Like many others, I’d seen pictures of the Mission E concept, but what struck me when I first saw the Taycan in person was how elegant and futuristic it looked, while maintaining all the best Porsche styling cues: particularly the 911-style roofline and rear fascia.
Getting inside, I was immediately greeted with elements both familiar and new - the driving position is highly adjustable with 14-way seats (included in the Premium Package) and fully adjustable steering wheel. Pre-set seating memory positions are also available for both the driver and passenger. In keeping with Porsche design, the driver controls are located exactly where you expect them to be.
The new features are numerous, but the most striking is the beautifully curved driver display that is both highly customizable, and offers centrally located console screens with multi-function options. You will soon notice the lack of buttons inside, compared with other Porsche models, although your doors and steering wheel will be very similar.
I first drove a Porsche Taycan Turbo in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Canada full force. Having arranged with Tyson Johnson of Porsche Centre Victoria, we took it out for a test drive North of downtown Victoria and eventually through some driving roads near Elk Lake.
The Taycan Turbo is known for having the kind of mind-numbing acceleration usually reserved for expensive supercars and Porsche’s own 911 Turbo and GT models, and Tyson delighted in demonstrating this capability to me. Later, as I had my chance behind the wheel, my firm impression was that the Taycan has ‘next level’ performance which is unique to electric cars. That is due to a combination of attributes that conventional cars cannot duplicate: a very low centre of gravity, astonishingly linear power output from the dual motors, instant throttle response, and precise power delivery. The optional Performance Package on our 4S gives it an agility and sure-footedness which must be felt to be appreciated. Perhaps due to the excellent placement, the suspension is surprisingly compliant, even in the ‘hooligan’ mode of Sport Plus. The overall feel is much closer to a 911 than one would suspect, while it does retain the comfort and smoothness of a Panamera.
We chose the 4S model as we felt it would best suit the mission of the Daily Driver with an emphasis on carving back roads and pursuing road trips. This is a 563-horsepower sports sedan, but shockingly economical - at the end of a typical day you’ll be hard pressed to spend more than $3 recharging at home. Your typical trip across town will cost you around $1.25.
We’ve owned it for 3 1/2 months now, and it has proved itself to be a superbly well-rounded and capable car which will silently putter across town; or whenever asked, attain absurdly high speeds on your favourite back roads. And it is still a proper Porsche road car - they hit this one out of the park.
Date Posted: March 22, 2021