We’ve come a long way with the development of the modern automobile. From the early battery powered vehicles of the 19th century, to the diesel and gasoline powered internal combustion engine, all the way to cars running on alternative fuel sources such as hydrogen. Through the years of development, two attributes were improved: efficiency and performance. The standard for horsepower figures has increased every couple of years, and engines have become more efficient thanks to new technologies.
The 2010s is accredited as being the decade in which electric vehicles resurfaced into the main spotlight once more. Thanks to years of research and development by most major vehicle manufacturers, they are more refined than ever. They are not only close to achieving range numbers comparable to vehicles with internal combustion engines, but they are also capable of going just as fast, if not faster than ICE-powered vehicles.
That brings me to the Taycan, Porsche’s latest hit in their vehicle lineup. Now, I’ve already talked about my opinions on the appearance and interior of the Taycan during the 2020 Canadian International Autoshow, which you can check out here . As you can see from the title of this post, I’m gonna be talking about the overall passenger experience in a Taycan, more specifically the Turbo model. That means a 671hp figure, which is enough to propell this sleek sedan to 100km/h in 3.2 seconds, but knowing Porsche, this figure could be a couple hundredths of a second lower. So indeed yes, we are talking fast, but the word fast itself is not enough to describe the ride experience of this car.
Thanks to the administrators of the Toronto-based Porsche group P.C.C WIlfred Yu and Chen Lim, in addition to Porsche Centre North Toronto who provided the demonstrator, I was able to get my first ever experience as a passenger in Porsche’s new rocketship. Having already seen and watched several reviews by some world-renowned journalists such as Chris Harris, I was expecting this car to be just as comfortable as a Panamera at normal speeds, but as fast as a GT2RS when you push it pedal to the metal. I should add, this was not my first ever experience in an electric vehicle, so I am aware of the driving characteristics unique to these cars such as instant power delivery. That being said, this was my first time in one that is on top of the EV chain.
Following a quick walkaround of the car in order to familiarize myself with all its high-tech gizmos, it is finally time to go on that all-important ride. As the car was officially on loan to Chen, that meant that he took over the commands. Wilfred, knowing my excitement, allowed me to ride shotgun, the right place to be when riding this car for the first time. As we were pulling out of the plaza where we had the car parked, Chen explains to me how comfortable and easy to drive the Taycan is under normal driving conditions, yet it does not struggle to give you speed when you demand it. That part I was not prepared for. Yes, I myself, like the millions of drivers around the world, have gone fast in an automobile. If you still got your old physics books from high school laying around, however, then you should very well know that speed and acceleration are two completely different factors. Speed is a variable that would normally remain constant, while acceleration describes how fast you reach a certain speed. On our daily commutes, we accelerate at low rates on our way to our desired speeds be it 60km/h, or 100km/h, but what occurs when we combine high speed with high rates of acceleration?
“Make sure your head is on the headrest” Chen says as a precaution for when he floors the accelerator pedal. The streets in the area were of very little traffic for a Friday evening, a time in which everyone usually begins to enjoy the incoming weekend, essentially giving us the all-clear to test out the acceleration of the mighty sedan. Once we are finally driving on the mostly clear roads, Chen asks if I’m ready, “let it rip”, I say to him, and at the next millisecond I begin to feel sensations that one only experiences when riding a launch roller coaster. Immediately as we accelerate my consciousness focuses less on the fact that I am a passenger in a motored vehicle, and more on the fact that we were as fast as the Concorde during takeoff. Literally, asides from the neck strain, I began to experience glimpses of tunnel vision; these two symptoms made it feel as if we were disobeying the laws of motion. Back to the ride topic. Right after the first acceleration run, I could only feel the adrenaline rushing through me, just like someone who just got off of a theme park attraction that screams the word ‘thrill’. Well in that case, the Taycan screams the words ‘faster than the speed of light’.
Following a couple of more acceleration runs, the only words coming out of my mouth were,”this car is out of this world”, with the adrenaline still rushing. I was that much astonished by this secret monstrosity of a vehicle. You could even say that the Taycan is too fast, evident by how we overtook any vehicle with ease, or how far behind we would leave other vehicles when stoplight went green. Thus I was brought to the perfect statement for this car, it is two cars in one. It can be comfortable for the daily commute and as quiet as the recording room in a sound studio, or it can be an adrenaline pump thanks to its jaw-dropping performance.
In conclusion, the opportunity to ride in the Taycan Turbo allowed me to refine my views of the car even further, and I can finally say that this is my favourite Porsche from the brand’s practical lineup. The Star Wars aesthetics, combined with the SR-71 acceleration bring a cool factor to the Taycan that can be easily appreciated by the young and old. Being a sedan means that this car can take on the role of being the family car, and if you are wondering if adults can fit in the back, yes they can. As someone who is 5’10, I had a good amount of both leg and head room, so I could survive both short and long hours in the back. So, should you pick up a Taycan? Well, if are in the market for an electric vehicle, or are looking to replace that Panamera of yours, then you might want to take a look at one, and trust me, one could very well be sitting in your driveway after test driving one. I know I want one now after going on that short ride. It perfectly combines state-of-the-art technology with sleeper car status. In other words, Porsche has once again reinvented what it means to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
I would like to say that yes, I acknowledge that this is my first post in over 3 months, and the reasoning for that is due to my priorities changing as a result of this pandemic that the world has been facing over the last couple of months. With my situation with regards to the pandemic finally improved, I am ready to once again write posts for the site. You can expect consistent posts from here on, and I will try my best to rotate between the categories. I hope you, the reader, are staying safe and sound during these tough times.
Best regards,
Juan Reyes-Abreu
Special thanks to:
-Wilfred and Chen for the opportunity to ride in this jawdropping vehicle.
-Porsche Centre North Toronto for providing us with the demonstrator Taycan Turbo.
PorschePassion.net 