front power unit removed, the single-motor Taycan is the most powerful entry-level model Porsche has ever sold.
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Performance Features
Granted, this detuned Taycan becomes the entry level of the Taycan lineup, but it is still all Porsche. Standard features include Porsche Active Suspension Management, 6-piston front brakes / 4-piston rear brakes and 19-inch Taycan Aero Wheels. Larger wheels, adaptive air suspension and ceramic brakes are a few of the available options.
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Luxurious Interior
In keeping with the rest of the lineup, Taycan sports a premium interior featuring a standard 10.9-inch infotainment display as well as an optional passenger display, both floating behind a single glass panel. Eschewing almost all physical buttons or knobs, the technologically sophisticated Taycan user interface employs a touchscreen or voice control that responds to the phrase, “Hey Porsche.”
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Completing the Lineup
The Taycan will join the Taycan 4S, Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S when it hits showrooms in spring 2021. Base MSRP is $79,900, bumping to $85,680 when equipped with the Performance Battery Plus. The Taycan is also eligible for a federal EV tax credit of $7,500 and comes with three years of free charging from the Electrify America network.
