Porsche Taycan News

Let’s get a couple of things out of the way here.First, we know electric cars are fast, Tesla fans haven’t stopped talking about this since the mid-2010s and there have been countless videos with evidence of the Model S leaving supercharged V8s in the dust at drag strips.Even ‘slow’ EVs feel quick due to their instant application of torque from stand-still. An electric car with a 0-100km/h time of 6 seconds can feel fast because of it.And since I’ve mentioned 0-100km/h, that’s the method we’ll be using to rank which of the electric cars available in Australia is fastest - not their top speed, given you’ll almost never be able to do anything with that.Finally, we are talking about production cars currently available through manufacturers in Australia, so hypercars like the YangWang U9 or anything Rimac is cooking up are off the list.Some of you will be happy to know this means you’re not seeing a photo of the Ferrari Luce here.Conveniently, this means we have five electric cars with a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration figure in under three seconds. Porsche’s frontiering Taycan might soon be on the chopping block according to rumours of an incoming VW model cull, but for now you can still get to 100km/h in a couple of smidgeons over two seconds. That’s if you have almost $300K to spare, given you’ll probably tick one or two boxes on the options list over its $419,000 before on-roads asking price.The Taycan draws power from a 93kWh battery, making 815kW and 1340Nm for all four of its wheels, and even without the Weissach pack removing some weight it’ll manage the run to the tonne in 2.3 seconds.Only second on this list because of alphabetisation, the top-spec Audi e-tron (the Audi RS e-tron GT Performance to give it the proper name) hits 100km/h in a claimed 2.5 seconds, on par with another Porsche.You won’t be surprised to know the e-tron shares a platform with the Taycan, though its most powerful version isn’t quite as vicious - 680kW and 1027Nm draw from a larger 105kWh battery, and it’s not quite as pricey either. A relative bargain at  $309,900 before on-roads, in fact.Tied for second place is this absolute unit, two-and-a-half tonnes of Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen (built in Bratislava, Slovakia, though) capable of hitting 100km/h in 2.5sec thanks to some frankly silly numbers.Its 850kW and 1500Nm outputs are available from even less than the two cars preceding it on this list, $272,100 before on-roads, and the 113kWh battery means the family SUV can travel up to 623km on a single charge, Porsche says.An oil-cooled rear motor, active aero, a drag coefficient of 0.25 and even the ability to tow 3500kg make the Cayenne Turbo a one-of-a-kind family car.England’s Lotus has ruffled feathers by ‘going electric’, likely something that would indeed upset founder Colin Chapman, but staying relevant in the 2020s probably required moving on from popping superchargers on Toyota engines and using them to power (extremely dynamic) cars about the size of shopping trolleys.Lotus claims the top-spec version of the Emeya, a $259,990 four-door grand-tourer with 675kW and 985Nm up its sleeve, can hit 100km/h in a very specific 2.75 seconds. It does weigh around 2.5 tonnes, so imagine how quick it would be if you took the classic quote often attributed to Chapman “simplify and add lightness” to the Emeya.Apologies to anyone hoping for variety in this list - we’ve got three Volkswagen Group cars and two Lotuses with essentially the same specifications.The Lotus Eletre R is two tenths slower to 100km/h according to the manufacturer, but the SUV uses the same 675kW/985Nm dual-motor drivetrain and 112kWh battery, it’s just a little heavier thanks to its SUV shape.It’s also a little more expensive, asking $20,000 more at $279,990 before on-roads.

Many electric vehicles (EVs) are ridiculously rapid from a standstill but offer no emotion beyond being electric and fast in a straight line.However, one particular feature altered my perspective on this and how I engage with sporty EVs.This is the fake gear shifter. I experienced it for the first time in a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N back in 2024 and felt so overwhelmed with all of the other new tech and customisation in the car that I didn’t get to properly test it out.However, I was recently handed the keys to an Ioniq 6 N and finally sunk my teeth into the simulated gear shifting, which Hyundai calls N e-Shift.Getting the boring stuff out of the way first, it essentially simulates an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It’ll replicate slight jerks when shifting gears and if you take control using the paddle shifters, it can bounce off the rev limiter.There are also numerous sound profiles you can select from, but my personal favourite is the classic one that simulates a combustion engine.It sounds comical when written down, but experiencing this first hand does dramatically change how you engage with the car.Rather than just planting the accelerator and silently getting to the speed limit, you get auditory and physical feedback that brings a smile to my face every time.It’s so thrilling watching the rev counter go up and to hear the ‘engine’ getting louder. Then it reaches the next level when it snaps into the next gear.It’s even fun just cruising around with the mode on as it’ll shuffle through the gears.One of the few things that get old in the Hyundai version of this technology is the idle sound. It can be a little drony, which grates after a while.I can see the irony in how these sensations mirror what’s already offered in internal combustion-powered sports cars, but every sporty EV needs a feature like this.Beyond Hyundai, a number of other carmakers already have technology that’s similar to this.Dodge introduced the so-called ‘Fratzonic Chambered’ exhaust on the electric Charger Daytona, which uses speakers and vibration motors to create a note that comes out of an exhaust pipe.Additionally, Porsche is now introducing simulated gear shifts and engine sounds in the Taycan and the new Cayenne Electric. The German carmaker had previously been against introducing this tech.

Facing intense competition from emerging Chinese brands, the impact of US tariffs and increased manufacturing costs in Europe, the Volkswagen Group’s current financial trauma is well documented with a minimum cut of 50,000 jobs (likely 100,000) by 2030 and closure of four production plants in Germany already flagged.And now, as part of its Future Plan presentation, the Group’s executive board has said, “The (group) model lineup will be gradually concentrated on the most attractive market segments and streamlined by up to 50 percent; offering complexity will be reduced by up to 75 percent.”Which means key models currently sold by brands including Audi, Cupra, Skoda, Porsche and VW are set for early discontinuation, the latest by 2030, with the number of available options slashed by three quarters and annual production capacity dropping from 10 to nine million vehicles.Question is, which models are headed for the chop first and German publication Bild believes it has the inside scoop with a "concrete list” of 10 cars headed for extinction.Here’s the Bild VW Group product hit list.Audi: The Q5 Sportback and Q6 e-tron Sportback are unlikely to be replaced. And interestingly, even though the Porsche Taycan is marked for extinction (see below) its Audi e-tron GT twin under the skin isn’t.Cupra: The list marks the Cupra Raval (which hasn't even launched in Australia yet) as headed for the exit after a single generation.Porsche: In unsurprising news the underperforming Taycan is set to retire after the current model reaches the end of the road and the internal-combustion (ICE) Cayenne Coupe is gawn.Sadly for sports car devotees Bild’s mail is that even though Porsche’s ‘strategic realignment’ from late last year pointed to internal combustion power for flagship versions of the 718 Boxster and Cayman, that plan is kaput with the roadster and coupe again lining up as EV only.Skoda: The Bild report puts the Skoda Fabia small car on the chopping block, although there’s no mention of its closely-related Seat Ibiza and VW Polo siblings.Volkswagen: The Jetta compact sedan, now primarily sold in North America, and the Taos crossover-style SUV, currently offered in global markets including North America, South America and Russia (and marketed as the Tharu in China) look unlikely to make a next-gen iteration.No mention of Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini or Seat although Bentley has already shelved its plan to go pure-electric by 2035 and Lambo’s put production of its first EV firmly on the back burner.Bild estimates VW Group savings of up to €6.5 billion (~$10.7 billion) by 2031 by finishing up these 10 cars but even that’s far from a 50 per cent reduction in the across-the-board model count.Stay tuned for more VW Group model obituaries surely coming soon.

Porsche Cars Australia has used the four points of the compass as inspiration for a quartet of one-off, uniquely-themed vehicles to celebrate the iconic German brand’s 75 years in the local market.The Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, Macan 4S, Taycan 4S Cross Turismo and Cayenne S have been designed to reflect the country’s diverse colours and landscapes.The ‘Go North’ Panamera 4 E-Hybrid is finished in ‘Emerald Green Metallic’ to reflect the lush vegetation of Australia’s tropical north with 21-inch ‘Exclusive Design’ rims finished in ‘Neodyme’ (satin gold), and the car’s ‘Espresso’ leather interior representing the region’s contrasting earth tones.Next, the ‘Go East’ Taycan 4S Cross Turismo in ‘Ipanema Blue Metallic’ is a nod to the ocean and coastal surf culture, with 21-inch Exclusive Design wheels in ‘Crayon’ (soft grey) and two-tone black/Crayon leather interior (with ‘Speed Blue’ highlights) representing marine life, coral formations and sandy beaches.Then, the ‘Go South’ Macan 4S’ ‘Gold Bronze Metallic’ finish, 22-inch ‘Vesuvius Grey’ ‘RS Spyder Design’ wheels and black/Chalk extended leather interior reference South Australia’s Limestone Coast and the dolerite sea columns of Tasmania’s southern Tasman Peninsula.Finally, the ‘Go West Cayenne S’ in ‘Ipanema Brown’ with 22-inch ‘Black silk-gloss’ rims and ‘Bordeaux Red’ seat centres echo natural formations, indigenous artworks and the Outback’s deep red colours. Each commemorative car features bespoke items including a ‘75 Years of Porsche in Australia’ key painted to match its exterior colour, illuminated door sill guards customised with each vehicle’s directional theme as well as embossed floor mats. But these cars may not be unique for long because speaking at their unveiling during this year’s Australian Formula One Grand Prix weekend, Porsche Cars Australia CEO and Managing Director Daniel Schmollinger said: “These four cars align timeless Porsche design with regional identity, culture, lifestyle and purpose.“And best of all, they are available for any of our customers to replicate using the Porsche online car configurator.” In marking 75 years in Australia, Porsche references a “chance encounter” when Australian Norman Hamilton, in Europe to investigate pump technology for the construction of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, was overtaken by a silver sports car while driving across Austria‘s famously twisting Grossglockner Pass. The car was a Porsche development prototype driven by German race ace Richard von Frankenberg. Stopped at the same inn in the next village he and Hamilton struck up a conversation, which led to Hamilton meeting Ferdinand Porsche. A vehicle distribution deal followed with the first two Australian-market Porsche 356s shipped to Melbourne in 1951, one of the earliest export arrangements in the brand’s 78 years as a carmaker.

Black is back in fashion.

After the launch of the Taycan facelift in August, Porsche has brought two more lower-spec variants into the fray in the Taycan GTS and Taycan 4. 

There’s a reason why McDonald’s sells Big Macs and cheeseburgers and not salads and protein shakes — that’s what people want.The car industry is learning this lesson now, but in a more expensive way with brands that had committed to electric futures forced to backpedal as internal combustion remains the overwhelming choice for consumers.In a recent conference call, Porsche chief financial officer Lutz Meschke explained why the company has completely rethought its future model line-up with plans to have all but the 911 electric by the end of the decade scrapped.Instead, the Cayenne and Panamera will carry on with petrol power for the foreseeable future in the wake of softening demand for the Taycan electric sports sedan and a seemingly disappointing reception for the new electric Macan.“A lot of customers in the premium and luxury segment are looking in the direction of combustion-engined cars, there’s a clear trend,” Meschke said.While plug-in hybrids will continue to be invested in, Meschke made it clear that Porsche will be keeping its options open to adjust to the preferences of the market. He also appeared to indicate that the Taycan and new Macan could be reverse engineered for an internal combustion engine. “As for our electrified line-up, we are very flexible when it comes to our production footprint,” he explained. “We can produce combustion engine, plug-in hybrids and electrified cars in one production line in Leipzig. When it comes to research and development, you’ll see more flexibility in the upcoming years. We will develop new combustion-engined derivatives in order to give the right answer to customer demand.”Porsche is hardly alone in this situation either. Mercedes-Benz has also said it will have what it’s calling ‘tactical flexibility’ with vehicle platforms, creating architectures that can accommodate both ICE and EV powertrains in order to give itself a better chance in these changing times.At the other end of the market, Fiat is re-engineering its 500e to take a hybrid engine as sales of the electric city car have been well below expectations.While EV sales continue to grow in Australia they still make up only a small portion of the market, so car makers operating here will likely remain focused on ICE, hybrid and plug-in hybrid models in order to balance consumer demand and in the incoming New Vehicle Efficiency Standards.

With Porsche soon to celebrate the fifth birthday of its ground-breaking Taycan performance EV sedan and wagon, the storied German carmaker is confident its future EV strategy is on track.

The instant success of Porsche’s first ever EV, the Taycan four-door sedan, has paved the way for a successful launch of the upcoming Macan electric in Australia, according to Porsche’s local boss.

Porsche says its new Taycan Turbo GT and lighter, track-focused Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package is the most powerful series-production model it has ever produced.