The all-electric Porsche Taycan is the most important product the German automaker has launched since the debut of its first SUV—the Cayenne—all the way back in 2002. Porsche has played with electric performance before, first in the 918 hybrid hypercar and more recently in the Turbo S E-Hybrid variants of the Panamera and Cayenne, but the Taycan is its first foray into the fully electric market. As our Angus MacKenzie put it, “It’s the first electric car that will sorely test the loyalties of the Teslarati.”
As we learned in our exclusive 150-mph experience in a pre-production Taycan, it’s a hoot to drive. Pricing starts over $150,000, more than a little steep for those of us living on a journalist’s salary, but we couldn’t resist putting together our dream builds in Porsche’s Taycan configurator (build your dream Porsche Taycan here). The Taycan may not have as many variants as the 911, but there are still plenty of ways to make Porsche’s new EV your own.
Glacier Blue Taycan Turbo S – $212,400
I’m grateful that Porsche gives buyers the option to delete the model designation badging on the rear end of the new Taycan. Why? Because words have meaning, and I couldn’t bear driving a car that shouts “Turbo” to the world when there are no turbochargers in the drivetrain. That being said, I’m sort of in love with the Taycan. I’ll take mine in Glacier Blue (a throwback 911 color returning for the Taycan) with window trim in silver. Carbon fiber aeroblade 21-inch wheels pay homage to the classic Fuchs rollers of old but look decidedly futuristic. Hopefully they’re a bit lighter, too.
The Race-Tex leather-free interior matches the ethos of an all-electric Porsche nicely, and I’ve taken enough sustainability courses to feel guilty about a cabin full of cow hide. I’m speccing the adaptive sport seats in Graphite Blue. The Premium Package is a no-brainer, adding must-have features like front and rear park assist with a surround view camera system and like-to-have options including a glass panoramic roof and ventilated front seats. I’ll spec the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control active anti-roll bar system because the idea of taking my electric Porsche to a track day just tickles me.
I’m annoyed that I would still have to pay extra for adaptive cruise control in a ~$200k car, but I’ll bite that bullet and tick the box anyway. Graphite Blue seat belts and a white dial for the Sport Chrono clock spruce up the cabin. I’ll also surrender to the light-emitting diode overlords and go maximum screen with the optional 10.9-inch passenger display. Lastly, give me the Burmester audio system, because Porsche is including six months of Apple Music and because I just can’t resist.
Total price comes to $212,400. But all the savings on gas will cover the difference, right? Right? –Duncan Brady
Carrera White Metallic Taycan Turbo – $163,080
White is a boring color, but the new Porsche Taycan looks really good in the Carrera White Metallic. You can see the crisp lines really well on the hood and the sides, and the front fascia looks more aggressive with this color, too. With so many options to choose from, I decided to go lean on the list and save some money. Even with the wheels, the standard 20-inch aero rims look really good. Inside, the Black with Bordeaux Red contrasts really well. I’d skip the optional screen for the passenger to also save weight, but in terms of performance, I added Porsche’s Dynamic Chassis Control Sport for a more dynamic experience at the wheel.
All in all, “my” Taycan comes out to $163,080—way more than what I would spend on an electric car. –Miguel Cortina
Gentian Blue Metallic “Toucan” Turbo – $177,290
Back in the day, I owned a 1989 911 in a rare color combination: Venetian Blue over Linen. It was really cool, especially in SoCal where Porsches are either black (consultant bros) or red (divorce attorneys). My 911 was subtle, and yet it stood out. While the Taycan doesn’t offer that exact color combo, it comes close with Gentian Blue Metallic paint and a Limestone Beige over Black interior package. Gentian is more of a medium blue than I’d like, and Limestone has more gray than the purity of Linen. But it works for me as a statement, especially when the 21-inch wheels give a modernist, techno touch to the original Fuchs look.
As far as equipment, I’m a purist who believes velocity should come with appropriate noise, so I’ll order the Performance Package that includes “electric sport sound,” as well as the go-fast goodies that any 2020 911 owner would ask for: dynamic chassis control, rear-axle steering, and the Sport Chrono package. It’s summer in L.A., which means I’ll tick the box for ventilated seats. And because EVs are relatively quiet (electric sport sound aside), you’ll want a good stereo, so I’ll throw in the Burmester system. And because the Taycan is an EV, and range anxiety is still a thing so long as charging stations are less prevalent than gas stations, the Intelligent Range Manager is a must. Lastly, because I think the name Taycan is ridiculous, I’d go to a fabricator and have the badging retyped as “Toucan” in Porsche script, because the toucan is my spirit animal.
With some other doo-dads added in, my Toucan Turbo comes in at a tidy $177,290. Yes, you can buy a Tesla Model S Performance and a Model 3 Performance for the same money, but there is no substitute for a Porsche. –Mark Rechtin
Metallic White Taycan Turbo S – $218,150
By now you know the drill: I go for white, because it stays clean longer. White turbocharged vehicles, occasionally with all-wheel drive, are a consistent theme in my life, as I own a white Porsche turbo (930) as well as a white Land Cruiser turbodiesel, while the lovely wife drives a white Audi A3, with the 2.0T. Let’s add an EV, why don’t we?
So $185K to start is pretty steep, but since this is house money, let’s go for the Taycan Turbo S. I’m a sucker for five-spoke wheels, and the standard Mission E wheels looked fly (and easy to clean), but the $600 Taycan Aero wheels look more EV appropriate. Hard pass on paying $4,510 for the same wheels with carbon fiber inserts; I don’t want to spend my days grimacing at water spot and brake dust-covered carbon-fiber inserts—or worry about chipping them. I did, however, opt for the $1,290 “Satin Aurum” gold paint option, which represents growth for me. The 930’s wheels are body colored with a polished metal rim—so I almost aped that. Behind the wheels, carbon-ceramic disks and black painted calipers. Black calipers not only mean one less thing to clean, but made sense since I upgraded to PDCC Sport ($3,590).
The carbon-fiber trimmed Sport Design package (a Porsche exclusive no less!), is effectively a front/rear bumper and side skirt package, and looked too good to pass up, even at $5,660. And with all that CF, well, you just have to get the $1,630 mirror covers, right? Another trick must have: glacier blue LED matrix lights, cool blue lenses in the quad headlights, for only $580. I like my EVs to move in silence literally and figuratively, so every badge delete option gets a check.
Inside, I did mimic my old 930 by going with a red leather theme; no Porsche’s “Guard’s Red” on offer, so Bordeaux red it is, wrapping the optional sport seats, of course. I also added metallic white interior accents, a white face Sport Chrono ($420), Bordeaux seat belts ($660), and 2+1 seating ($480) to make my Taycan a five-seater. And by doing that, you just have to add four-zone climate control ($990) as well as the Burmester sound system ($5,810).
The Premium Package bumped things up by another $4,340, but with that got I ventilated front seats and thermally and noise insulated glass, as well as lane change assist (which seems anathema to a brand like Porsche, doncha think?). I also added the slick passenger display for $1,130, a painted key ($540), and—safety first—a fire extinguisher for $149. Porsche Intelligent Range Manager for only $300? Sure! Later we can figure out what it does!
How do you take a $185K Porsche up to nearly $220K? By being value conscious and reading the fine print. For instance, I skipped the ridiculous leather luggage set— $6,323 for, what, some fancy bags—no thank you. Instead, I went for the “White Edition car care range” for $950. What is that? A single Rimowa rollaboard stuffed with “optimally coordinated” and “high-quality care products specially approved for the interior and exterior of Porsche vehicles.” Everything from insect remover to rim cleaner to wax and leather conditioner comes in this set, along with sponges, microfiber towels, brushes, and car care instructions. But the kicker is the Rimowa “trolley” itself. Go price one yourself; they typically run $500-2,000 or more, making this the steal of the century. –Ed Loh
Gentian Blue Taycan Turbo S – $207,990
If I’ve learned anything about Porsches, its that often times the base-spec version is the sweetest driver of the bunch. That said, with the Taycan being something so new and revolutionary (for Porsche), I couldn’t resist going all-out on a Taycan Turbo S. I went for Gentian Blue Metallic with the carbon-fiber finished aero wheels and a Race-Tex graphite blue interior. I rounded my Taycan Turbo S out with a Taycan logo delete, PDCC Sport, carbon-ceramic brakes (the Taycan’s sure to be a porker), and a handful of other premium features that Porsche—being Porsche—makes you pay extra for, like the 150-kW on-board charger and its range manager program. If Angus’ impressions from our first ride are any indication, it’ll be worth it. –Christian Seabaugh
Mamba Green Metallic Taycan Turbo – $164,980
I’m not gonna lie, the Taycan is a stretch for me, so I’m only going for the base “Turbo” version. But I’m so embarrassed that this combustion-engine term is being applied to an electric car, that my most enthusiastically chosen option was a freebie: 0NA—Deletion of “Taycan turbo” Logo on Rear. The rest of my options were very judiciously chosen:
- L0 Mamba Green Metallic paint ($0) How can anyone resist this color, aptly named for a fast-moving venomous African snake? I so love this color I couldn’t resist also ordering…
- AFL Vehicle Keys Painted incl. One Key Pouch in Leather ($540)
- HG Olea Club Leather Interior in Basalt Black/Atacama Beige ($3,010). Okay, I definitely splurged on the interior (it’ll be my primary vantage point, after all). What can I say? The bronzy vents and two-tone coloring of this Olea Club package really got me. At least I resisted all the aluminum, wood, and carbon-fiber options, and none of the colored seat belts really highlight the Mamba Green.
- 1P7 Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport (PDCC Sport, $3,590) I’m a pretty good driver, but it’s been my observation that PDCC Sport and the next option tend to make me feel like a great driver, so they’re in.
- 0N5 Rear Axle Steering incl. Power Steering Plus ($1,620)
- 1ZP Porsche Surface Coated Brakes (PSCB) with Calipers in High Gloss Black ($900) I like to wash my cars myself, and no car looks clean until its wheels are pristine (here I’m going with the standard “Turbo Aero” 20s). This option applies a tungsten carbide coating to the rotors to reduce brake dust by 90 percent. Icing on the cake: It also increases friction and drastically reduces the likelihood of the rotors looking rusty if I ever park it outside in the rain for an extended period.
- 3FG Fixed Panoramic Roof in Glass ($1,490) It’s not possible to order a Taycan now WITHOUT the pano-roof, or believe me, I would have. I hate all that heavy glass up high.
- NW2 Mobile Charger Connect ($1,120) Here’s another forced “option,” which provides 11-kW charging from a Level 2 outlet. The much smarter buy/must-have is…
- KM2 On-Board 150 kW/400V DC Charger ($460) This is required to enable Supercharger-like fast-charging.
And like that, I’m out the door for $164,980. –Frank Markus
Dolomite Silver Taycan Turbo S – $204,430
Right now you can only order the Porsche Taycan in two flavors—Turbo or Turbo S—and there’s not really $35,000-worth of difference between the two in terms of straight-line performance. That said, I’d reach for the top shelf and go for the Turbo S, primarily because the standard spec includes rear-wheel steering, which amps up agility in the twisties, and the PCCB carbon-ceramic brakes, which significantly reduce unsprung weight, improving ride and dynamic response. With that, the only performance option I’d need to order would be the PDCC Sport active anti-roll system.
That leaves the cosmetics. My exterior color choice is Dolomite Silver, a bright silver from the existing Porsche catalogue that nicely highlights the Taycan’s voluptuous curves and provides contrast for the interesting detailing. I’m not a fan of the contrasting rim on the standard wheel, so I’d go with the optional Taycan Design 21-inch alloy wheels with the cool carbon-fiber aeroblades, and I’d have the PCCB brake calipers painted in subtle black rather than the standard high-contrast yellow. Inside is the leather-free Race-Tex interior in cool Graphite Blue, with Graphite Blue seat belts and pale gold Neodyme accents. To top it all off, the Burmester audio package. After all, when you’re propelled by near-silent electric power, a good sound system is essential. –Angus MacKenzie
Mamba Green Metallic Taycan Turbo S – $208,500
Everyone seems to be gushing over the Porsche Taycan’s baby blue exterior and that’s totally cool. I, on the other hand, am thankful that you can get the all-electric sedan in Mamba Green, which is currently my favorite in Porsche’s color palette. To complete my build, I opted for a “Turbo S” with nearly every fixing—two-tone Race-Tex interior, Mission E style 21-inch alloy wheels, the Premium package, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport, Porsche InnoDrive with adaptive cruise control, passenger’s side display, and the Burmester High End surround sound system. Oh, and delete the Turbo S badge in the back please, because that’s just straight up nonsense. A de-badged bright green 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S with a vegan interior. Now that’s a proper all-electric sports sedan! –Stefan Ogbac
Carmine Red Taycan Turbo S – $212,280
Porsche revealed the “base” 992 Carrera in red over gold wheels, which looked so damn good. I draw on that car as inspiration for my Taycan Turbo S. Typically seen on GTS models (which isn’t out for the Taycan—yet), Carmine Red has rich depth and maroon undertones. Ticking the box for Satin Aurum brings that goldish-bronze finish to the Mission E wheels. If there’s a carbon option I’ll usually take it, and so I chose the fiber-lined fasciae of the Sport Design Package, plus carbon side mirror caps—I’ll appreciate those every time I approach the car.
Color-matching the rear Taycan Turbo S badge to paint is particularly cool; it’s stealthy yet present for anyone who knows where to look. Black brake calipers were a must because red and yellow never belong together. Vegan interior trim had ethical appeal, but Truffle Brown leather was too indulgent to resist—not to mention all the brightwork in Satin Aurum to match the wheels. I surprised myself by replacing the standard matte carbon trim with Paldao wood, because it makes the interior even more chocolate-y. For pure novelty, I opted for the passenger-facing touchscreen, so my co-pilot can dial in tunes while I focus on autobahn blasting. –Alex Leanse
Mamba Green Metallic Taycan Turbo S – $212,630
I was really sweating my exterior color choice until I realized painting the wheels gold was an option. Then, it was easy: Mamba Green. I’d have ‘em spray it on a Taycan Turbo S, because if I’m buying an electric super sedan that costs as much as a house, I might as well get the best one. I didn’t care for any of the factory dress-up body parts since they do nothing for performance, but the LED lights and insulated glass serve real functions improving the driving experience, so they’re in (though given the option, I’d hold out until the sunroof becomes optional rather than standard in a few months). I also ditched the busy logo on the rear end for a cleaner look.
Inside, Sport seats are a no-brainer on the highest performance model, and I finished mine in Bordeaux Red along with the bottom half of the dash and the Sport Chrono watch face. To match the wheels, I went with the Neodyme gold interior accents, even if it’s a bit busy. Feature-wise, seat coolers and the Burmester premium stereo are on the top of my list, but I also went for the Sport Chrono package (which gets a heated sport steering wheel to match the seat heaters), the four-zone climate control, and of course, red seat belts. I went for the passenger display screen, too, because like Porsche engineers it annoys me when my passenger needs to back out of the navigation to change another setting.
On the technical side, parking sensors and 360-degree cameras are always helpful, as are blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control, especially paired with predictive InnoDrive software. I also sprung for the 150-kW on-board DC charger for the best public charging experience and the high-end portable charger with Home Energy Connect to make sure charging my car doesn’t overtax my home electrical system.
Finally, the performance parts. The 21-inch wheels I chose already get performance-optimized tires, so we’re good there. PDCC active anti-roll bars are a miracle technology and a must, but like many Porsche guys, I’ll stick with the steel brakes rather than the carbon-ceramic ones. They’re much cheaper to replace, and with the regen doing 95 percent of the braking and my not living next to the Nurburgring, the carbon units are just overkill. –Scott Evans
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Source: WORLD NEWS
