Porsche Taycan GT: We warned you it was gonna be crazy … and it is!
Porsche has launched its most powerful car ever and it’s not a track-bred 911 but the zero-emission 2024 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT that can churn out a dizzying 815kW.
Locked in for a mid-2024 arrival in Australia, the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT is timed to arrive along with a comprehensive refresh of the rest of the Taycan range, although the new flagship model won’t come cheap, priced at $416,600 plus on-roads.
That’s a hefty $42,400 more than the upgraded Porsche Taycan Turbo S ($374,200) that has had its power wound up to 700kW.
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When it lands here, Porsche Australia says it will give buyers the option of the hardcore Weissach pack for free, although you do have to sacrifice the rear seats in pursuit of its extra performance.
Speaking of which, the Taycan Turbo GT that has already set an astonishing 7min 7sec production car lap record at the Nurburgring.
Helping it conquer the Green Hell is the battery-electric Porsche’s ability to produce not only 815kW but 1340Nm as well.
The maximum outputs are only available for just two seconds during launch control. In normal driving the driver can deploy up to 680kW with an overboost function that ramps up power to 760kW.
How far it can cover on a single charge has yet to be revealed but most performance car enthusiasts will be more interested in the Taycan Turbo GT’s acceleration – and the most powerful ever road-going Porsche doesn’t disappoint.
Off the line the Turbo GT – which is 75kg lighter than a Turbo S – can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 2.3 seconds.
Tick the box for the lighter-still Weissach package and that figure drops further to just 2.2 seconds – 0.2sec quicker.
Top speed for the standard Turbo GT is 290km/h while the Weissach-equipped can reach 305km/h flat-out.
Just two sedans are claimed to be quicker; the discontinued Tesla Model S Plaid (2.1 seconds) and the Lucid Air Sapphire that is claimed to be capable of a 0-100km/h dash of just 1.95sec.
As well as the Nurburgring lap, the Taycan Turbo GT with the Weissach pack is now also the fastest EV to lap the Laguna Seca Raceway in California, posting a 1:27.87 time on February 23.
Helping exploit its extra performance, the Taycan Turbo GT comes with a revised aero that includes a huge new adaptive rear wing, a redesigned rear air intake, plus a tweaked front bumper and larger splitter. The latest flagship Taycan also gains a pair of revised headlamps shared with the rest of the revised Porsche electric sedan line-up.
Instead of bolting on an extra electric motor, Porsche says the powertrains’ higher output is achieved by the use of a new silicon carbide semiconductor material that’s employed for the pulse converter that controls the rear-mounted motor.
The semiconductor allows engineers to dial up current from 600 amps in the Turbo S to around 900 amps in the Turbo GT. To cope with the extra power and torque the rear transmission has been beefed-up.
In its Attack Mode the powertrain can now provide short 120kW burst of power for up to 10 seconds that is activated by a push of a button – that’s 50kW more than the push-to-pass feature in lesser Taycans.
Enhancing performance further, Porsche has saved up to 75kg by using carbon-fibre for the B-pillar trims, side skirt inlays, door mirror caps and bucket seat’s seat and backrest. The electric soft-close boot lid is also deleted.
Other Turbo GT-specific kilo-cutting upgrades include standard Porsche Active Ride that features a bespoke-tune, a set of lightweight 21-inch forged wheels and the car-maker’s ceramic brakes, that shave a further 2kg off the kerb weight and come finished in Victory Gold paint.
Speaking of hues, the Turbo GT will exclusively be offered in Pale Blue Metallic and Purple Sky Metallic (as pictured), although the latter will only be available for one year only.
As standard the front spoiler, aero blades, adaptive rear spoiler and rear Gurney flaps are all finished in a high-gloss carbon-weave, while high-gloss black is used for the window surrounds. Finally, matte-black rear GT logos complete the moody look and adorn the rear boot lid.
Within, the ultra-lightweight bucket seats can be swapped out for a set of more comfortable 18-way adjust memory seats, while there’s Turbo GT logos on the front headrests and a further GT badge below the climate panel. The GT sports steering wheel is wrapped in Race Tex material and has a 12 o’clock market.
Tick the box for the Weissach pack and you get a new front diffuser, extra underbody deflectors and a fixed rear wing that, along with the other measures, helps generate an additional 220kg of downforce.
A striking striped wrap in Volt Blue, Black or matte Black will also be available.
As well as the extra air bending a further 70kg of weight is saved with the rear seats junked for a carbon-fibre storage box.
Other features deleted to save weight includes the Sport Chrono pack, door mats, the driver’s side charging port, plus some sound deadening material. Ridding the cabin of both its rear speakers and the BOSE surround sound system saves more mass.
For the Australian market Weissach-equipped cars will come with a digital radio and safety aids like Lane Change Assist, Park Assist, Surround View, a head-up display and side airbags in the rear seats.
Further no-cost options for the Taycan Turbo GT include a fixed panoramic roof, adaptive cruise, heated front and rear seats and free floor mats.
