The most powerful production Porsche of all time. Spot. That’s saying a lot for a manufacturer that has made speed and performance its reason for being. It is history for the brand and a milestone for the industry. Today Porsche has presented the model that expands and completes the range of its 100% electric sports sedan with the Taycan Turbo GT and Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package versions. The latter is made for track use and dispenses with rear seats in favor of an even better power/weight ratio.
Both variants can occasionally provide more than 1,100 HP of power (the Tesla Model S Plaid remains at 1,020 HP). Thanks to their lightweight construction and refined aerodynamics, these fully electric GT sports cars raise the bar in terms of dynamism to unimaginable levels. To support the performance derived from such thrust force, the Stuttgart firm has applied new power electronics to the propulsion system.
The recent improvements in the Taycan range had already led to an increase in the overall power of the system in its models. Among other things, the powertrain, improved with a new motor on the rear axle, enables even more dynamic performance compared to previous versions. But in the super sports variants Taycan Turbo GT and Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package, dynamic efficiency has been taken to a higher level.
Equipped with an advanced pulse inverter, both have a power of 788 HP (580 kW). With Launch Control it increases up to 1,033 HP (760 kW) or up to 1,108 HP (815 kW) for two seconds. Thus, the Taycan Turbo GT needs only 2.3 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h, and 2.2 seconds if it has the Weissach package. That makes it between 1 and 2 tenths of a second faster than the Taycan Turbo S. The difference in acceleration from standstill to 200 km/h is even greater: 6.6 or 6.4 seconds for the Taycan Turbo GT (without/ with Weissach package), which is up to 1.3 seconds less than in the Taycan Turbo S. Its top speed is 305 instead of 290 km/h.
The pulse reverser is the key component to control the electric motor. Pulse inverters with a maximum current of 900 amperes on the rear axle are used in both Turbo GT versions. These allow for increased power and torque compared to the Turbo S’s 600 amp pulse inverter. For greater efficiency, silicon carbide is also used as a semiconductor material in this component. In addition, the transmission ratio and the robustness of the gearbox have been improved, allowing higher torque figures. The maximum torque in both versions is up to 1,340 Nm, while the range of the Taycan Turbo GT reaches 555 km.
The Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package took the title of fastest series production electric car at the Laguna Seca circuit in California on February 23, 2024. With a time of 1:27.87 minutes, the driver of Porsche development, Lars Kern, set a fastest lap that no one had achieved until now with an electric car approved for the road. In summer 2021, the Tesla Model S Plaid ran a time of 1:28.2.
Shortly before, a pre-production version of this same model set a new class record at the Nürburgring. Kern was also behind the wheel on that occasion and achieved a lap time of 7:07.55 minutes on the famous Nordschleife layout. This record is no less than 26 seconds faster than the one obtained by himself in his record lap at the wheel of a Taycan Turbo S Sport equipped with the performance package in August 2022. The new mark represents the current record for electric vehicles of series production and also makes the Turbo GT the fastest four-door in the ring of the Green Hell with any type of engine.
These feats have been made possible by additional lightweight construction measures, with which Porsche engineers have reduced the weight of the Taycan Turbo GT by up to 75 kg compared to the Turbo S. Various carbon parts contribute to this. Such as the B-pillar moldings, the upper casings of the exterior mirrors and the side skirt inserts, among other components. Also saving weight are carbon fiber-reinforced polymer bucket seats, a lightweight hood and the deletion of the tailgate’s power soft-close function.
The Taycan Turbo GT is equipped as standard with the dynamic package that includes the Porsche Active Ride suspension with GT-specific tuning. In sports driving situations, this suspension guarantees a balanced distribution of loads between the wheels to avoid excessive body oscillations. In addition, this package incorporates high-performance tires mounted on lightweight 21” forged wheels. The unique Turbo GT wheels have raised-milled spokes, saving weight while effectively ventilating the brakes.
