Taycan Turbo GT – the most powerful Porsche to date starts

When Tesla introduced the Plaid models for the first time with over 1000 hp at reasonable prices, it was a sensation. Porsche didn't let this bother them and waited. Now the Taycan Turbo GT even starts with over 1100 hp.

Somehow it was clear. The fact that Tesla brought the first electric car onto the market at a bourgeois price (of course, we're still talking about six-figure prices, but not seven figures) with 1020 hp didn't leave Porsche unmoved. But the Zuffenhausen team didn't seem hectic. After all, the plaid was already presented in 2020, so several years passed.

But in spring 2024 the time has finally come: the Taycan Turbo GT is here! It has already been presented statically. Now Porsche has also let outsiders get behind the wheel. However, not on the public road for the time being, but on the track, where the Swabians can definitely imagine their fastest and most powerful electrically powered sedan. Oh what! Not the most powerful electrically powered sedan, the Taycan Turbo GT is the most powerful Porsche ever with 1108 hp!

The express electric vehicle will probably be used more often as a comfortable travel tool instead of as a wild track beast. One would expect the weight-reduced extreme version with the so-called Weissach package and just two seats (the rear seats are omitted so that the Swabian is lighter) plus a striking, fixed spoiler. And compared to Tesla, Porsche is a little more reserved with certain values. The company doesn't promise 322 like the Americans, but “only” 305 km/h. But this top speed only applies to the variant with the Weissach package.

Taycan Turbo GT does up to 305 km/h

The conventional Turbo GT “already” stops at 290 km/h. According to Porsche, tire safety is no longer feasible given the weight of around 2.4 tons. When it comes to lap times on the track, Porsche's reticence ends. And you feel a touch of pride when the Stuttgart-based company announces that the Taycan Turbo GT has set the lap record as the fastest electrically powered production car on the 3.6 kilometer long Laguna Seca racing circuit in California (under one minute and 28 seconds). And the Turbo GT is also up to mischief on the Nordschleife. Development driver Lars Kern only needed just under seven minutes and eight seconds to cover around 20 kilometers with a pre-production version of the most powerful production Porsche to date. Incidentally, this is also faster than any previous four-door model (regardless of drive type). Sounds exciting.

That's why Porsche is also letting the first journalists onto the track in a Turbo GT. However, this time it is the Circuito Monteblanco in Andalusia, which is just over four kilometers long. It must be said that this first driving activity is just a sample. The road trips that follow at a later date will reveal other impressions.

It's clear that the Turbo GT feels incredibly fast. However, even with all-wheel drive, it has traction problems here on the surface, which is still slightly damp due to the rain. If you activate the so-called “Attack Mode”, the GT gives an additional kick thanks to 163 more horsepower for ten seconds. Then we head towards the horizon with 1108 horses. But as soon as you feel the pressure on your back, you have to put your foot down because the next curve is already flying towards you.

Taycan top model becomes a racer

It would be exciting to know when the so-called derating would begin if you operate at full load for a long time. This is the point at which the performance of the electric drive decreases. A general problem that electric drives have to struggle with much more than combustion engines. In any case, a few kilometers of track won't do anything for the strand. And the technicians have designed heavily loaded components in the top model to be more powerful. A pulse inverter with 900 instead of 600 amps works for the rear axle motor of the Turbo GT. And silicon carbide is used as the semiconductor material, which dissipates heat better than silicon, for example.

The Weissach package is of course indispensable for active motorsport fans. The distinctive visible carbon fiber wing with the Weissach package logo applied to the sides ensures 220 kilograms of total downforce in order to achieve significantly better lateral performance. But even the simple sprint at country road speed can be done more quickly with the athlete, which has been reduced by 70 kilograms compared to the basic Turbo GT version: in 2.2 instead of 2.3 seconds. From 0 to 200 km/h the conventional Turbo GT model loses two tenths. Which, conversely, means that he still completes this discipline incredibly quickly at 6.6 seconds. No wonder, as the boost produces an incredible 1340 Newton meters of torque.

Can the Taycan Turbo GT also be used in everyday life?

The question remains whether the Turbo GT, with its brutal performance, can still be a suitable everyday tourer. However: You don't have to endure the standard full bucket seats made of CFRP, but can instead get the comfortable “Adaptive Sports Seats Plus” with 18-way electrical adjustment. Oh yes, and of course the manufacturer also promises exceptional charging performance for the top model, similar to the weaker versions. A look at the WLTP range of up to 555 kilometers also suggests a certain suitability for everyday use.

The Turbo GT would be all the more the ultra-fast universal travel professional. Finally, a word about four-digit horsepower values: In addition to the Zuffenhausen and Tesla Plaid models, Lucid is also in the 1000 horsepower club. However, the question of whether the competition can also achieve chassis precision à la Porsche causes skepticism. However, you also have to be able and willing to accept a list price of at least 240,000 euros. You guessed correctly, the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT is already listed in the configurator and can be ordered.