Porsche's first battery-electric car is available in different performance levels from strong to super powerful. Even the smallest is fun, at least as long as you are on the go. Charging the battery wasn't the problem, by the way.
It's too big for a sports car and a little too flat for a sedan: Porsche sees the Taycan as a sports sedan. But actually, the first purely electric series-production car of the modern Porsche era is above all a pioneer when it comes to e-mobility. After the top versions, the last model to find its way to dealers was the basic version of the Taycan. We asked the rear-wheel drive e-athlete to come to the rendezvous, not without having loaded the Porsche Connect app in preparation, with which we were informed about average consumption and, last but not least, the state of charge before the vehicle even arrived.
Visually Porsche, but without sound
He looks good. Wide, relatively flat, long, well-trained - an eye-catcher. The Taycan is clearly recognizable as a Porsche, even if it lacks the characteristic sound of a sports engine. The basic version, which does not require any further letters or turbo designations, is still generously motorized with 300 kW / 408 PS. In their case, the horses only mess with the rear wheels, which doesn't detract from the fun of driving. The performance is beyond any doubt: the manufacturer specifies 5,4 seconds for the standard sprint, at 230 km / h it is limited. That the other Taycan versions are faster and accelerate faster - for free.
The way in which the chassis of the Taycan sports car and limousine connects is more important than second-guessing. In normal drive mode - there is still a range for particularly economical tours and various sport modes - the car springs smoothly over the negligence of German road construction without losing any of its accuracy. The car conveys maximum confidence even in fast corners and lets you forget about the two tons of empty weight. On the autobahn, the sports sedan turns out to be a relaxed cruiser that is even extremely economical in the range of the recommended speed. Porsche specifies a WLTP consumption of 20,4 to 24,8 kWh for 100 kilometers, which should include a range of 350 to 430 kilometers. We stayed with summer temperatures, running air conditioning and a brisk but relaxed driving style with values below 20 kWh. After the tour was over, the on-board computer even showed a 16 before the decimal point on a deliberately relaxed lap of the country road. If you want, you can get further than indicated, at least in the right time of year. If the power supply is running low, the app shows the way to the next fast charger. Theoretically, 225 kW per hour flow into the battery, in practice it is less, but the charging stop with a fairly empty battery up to the 80 percent mark is completed in a little over 20 minutes. Overnight at the wallbox at home, the memory is of course filled to 100 percent.
Cockpit better than in the 911
We also liked the interior, albeit with a few drawbacks. The digital version of the brand-typical five-watch cockpit is a good success. You can read the displays on the edge better than in the more analog 911. The display in the middle is also easy to read and also usable as a touchscreen. We didn't have the optional right display on board. Nobody missed it either. We didn't like the replacement of the many buttons and switches on the center console with a large touch surface, the operation of which gives a certain haptic feedback by means of click effects, but which is more difficult to use than switches and which looks permanently smeared. We were also irritated by the fact that the ventilation nozzles cannot be adjusted mechanically. The air flow is controlled exclusively via the menu navigation. In return, the voice control of the entire system worked perfectly.
Getting out is difficult
The seats and seating position are also perfect, Porsche-like. You don't even want to get out there. Which, however, also had another reason. We are happy to admit that we are a few pounds above our normal weight and generally no longer get in and out of sports cars as smoothly as we used to. We haven't seen that you have to contort yourself when getting in and out of the car. The test with the well-trained 25-year-old 75-kilo standard man and various other test subjects showed no change. The cutout between the B-pillar and the steering wheel is just pretty narrow and there is no use if the car politely moves the driver's seat further behind the B-pillar to get out of the car. This does not make the entry wider. A similar picture emerges on the passenger side without a steering wheel. You always bump your shoulders. Seen in this way, the Taycan is not a car for getting bread and rolls.
The Taycan costs 83.520 euros in the basic version. If you read the listed standard equipment, you don't immediately notice what is really missing. Seen in this way, the Taycan is reasonably priced in, even though a Porsche is never cheap. Nevertheless, by eagerly clicking on the extras - larger rims, chrono package, different leather and much more - you can push the price into the six-figure range. Our test car had a list price of 138.000 euros and therefore extras for more than 50.000 euros. This is called individualized.