Hot lap videos tend not to be this quiet. That’s understandable as, unlike other Porsches, the Taycan has no ICE howling away.
There aren’t a lot of cars that require the undivided attention of someone like Fifth Gear’s Jason Plato, who’s been competing in the British Touring Car Championship for 23 years and has clinched two titles. However, the Taycan is one of them simply because it’s very fast. Or, as Plato exclaims, “Christ almighty!”
The particular Taycan is a Turbo S, which makes up to 750 hp and 774 lb-ft of torque and gets to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds thanks to a two-speed transmission.
See Also: Porsche Taycan Turbo S Sets EV Lap Record At Road Atlanta
And despite the weight of the batteries, Plato reports that it really does handle. Although he reports a little bit of understeer mid-corner in the fast bends, he still posts a lap time that’s four seconds faster than the GR Yaris, despite this being a small track.
“I’ve got to tell you, the performance is off the scale,” says Plato. “It’s just so rapid! Yes, you can feel it’s two-and-a-half tonnes – I’ve never been a fan of electric cars – but do you know what? I’m changing my mind. I think it’s great.”
He does worry, however, that driving it the way he does, the range will be severely hampered. He concludes then, that despite the performance being there, he might wait for the second generation.
If you don’t want to wait, though, it’ll be comforting to know that European fast chargers can get the Taycan’s battery charge from 5 to 80 percent in just 22 minutes.