Porsche has just pulled the covers off of its most powerful production model of all time, the Taycan Turbo GT, and it’s already earned two new track records before hitting the showroom floor.
Lucky for us, the new model and its bewinged Weissach package sibling will be sold here in New Zealand, starting at $459,900.
What you get for your hard-earned coppers is a car that holds the current fastest lap for an electric production car at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca, with a time of 1:27.87 set by Porsche development driver Lars Kern.
Kern also pedaled a pre-production version of the Taycan Turbo GT with the Weissach package around the Nürburgring in 7:07.55 earlier this year, where he set a new record for the fastest electric car currently in production to lap the circuit. It’s also 26 seconds faster than the Taycan Turbo S he drove there in August 2022.
So what makes it so darn quick? Building on the already powerful recently updated Taycan, the Turbo GT and the Weissach package variant both pack 580kW from the get-go, which can be upped to 760kW for 10 seconds with the press of the push-to-pass ‘Attack Mode’ button on the steering wheel.
But wait, there’s more. When ‘Launch Control’ is engaged, the car gets an extra burst of power for two seconds, bringing its total output to 815kW. Maximum torque for both variants comes to 1300Nm.
When translated to the road, a 0 to 100km/h sprint can be achieved in 2.3 seconds, or 2.2 seconds for cars equipped with the Weissach package.
Porsche also put the Taycan Turbo GT on a diet, saving up to 75kg compared to the Turbo S thanks to the use of carbon fibre on the B-pillar trims, upper shells of the door mirrors, side skirt inlays, and other areas.
Inside, the weight-saving onslaught continues with carbon fibre composite bucket seats, a lightweight luggage compartment, and the deletion of the electric soft-closing function on the tailgate.
Other technical upgrades include active suspension with “GT-specific tuning”, 21-inch forged wheels, and carbon ceramic brake discs that have been redesigned to save more than 2kg, alongside the brake calipers that only come finished in ‘Victory Gold’.
As for the exterior, you’ll notice a set of redesigned front and rear bumpers on the standard Turbo GT, while the track-oriented Weissach package adds aerodynamic components like air deflectors on the underbody and a fixed carbon fibre rear wing. The Weissach package also removes all equipment not required for track use, such as the rear seats and analogue clock, while less insulation has been used on the floor and boot mats to save another 70kg compared to the standard Turbo GT.
Customers can choose from six exterior colours, including a new Pale Blue Metallic and Purple Sky Metallic finish.
Porsche expects the first deliveries of the Taycan Turbo GT and its Weissach package-equipped sibling to begin in the third quarter of 2024.
