Porsche Taycan with 800-volt technology: This is what the new version can do

IInternal medicine is more important for survival than cosmetic surgery. Nevertheless, car manufacturers usually limit themselves to a few cosmetic retouches when a model needs to be refreshed after a few years. Porsche takes the opposite approach; only experts will be able to distinguish the new Taycan from the old one. But the rapid progress that mobile electrical technology is making everywhere should not overtake future buyers, if they still exist when the performance values ​​of the catching-up competition look better. Now you can argue about the sense and nonsense of high horsepower figures in the electric age, but they still don't leave sports car enthusiasts completely indifferent. They also know this in Weissach and used two thirds of the development budget to modernize the drive, chassis and charging technology.

So the operation begins with the heart, and that is still the engine on the rear axle. It is still a permanently magnetized unit, the maximum output of which increases by 54 to more than 560 hp thanks to all sorts of tricks, while the weight, including the two-speed gearbox, drops by ten to 163 kilograms. The most important individual measures are the arrangement and segmentation of the magnets in the rotor as well as faster switching and more efficient power electronics.

The second magnetic motor on the front axle remains as it was. Together the two ignite a fire that is released in stages, which will be illustrated using the example of the Turbo S. The base load of 762 hp is always available, and a further 190 hp is available at the push of a button for uncivilized starting. Now 952 hp is not a round number, and when asked whether the 1000 mark could be broken, the drive developer responsible just smiled and advised waiting. If you want to overtake in a hurry, you reach for a button at the bottom right of the steering wheel, then the Taycan 95 activates hidden horsepower for ten seconds, while a countdown runs in the driver display, which is better not to concentrate on given the enormous thrust.

As much power needs to be kept on the road, the Weissachers also paid appropriate attention to the chassis. The most important innovation is the new air suspension, the basic version of which now continuously adjusts the damping rate to the driving conditions and keeps the vehicle height constant regardless of the load. Hydraulically controllable dampers are available as optional equipment, which can actively transfer forces to the wheel suspension at lightning speed.

The Taycan kneels in front of the driver

Amazing functions are possible, for example the body can be raised by a visible five and a half centimeters to make getting in more comfortable, but only on request, because there are supposed to be Porsche drivers who would be embarrassed by that. An active cornering position can also be selected, which is intended to provide a motorcycle-like driving experience by raising the wheels on the outside of the curve and tilting the vehicle accordingly. The active chassis can also overcompensate for dozing off while braking or rearing up while accelerating. The fact that the brakes have also been slightly revised is almost negligible, as the maximum deceleration via the recuperating electric machines is almost 0.5 times the acceleration due to gravity.

The Taycan, the old one, was the first production car with an 800-volt partial electrical system, which was primarily intended for rapid charging. To make this happen even faster in the future, Porsche has worked primarily on the temperature sensitivity of the battery, which is relevant immediately after driving off or for unplanned charging stops. An example: If the temperature in the battery is 15 degrees at the start of the charging process, it only takes 18 minutes to go from 10 to 80 percent full, compared to 37 minutes in the previous version. Porsche promises that charging power of 300 kilowatts will be available for at least five minutes.

The battery itself has a chemistry with a reduced cobalt content and, at 105 kilowatt hours, holds around twelve percent more energy than its predecessor, although the weight drops by nine to a still impressive 625 kilos. How far the cells can carry depends on the driver, model version and weather; the standard says a maximum of 678 kilometers, which would correspond to an increase of 35 percent.

Speaking of model versions: From a sales perspective, the Taycan program can be divided into three target markets. In this country, the Taycan is successful without an additional name; it comes closest to a classic sports car. The Cross Turismo is a little thicker and looks better in wide US parking lots. In Asia, where length and sometimes chauffeur suitability are more important, the Sport Turismo sells particularly well, and all three versions will remain in the range in the future. The change will take place in the second quarter at prices that have not yet been announced.