It’s snowing closely on the autobahn out of Stuttgart however our driver, Florian, is relaxed and smiling as he triggers the ‘push-to-pass’ button and our Porsche Taycan goes ballistic.
That is the celebration trick for the heavily-revised Taycan 2.0 and the digital speedo numbers flash quickly previous a totally-legal 200km/h regardless of the encompassing visitors.
The countdown on the instrument panel runs backwards from 10 to zero as a 1000Nm wall of torque hits as exhausting as something in a Porsche street automobile. Then, fortunately, it’s over and we are able to sit and calm down. Phew.
A lot later there’s a full-fat, launch-control, ‘push to cross’ exit from Porsche’s Weissach technical centre – totally authorized by the guards on the gate – to bookend the ride-along preview to the 2024 Porsche Taycan and reinforce the work executed for 2024.
The importance within the Taycan work is as apparent as Porsche’s work on electrifying its future. The German sports activities automobile firm is about to go all-in on an electric-only alternative for its Macan SUV, its prime vendor, and can be finalising growth of a battery-electric SUV flagship.
In opposition to that backdrop, the swap to a single 800-volt electrical structure for Taycan 2.0 makes much more sense. So, too, does a claimed vary of as much as 678 kilometres.
However the Taycan is right here and now, with Porsche Automobiles Australia confirming “the brand new all-electric Taycan fashions will arrive in Australia in mid-2024”.
As anticipated, the $164,400 backside line for the Taycan has blown out, with the up to date automobile now beginning from $175,100 earlier than on-road prices.
The mannequin walk-up continues with the Taycan 4S from $216,300, Turbo beginning at $307,500, Taycan Turbo S from $374,200, Taycan 4 Cross Turismo beginning at $198,000, then the 4S Cross Turismo from $224,000, and the flagship Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo beginning at $310,400.
The additional spend brings much more know-how to the automobile, in addition to even-faster 0-100km/h dash occasions, headlined by a 2.4-second consequence – trimmed by 0.4 seconds – on the Taycan Turbo S.
Charging occasions have additionally been trimmed, with Porsche claiming all variations can now be boosted from 10 to 80 per cent of capability in 18 minutes – but it surely stresses that is with “most DC charging energy”.
Adaptive air experience suspension is now commonplace throughout the vary, with Porsche Lively Experience on all-wheel drive fashions, and there may be additionally a wi-fi charging pad within the cabin.
Increased, additional, quicker
In Australia, the Taycan story started in 2021 – and 1496 vehicles have been offered since then.
A protracted journey to Zuffenhausen in Germany simply to experience within the up to date Taycan – no probability to drive – is offset by a deep-dive technical briefing earlier than the ‘experience alongside’ with Florian.
The mantra for the up to date Taycan comes down to 3 phrases: ‘Increased, quicker, additional’. They’re mirrored in two hours of slides and chat and canopy the whole lot from the efficiency, vary, charging system and suspension, in addition to some tiny tweaks within the cabin and the ‘facelift’ work on the styling.
The consequence, even strapped into the again seat like a German industrialist on the way in which to a enterprise convention, is spectacular.
If solely there was extra visible impression…
Design tweaks
Solely a Taycan tragic, or somebody seeking to improve to the brand new mannequin, will see a lot visible distinction for 2024.
Porsche admitted as a lot when it left the design factor of its media briefing till final.
The entrance guards are completely different and there’s a bolder look to the hind lights and badging on the boot. However the work has largely focused on differentiating the mannequin grades.
“We tried to sharpen the design of the Taycan within the second technology,” mentioned Martin Nebe, growth engineer at Porsche. “We modified the entrance apron, within the rear we designed a close to rear fender. And the headlights are new, they’re flatter now, and aerodynamically it’s an enchancment.”
The most recent headlight package deal is a part of the visible tweaking, but additionally features a main improve to the ‘lively matrix’ system with a bounce from 84 to 32,000 particular person pixels and a claimed vary for the excessive beam which fires out to 600 metres.
Inside, there may be expanded content material and simpler entry within the infotainment system, and even ‘lively cooling’ for the wi-fi cellphone cost pad for quicker charging.
“We’ve animation particular results now. To have an additional emotional really feel,” mentioned Porsche.
There’s additionally a system which permits the entrance passenger to look at on-line films with out distracting the driving force.
Digging into the element
The most important spend on Taycan 2.0 was on enhancing effectivity, with 29 per cent of funding going that means and one other 25 per cent directed to efficiency. Charging and design every acquired a 16 per cent share.
“The brand new Taycan is best in each respect,” mentioned program director, Steffen Christian.
He additionally mentioned the automobile was the subsequent step on the street to full electrification, however added a major warning.
“In fact, that’s at all times relying on demand,” he admitted.
There’s certain to be help for the newest chassis enhancements, proper from the ‘Entrance Assistant’ system which raises the physique for simpler entry.
Even the essential Taycan now has two-chamber air suspension and the walk-up by way of the grades the whole lot from a curve-tilt package deal to maintain the cabin sitting flat to an ’Lively Skyhook’ package deal that insulates the automobile from altering street surfaces.
“We spent plenty of effort and time in optimising the vary and the chassis could make a substantial contribution to that,” mentioned Daniel Lunkeit.
“It’s actually added worth that we are able to provide our clients. It makes driving extra snug.”
So there’s a weight reduce of 15 kilograms, helped by new alloys that additionally reduce drag, extra regenerative braking energy, however nonetheless no transfer in direction of the ‘one-pedal drive’ of many different electrical vehicles.
“That’s not the Porsche philosophy. If you happen to don’t must brake, why must you. For us the philosophy is to have one pedal to speed up, one pedal to brake.”
The electrical motion
Peak energy in Taycan 2.0 is up by as a lot as 140kW within the Turbo S, and even the bottom automobile jumps 60kW to 300kW. Vary could be higher by 35 per cent.
These outcomes come from greater battery capability, effectivity enhancements within the drivetrain, software program work on the drive programming, and optimisation of the whole lot from weight to aero.
Porsche has a brand new, smaller and lighter electrical motor on the rear axle which is extra environment friendly and has eliminated the two-speed rear axle.
However the automobile’s celebration trick, launched by powertrain chief Klaus Rechberger, is the Push To Go system.
Porsche says it comes immediately from growth work in Method E racing and on the Turbo S fashions can increase the motion to 700kW and 1100Nm.
“That is for efficiency driving, for overtaking, for having enjoyable with the automobile,” mentioned Rechberger.
Battery work, with higher cells however no change to the essential chemistry, means vitality density is improved by as much as 13 per cent with a drop in weight of 9kg.
It means the Taycan can address charging – in the precise situations – of as much as 300kW for 5 minutes. It might probably add as much as 315km of driving in 10 minutes.
Charging occasions are down for all fashions in all situations, and Porsche stories a tripling of the European charging community up to now two years – however no information on Australia.
The Taycan’s dashboard has extra charging data and might even give a predictive cost time as soon as it’s plugged in. Even the automobile’s air-conditioning has been tweaked with extra capability in heating and cooling,
The experience alongside
It’s the heating, not the cooling, which takes precedence for the two-hour take a look at experience.
Our Turbo S is totally loaded within the cabin however Florian has executed this many occasions earlier than and even falling snow and slushy roads don’t worry him.
Two hours within the automobile proves you can’t choose a Taycan by its physique. Whilst a passenger, the chassis enhancements are simple to really feel and make for a extra relaxed really feel in a variety of situations.
How do we all know? As a result of when the lively programs for roll and pitch and street situations are turned to the ‘off’ setting the consolation degree drops, noticeably.
The efficiency, because it has been from Minute One within the Taycan, is super-impressive. There’s speedy step-off, stable acceleration and loads of punch to affix autobahn visitors.
At one level, on a very greasy roundabout, the again finish of the Taycan steps out.
We’re solely travelling at middling velocity, and our chauffeur will get it again into line with a flick of reverse lock, but it surely proves the driving force focus at Porsche. There isn’t any silly intervention by a so-called driver-assist system, because the Taycan is aware of the driving force has issues completely below management and leaves him alone.
Then Florian goes for the celebration trick, hitting the ‘push to cross’ button within the mode management at 5 o’clock on the steering wheel, and the world goes loopy.
It makes the automobile scary quick, even with gentle visitors and no velocity restrict. Ten seconds are greater than sufficient, although it is able to go once more in lower than a minute.
So Porsche has hit its ‘quicker’ goal, and the sprint says there may be loads of vary and that covers ‘additional’, and the lift-up bodywork – welcome for older house owners – covers off the ‘greater’ facet.
The welcome change is the development to the experience consolation, even within the again seat, and the promise that it’ll carry-over to the nasty roads throughout a lot of Australia.
The automobile sits properly flat, with nice physique management in any type of nook, with a extra limo-style expertise in most situations.
Porsche has organised a quick visit its Weissach technical centre for a top-up cost on the Taycan, which highlights what is feasible within the ultimate situations that are unlikely to be duplicated any time quickly in Australia.
But it surely’s these 10 seconds of frantic motion, first on the autobahn after which once more leaving Weissach, which can stick with me.
The brand new Taycan ought to include a particular warning that ‘Push to Go’ could be addictive.
BUY: Porsche Taycan
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