Porsche Taycan Turbo S - how fast is the electric Porsche on track? | evo LEADERBOARD

Porsche's flagship Taycan Turbo S continues to be the most potent and track-capable series-production EV yet, so what sort of time can Steve Sutcliffe extract on the mighty Anglesey coastal circuit? This is what 750bhp and 2295kg (DIN) looks like at ten-tenths.
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[@EdPin_]

I love this "No Bullshit - cut to the chase" approach 🙂

[@jameswillard1]

Might be out of its element on a track but it’s one of the finest road cars I’ve driven and as a daily about as good as it gets

[@aaa84gt]

How comfortable are they? Anything to compare it to? On my way to buy a Macan next year, however I'm intrigued by these (4S version) but don't know if they just bounce around in the city.

[@jameswillard1]

@@aaa84gt they ride amazingly, even on 21 inch wheels they are about as smooth as anything

[@aaa84gt]

@@jameswillard1 Good to hear, thanks for replying

[@captainobvious9188]

You don't need anywhere near modern performance car limits on the road. I want a car to ride nice first, and to feel great at the 5/10th limits on the road. Porsche has always been able to nail that combo for street cars IMO.

[@jameswillard1]

@diggy dub it’s still not a “track car” because it can set a lap record. I’m a huge Taycan advocate but a 5,000lb anything isn’t ideal for continuous hard driving scenerios

[@tyler9703]

This thing doesn't excite me that much, but honestly I'm super intrigued to see what Porsche does with the EV Cayman replacement. It's clear that they know what they're doing with EV tech, so in a platform that Porsche is traditionally known for it could be a revolution for EV sports cars

[@ultimatist]

Exactly. That will definitely influence the next-gen Taycan, and we all win.

[@999CATZ]

for a cayman it will need to be super agile .. taycan in this current stage still looks heavy although its an improvement from the first gen.

[@Paul_Y_T]

the problem is battery tech - it takes a certain amount of watt hours to give the necessary real world power vs range, and that dictates size and weight of the battery pack given there's no leap in power density on the horizon. I don't know how they can add the lightness without making it useless in the real world.

[@ultimatist]

@@Paul_Y_T as with any new discovery, the battery leap could already exist in a lab, or be just around the corner. Who's to know? Let's hope advancements are possible.

[@markthoughtswithukrainemas2072]

Exactly Electric wheel chairs !!!! sorrry cars are SHITE

[@MichaelVB87]

Nice video! Would be cool to get more information during the hot lap (braking, acceleration, steering input, speed,...) In future videos

[@sxcsmith1]

that's what a review is for

[@joshfoley8862]

Maybe some HUD with speed

[@petef3082]

That was like watching with the sound turned right down. I was surprised how little sensation of speed there was without engine noise.

[@GeordieAmanda]

Yay more Steve (he's everywhere, see his Auto Express video about GT3 RS - the one we've all really wanted to see)

[@GeordieAmanda]

Still loving the widescreen look too :)

[@wujekjutub]

during the lap time i can see very low SoC, like below 30% or even below 25%, full power might be reduced at that level. I know that taycan is not track killer, but i think with greater SoC You could get a little bit more speed around some corners and at the end save

[@jed2055]

John, I'm so glad you pulled me back to Earth. I was thinking it's a spaceship too. I can't afford one but now I know it doesn't matter; it isn't my soul car after all.

[@MaxStraesser]

Brilliant video, but you should really invest in a better mic - those "P"s really come through way too strong in the initial commentary.

[@romulus_]

that can be handled during the audio editing stage. usually, the engineer will eliminate plosives and sibilance.

[@Aceimus1066]

@@romulus_ agreed

[@somerandomfella]

If EV's had manual/paddle shift gear changes, I don't think i'd miss the sound so much..

[@powersliding]

very well presented...never thought i would sit and watch an electric car review till the end

[@Rei_n1]

What about tyres and fast laps? Isn't tyres more of a problem and expense or Isn't the Taycan's weight affecting tyre wear significantly,

[@BubuBarong]

Steve in Porsches twice today! Perfect!

[@holymolys7692]

Loving the honesty

[@hardykornfeld1733]

It might not have been fun to set the time, but it’s amazing that it beat a 992 911S.

[@Birky_41]

Perfect video and explanation of an EV on track. I own an EV myself as a second car and it's scary how quick the battery depletes at high speed plus the weight is cumbersome

[@treyquattro]

Two and one half tons of Porsche. It's almost unbelievable.

[@kennygrant5531]

'Increasingly relevant' - perfectly sums it up

[@grssailing]

Well I disagree. I take my Taycan Turbo S around Goodwood at least once a month. The real truth is the Taycan is the only EV that can be taken on a track without modification. I manage 7 x 15 minute sessions with a charge over lunch (Goodwood has chargers opposite the paddock). Compared to a high performance ICE, that needs to be filled up at least once during a day too so no different. Apart from the cost. £130 instead of just £30. As for its competency on a track, the only way you can judge that objectively is by track time. In the hands of my instructor, sub 1:30. In my hands, 1:33 but I’m improving all of the time. These are good times for an amateur driver and I just turn and do it. No slicks or getting dirty. Tyre pressures are everything and I check them constantly. No it’s not a GT3 but that’s barelydriveable on a road where I can do the shopping in mine after Goodwood.

[@jimfastlane28]

Lap times are just numbers. Is it actually fun and does it make you smile? If so, that great. I’ve got a G30 330e for a daily and the weight is very noticeable when driving quickly on the road. It’s fast but under braking it feels very heavy. Doesn’t feel like a fun car.

[@rmce1234]

I’ve tried my Taycan Turbo S at Goodwood a couple of times and was very disappointed with the battery overheating, I managed the first session ok, but from then on I spent most of the time waiting for it to cool down. All subsequent sessions I only got about 4 laps before it went into limp mode. I was doing about 1m27s laps so maybe I was pushing it too hard for what it can handle. I think they need to work hard on the battery cooling. That said, on the road it is simply amazing and I love it as a daily. I’m currently waiting for the gen 2 to replace it as my daily. Sticking to ICE on the track for the foreseeable future.

[@cemyazicioglu4581]

Dear porsche, why you didnt put a drift mode to taycan? Like m3. All you have to do is to make a setting to switch off front motor

[@user-yn5sk5ru5g]

The Taycan is the current best Porsche ⚡👌

[@ymaniac07]

You should also stand well back from the mic to avoid pops on voice overs

[@giovannifacci]

I don't think they will be able to get half a ton out of a 100Kwh EV any time soon. Back in 2015 Bosh was saying that by 2020 we would have 50Kwh battery packs weighting 190Kg......It didn't really happened. A 2015 Tesla Model S 85 Kwh battery pack was around 540Kg; a 2022 Model 3 Long Rage 75Kwh is about 418kg. Taycan is 630Kg (but is a 93Kwh). Body in white; suspension and interior are still the bulk of the weight so maybe improvements could be done there with composites. For the battery itself I'm not sure. Unless there is a huge leap forward in the next ten years I don't think sports EVs will be dynamically exciting to drive.

[@svracing3]

Is that weight battery and motors or just the battery pack alone weighing 630kg

[@jareknowak8712]

Koenigsegg is working on it. It will be affordable.

[@giovannifacci]

@@svracing3 just battery I believe

[@brooksjtony]

What was the charge at? I have EXACTLY the same car/spec, and unless it’s near 100% charged, it’s power is considerably down. I thought it may be quite good around Anglesey, as the car in the road is IMMENSE, however, around circuit, I could sense the weight, the lack of emotion, just from not having engines and rattles!!! WOW, we need to get the Synthetic Fuel sorted! I was at Anglesey earlier this year, with my other three cars, GT3RS 991.2, Ariel Atom 3.5R and my Nomad R!!! I’ll stick with these for the real FUN. Great video!!

[@stevecook706]

The world wants to see a Rimac Nevera on this track to see what crazy EV power looks like in terms of lap time compared to the best ICE.

[@themiguelpt91]

Would like to see the time difference to a Panamera Turbo S

[@abc1234234]

Absolutely, that’s it’s comparator…

[@DahleJohannes]

Wonder what it would do on Cup 2s

[@SNAPZ46]

Could've shaved off some good chunks of time if you waited a smitch longer before applying the power and not gradually feeding it in. You need to drive "V" shaped with all wheel drive electric cars.

[@dogefromthefuture]

"one day they'll get there" LOL its the FIRST one....... like i bet they do it with the 2nd one LOL I bet it's LESS than 5 years away! insane theres already a 1100HP variant on the way...... BEST daily car ive ever owned. Plan on keeping it til they offer one with better range and power, but dude, its amazing

[@000GunterGabriel000]

Love the honesty!

[@jareknowak8712]

Suprisingly fast, tbh.

[@weed46]

Suprisingly slow for a 761hp car AWD car.

[@lewiskariukimunene]

@@weed46 the car also weighs 2.2 tonnes

[@weed46]

@@lewiskariukimunene There you have it, low weight better than big power and a lot of weight. EVs are dragsters, they suck at the track.

[@heamees4822]

Especially considering the tires it had. On Cup 2s it would've been definitely faster than the Project 8

[@weed46]

@@heamees4822 The problem is that Cup2's might not deal well with the weight being a softer compound. One thing is zinging a 1400kg GT3 RS with 500hp around a track, another is a 2.3 tone pig, they would probabily overheat.

[@tedtheturbot]

if that car sounds like a spaceship then it comes from the planet Dyson.

[@chrisridebike8]

Anyone else keep trying to turn up the volume during the hot lap so you could hear the engine only to remember it’s electric?

[@basedgodstrugglin]

My understanding is BHP=break horsepower. “Break” referencing the engine break, but does an electric motor have a break in the same sense?

[@samuelandrew4500]

Brake refers to the device which is used to provide an equal braking force / load to balance / equal an engine's output force, so it means the same thing from eletric motors too

[@allwheeldrive]

While kind of interesting, I think this is not time well-spent on this particular rig. It was clearly not created for this kind of work. It really looked like the handful it would be expected to be. A rapidly paced, super comfortable run up the coast or through the countryside is where this should be wrung out. What's it like on the track? Who cares! But I do care what it's like for a long weekend of B&B hopping and picnicking. Think you can manage that?

[@ThaDutchDK1989]

I care. Cause all you ev lovers only want to show how fast it goes from 0-60 and show off how good ev is. Here you can see if there are corners the ev is nowhere to be seen . So it is relevant

[@Rei_n1]

Finaly Evo starts to show signs of embracing electricity.

[@johnsim3722]

We still need a step change in battery technology. Once we get that, with homes having a battery pack to store the locally generated solar energy, it will make a big difference. But I don’t like that governments have already decided that synthetic fuels aren’t going to have a place. All these EVs are pretty much out of reach of most people in the UK, something they don’t want to admit, and for developing nations a fantasy. Synthetic fuels have the potential to solve that problem. And keep fun cars alive too!

[@phalanx3803]

"step change in battery technology" is an understatement the Taycan and Tesla's weigh as much as a damn land cruiser and the EV equivalent of a land cruiser the Hummer EV weighs 4TONNE! here in Australia the maxim weight allowed for a car is 4.5T leaving 500kg of payload take a good 90kg for the driver so thats 410kg payload.

[@dashdastardly]

2.3 ton, 0-60 Fairground ride.

[@h3runs]

I've never looked at the Taycan as a track car. It's a comfortable, ultra quick electric car. Maybe we're so used to Porsche working magic on vehicles that aren't logically supposed to be that fun to drive, that it's easy to be harsh on this one. Considering the overall stage of EV development, I'd still chalk it up as a winner. I'd love to hear Steve's take on a Model S Plaid though.

[@kempez]

Isn't that just another comfortable, ultra quick electric car?

[@kraenk12]

Plaid is only fast in a straight line.

[@alexz8373]

@@kraenk12 Plaid is also faster on a track.

[@jamespink4202]

A friend has exactly this car. She has kept her Audi because she can't charge the Taycan when using it on her usual 200/300 mile work days. Still, nice for the newsagents...

[@TheDoosh79]

Does she do all those miles without a break or stopping? 20-80% is the sweet spot for charging these days and some of them will clock 30 mins ish. Enough for a coffee and a slash.

[@jamespink4202]

@@TheDoosh79 Yes, she regularly clocks up 200 to 400 mile days but the (typically 50Kw) charging infrastructure is just not up to charging the 100Kwh battery in a sensible time. Last thing you want with 200 miles to go is to stop for four hours plus to get you home. The number of really high power chargers is tiny.

[@JoeEngineer]

Wait, there are gear changes?

[@PuineaGip]

it has two gears yes

[@dereksalley7231]

As rightly identified by Steve and other commenters, while Porsche may have just taken the Nurburgring EV record, the car was never made to be a track car. Want to have some fun on the way to a nice dinner or take a trip to a countryside destination? Go for lunch on the ocean? Perfect. Take the 911 or Cayman to the track on a trailer behind the Cayenne and quietly zoom to wine country in the Taycan.

[@727skydivers]

I'm still waiting for a stripped-out 2-seat EV with 600HP, 1500kg, and 500km range. Don't need all the heavy luxury or rear seats. Maybe the Lotus lightweight EV-project can deliver something decent?

[@r129r16pfl]

Lightweight is not possible with EV's, if you want power + range (you need to sacrifice one of them.

[@cemyazicioglu4581]

Porsche is just playing with us. They could easily make a better EV with the right setup. And it could be more fun to drive on the track.

[@Patrick-bu5vy]

It fulfills its brief - "I drive an EV" Tick. "I drive a Porsche" Tick.

[@Timbucktoothed]

My favorite, Mr Suttcliff. Can you please review KIA EV6 GT? Still another honest review that I can reliably trust.

[@kondor99999]

Great. A future where every “sports car” is basically a 1000hp SUV. No thanks. I’ll stick with my 2003 Honda S2000 and 1987 Porsche 930. Those are *actual* sports cars, and they feel very much at home on track.

[@lebojay]

Nice pair, those two!

[@dogefromthefuture]

😆 shit broke guys say

[@dogefromthefuture]

The latest CATL being put into cars this year have twice, 2X the energy density, MEANING, with TODAY'S technology, they can already shave off half of the battery weight. That will change everything.

[@zodeadlifts9295]

You’re hating on a car you can’t even afford😂😂😂 you couldn’t afford it whether you liked it or not, so why’s your opinion matter😂😂

[@Revheadrev]

I’m not much into electric cars - the Nevera is pretty incredible - but apart from that they don’t do much for me. I’m hoping someone figured out how to make a fuel that will keep powering ICE vehicles - or that we’ll just tell the greenies to p*ss off. Anyway, I’ve seen a few of these Taycans on the road and they’re not a bad looking car. That’s all.

[@adamfreeman3000]

Science already tells the greenies to p*** off. 87% of the worlds electricity still comes from a fossil fuel (oil, coal or natural gas) so unless you live in northern Scotland or Norway then all your doing is shifting emissions from tailpipe to power station. If every vehicle magically switched to a Porsche Taycan overnight, global CO2 emissions would actually INCREASE (forget the figure but it was around 1% increase in global CO2 production). And thats all before we consider the cradle-to-grave CO2 emissions, with EV's being significantly more CO2 intensive than regular ICE cars to produce, and there currently being no solution for what to do with all the batteries 10 years down the line. EV Porsches, like Teslas, are fashion accessories for the image conscious middle and upper-class who want to project the image that they care about the environment, but in reality they're doing nothing other than slightly cleaning up the air in urban environments.

[@Revheadrev]

@@adamfreeman3000 Could not agree more, mate. It's the perfect car for a wokist. Utterly meaningless for everyone else, including Mr Reality. I'm in Australia where we currently buy very small numbers of electric cars, it's about 2% of all cars sold - and nearly all of them are in Sydney, Melbourne (run by far left socalists) and Brisbane, out three main cities. Our Govt wants that to be 50% by 2028 or so - and there is literally no chance of that happening because we don't have the time or money to build the infrastructure. Besides which, we have only 20 coal fired power stations in all of the country (which of course, power the electric cars...) - China have 2,800 with another 1,200 in the works - and our Govt wants us to shut down the 20 we have and run on Green energy. Morons. I suspect we could rant about this for ages mate!

[@adamfreeman3000]

@@Revheadrev Yes we could certainly rant about this for a while mate haha. I'm also in the process of getting my visa to move to Australia, I'll be importing and distributing brakes down there so cars are very much my 'thing' and I've read several papers on EV's in Australia. As you say, EV's simply don't work in Australia and it'll be decades before there's a significant number of EV's in Australia (if ever). First Australia will have to clean up its energy production, which of course takes time. And as you correctly say, if China has 3,000 coal power stations then Australia getting rid of its 20 stations is like me taking a piss in the ocean and waiting to watch the level rise. Ain't gonna make no damn difference. Porsche are on the right idea with e-fuels, which can be used in cars we ALREADY own and distributed through petrol stations that are ALREADY built. That is a far more likely scenario and in the last few months quite a few legislators have began to look at e-fuels more closely as a valid solution to the climate crisis. And for all those people driving EV's in Sydney and Melbourne.... ride a bike.

[@Revheadrev]

@@adamfreeman3000 Agree 100% mate - Porsche's investment in the e-fuels may, I hope, be the cause for a great deal of celebration for petrol heads. And given what those people have engineered over the past few decades, it'd be a fool to bet against them. They'd like their creations to be being used (and therefore repaired and replaced of course) for a long time yet. All the best with the move down here mate - we aren't as good a place as we were a while back - we've become way too politically correct and woke over the past 5-10 years which is a great shame. But still, it's a pretty amazing place to live. Where are you thinking of moving to?

[@epbrown01]

Can't believe there isn't already a Cayenne EV instead this.

[@essentials1016]

An electric Macan will be out soon

[@romulus_]

they're showing the future direction of the company with this car. things will only get better with time. waiting for the electric cayman but not sure I want to give up my 987.2 S, just too good of a car.

[@epbrown01]

@@romulus_ Agreed, I regret selling mine. When I think I am too old to keep riding I’m getting another 987.

[@eSysmanSuperYachts]

I’m a massive fan of Porsche and own three, but not even Porsche can make me interested in EVs. (I might be interested in a Macan hybrid but they’re not making on. I have no interest in a full EV Macan)

[@rforracing]

I dont think they'll ever get close to the top of the leaderboard times in an electric car.

[@smeggysmeg2837]

nice honest feedback. until electric cars get lighter - which I think they will eventually - they are inferior as sports cars in general. yes there are some decent ones but on the whole not there yet.

[@Chris.Davies]

My 1997 Tommy kaira M20b has a comparable PTW ratio, I think, because it only weighs 1250 kilos and it makes 350BHP, and it has a close ratio 5-speed. It probably feels much more Porschey than this Turbo S. It lets you feels and hear EVERY THING. I also drive 911 and 928. On road and track. Don't get me wrong, if I had to choose one car for life, it would be a Taycan Sport Turismo. But one place I would never take a Taycan is a race track. Even managing the mass of the old 928 is the biggest challenge at a track, and I have driven a similar weight Cayenne Turbo on track, so I know how horrible it is trying to control 2+ tons of car at the limit. Not a lot of fun, really.

[@whitewalker9622]

They should really make a modern 904

[@PeterSdrolias]

EV GT3RS! Look out!!!

[@johnm5131]

2022 R.I.P: Fun cars. I guess I am supposed to want to sell my GT3 for this golf cart. Gonna burn a lot of coal to charge those batteries too. Silly, silly, silly.......

[@elms350z]

I would say we need the Plaid for comparison but the brakes would probably render it unsafe for a track battle. 😜

[@anssileinonen3522]

Lucid Air could actually set some decent track time

[@roberttseng]

Which is fine because 99% of people don't drive on a track.

[@tepes141]

Not really exciting on track...? Can we name another EV sedan behaving better on track? Can't be compared directly with a lighter ICE sedan due to totally different tech used.... On the other hand, we have to accommodate shortly with EVs... 2035 is around the corner 😒

[@Secretlyanothername]

It's a large four seat sedan which is almost as fast around a track as a 911 Turbo, and still people are complaining.

[@HKFIJIHK]

Very fast!!!

[@superspeeder]

Careful… speaking out against EVs might get you cancelled, lol! 😂

[@m.j4037]

If only it was a hybrid with a turbo s motor

[@LoebRules]

Electric turbo?

[@HK-tk5mk]

Very fat!! This car is obese and boring to drive. You get used to the power very quickly and then there remains pure boredom. No emotions whatsoever.

[@kondor99999]

Exactly. Just another SUV really.

[@JerainJezza]

Also range anxiety and if the battery goes dead it'll cost you 100k to fix it.

[@nyc863]

steve hasnt driven the tesla model s plaid which would definitely… oh, sorry forget that my brain turned to pudding for a second

[@kraenk12]

Be slower with bad brakes and handling.

[@TheDoosh79]

Those poor tyres. I think I could hear they squealing from here.

[@drstrr]

Try its Audi cousin. According to Chris Harris, it's better around a track than the Porsche if I remember correctly.

[@kraenk12]

It’s almost as fast as a Turbo S lol. It’s blistering fast

[@theusefulchannel]

Milk floats have come a long way but they're still milk floats.

[@mufflejoy]

Excellent show. The tyre squeal is just painful to listen to - the obesity of this car (in kg terms, not looks) cannot be brushed under the rug.

[@MisterBlue50]

Turbo S? Where is the turbocharger located in the electric motor? 🤔

[@DonLee1980]

Doesn't feel like a great experience. And that's the biggest issue.

[@stfu6397]

Boring as hell car to me

[@markthoughtswithukrainemas2072]

Sorry the day they stop selling cars is the day I stop looking at car reviews !!!! if this Car went round in 30 seconds I still would not watch the video !!!!!

[@JerainJezza]

"turbo" lol, just stupid don't care how fast it is in a straight line.

[@JerainJezza]

Only driven by people as a company because of tax benefits, no real car lover would buy a taycan. Always buy a GT3

[@audiovideotech9777]

Not a real Porsche....please don't make anymore videos like this again.

[@kraenk12]

Haters gonna hate. Now F off

[@audiovideotech9777]

@@kraenk12 still not a Real Porsche