2020 Porsche Taycan Review

The buildup to the 2020 Porsche Taycan electric sports car began four years ago when the Mission E concept car was revealed at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. At the time, everyone was shocked by the very idea of an all-electric Porsche sports car. We were leery, too, but we're true believers now that we've driven the 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo and Turbo S in Europe and, more recently, the 4S in California. We can confirm that the Taycan provides the performance, style and build precision that you'd expect from the marque. The Taycan may well be an electric car, but first and foremost it feels every bit a true Porsche.

It looks the part, too. The Mission E's gorgeous four-door styling did give the early doubters something to hang onto, and the look carries over to the production Taycan nearly intact. The Taycan is smaller and more tightly proportioned than the Panamera, thanks to an overall length that is 3.4 inches shorter and a wheelbase that has been trimmed by 1.9 inches. It also crouches 1.6 inches lower at the roof and spans 1.1 inches broader. The result is a muscular stance and a graceful roofline that gives the Taycan the look of an upsized four-door 911 instead of a downsized Panamera.

Two all-wheel-drive versions of this four-door electric sports car are available at launch: the top-tier Taycan Turbo and the Taycan Turbo S. A base Taycan 4S (also with all-wheel drive) will reach showrooms in late spring 2020 with less powerful and shorter-range variants expected to follow, though we'll have to wait a bit longer to drive those models.

Even though the Taycan is a four-door machine like the Panamera, there's very little Panamera in it aside from a few bolt-on suspension components at the corners. It is otherwise built on a thoroughly new electric vehicle platform. Two battery packs are available: a 79.2-kWh pack (Porsche calls it the Performance Battery) that's standard in the Taycan 4S or a higher-capacity 93.4-kWh (Performance Battery Plus) that's optional on the 4S and standard in both the Turbo and Turbo S. Potent permanent-magnet electric motors power each end, with the Turbo and Turbo S getting a larger motor than the one on the 4S. This layout gives the Taycan the lowest center of gravity of any Porsche.

Despite some variants wearing the Turbo name, all Taycans lack an actual turbocharger because, well, you can't turbocharge an electric motor.

The Taycan 4S is forceful for an entry-level model. With the standard Performance Battery, the 4S makes 522 horsepower. Stepping up to the Performance Battery Plus increases that output to 563 hp. All 4S models hit 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph. Edmunds has driven the 4S with the Performance Battery Plus, and it would be absurd to suggest it wants for performance. With an instantaneous slug of torque available on demand, coupled with the traction of all-wheel drive, it feels every bit a supercar. Indeed, its performance is such that we'd seriously question the need to upgrade to the Turbo models.

But if you want to go that route, the Turbo powertrain generates a maximum of 616 hp (670 hp with launch control activated) and 626 lb-ft of torque. Porsche says this results in 0-60 mph in 3.0 seconds and an 11.1-second quarter-mile. The Turbo S comes with a more powerful front motor, along with launch control with an overboost function. All of this raises the bar to a maximum output of 750 hp, 774 lb-ft of torque, 0-60 mph in 2.6 seconds, and a quarter-mile time of 10.8 seconds. None of these figures includes any car magazine-style rollout, so published figures you run across later will almost certainly be even lower.

The repeated launches we performed in a Turbo S were explosive enough to make us think Porsche is underselling it a bit. What's more, launch control is ridiculously easy to engage on a whim, especially if you're already driving around in the requisite Sport Plus mode. Press the brake down hard, floor the go pedal, wait a second for the launch control "ready" light to illuminate, then release the brake as abruptly as possible. We confirmed Porsche's assertion that you can do this over and over without overheating the system because we did exactly that until our necks hurt and our Instagram quotas were filled.

What's going on underneath is fascinating. The front motor employs a coaxial direct-drive design that lines up more or less with the front axle. The reduction gear and differential reside at one end, and one of the latter's output shafts runs back through the motor's hollow center to feed power to the opposite wheel. The rear end's substantially larger motor requires a more traditional offset drive layout. But, unlike the front (or just about any other EV), it feeds its power through a two-speed transmission.

This setup may sound weird at first, but the front and rear motors are completely independent of each other. There's no reason why they can't run in different gears at different rpm. Moreover, the torque split between front and rear can be altered on a nearly instantaneous basis in response to driver demand and surface changes.

Why do this? The beefier rear motor delivers most of the power under acceleration, and having two gears back there greatly expands the performance envelope. The Taycan Turbo can generate wicked acceleration from a standstill using first gear in Sport and Sport Plus modes, and then shift into a higher gear to deliver an autobahn-worthy 162-mph top speed. We had the chance to test this claim on a stretch of autobahn just north of Hamburg, Germany. Our Turbo eclipsed Porsche's claim by achieving a GPS-confirmed 167 mph with no apparent strain. What's more impressive than the speed itself was the acceleration. Going from 100 mph to 150 mph seemed to require no effort at all, and continuing on to the car's terminal speed was not a drawn-out process.

Does this matter to buyers in the U.S.? Not really — apart from cocktail-party boasting that this car is the real deal. But it does explain why Porsche went to the trouble of developing and perfecting the Taycan's two-speed rear transmission concept, which, by the way, shifts imperceptibly most of the time.

If you're in the default Normal mode and are cruising casually, the Taycan's rear motor will start in second gear unless and until you give the acceleration pedal a hard boot from a standstill, at which point it will oblige. Range mode locks the rear-drive unit in second gear all day long for maximum efficiency.

What is that range, exactly? The Turbo has an EPA-estimated range of 201 miles, while the Turbo S checks in at 192 miles. We expect slightly more range from the 4S. These numbers certainly fall far short of the benchmark set by the Tesla Model S, but some mileage has been sacrificed to ensure greater longevity and reliability and more consistent performance.

Both models come standard with electronically controlled dampers and a three-chamber air suspension that's adjustable for both height and firmness, with a lift function for extra clearance and a low mode for better aerodynamics. The wheel sizes differ from model to model — the 4S is fitted with 19-inch wheels as standard, while the Turbo and Turbo S feature 20-inch and 21-inch rims, respectively. Summer and all-season versions are available in all sizes, but our particular test cars had the summer option.

In general use, the difference between the two Turbo models is slight. The extra grip of the fatter 21-inch rubber of the Turbo S certainly helps when launching or cornering on the track, but the Turbo's 20-inch setup gives away nothing of substance and rides fractionally better in the real world. Both are engaging in terms of steering feel as well. Helped by the smaller wheels (which allow greater compliance) in the 4S, the Taycan deals with poor-quality roads with aplomb. Once again, Porsche proves that a sporty experience doesn't have to come at the expense of comfort.

All of our test cars were also fitted with rear-axle steering and the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) system. The former is optional on the 4S and Turbo and standard on the Turbo S, but PDCC is optional in all cases. To our mind, rear-axle steering offers clear everyday benefits because it lets the Taycan make unexpectedly tight U-turns yet gives it rock-solid stability when cruising straight. PDCC is very effective because it adjusts the anti-roll bars to reduce body roll to near zero in high-speed corners and lets the bars go limp to combat head toss on uneven roads. But the need for it is more dependent on where and how you drive.

Inside the wheels you'll find massive 10-piston front brake calipers and pizza-size front rotors that are over 16 inches in diameter. (The 4S gets smaller brakes with six-piston front calipers.) Ceramic-composite brake rotors are available as an option. Our autobahn experience made the need for such massive brakes abundantly clear — we had to haul the Taycan down from 165 mph to 70 mph in a hurry on more than one occasion after someone ahead misjudged our closing speed and pulled into our lane.

In the U.S. you'll hardly ever need the Taycan's beefy brakes unless you're on a track. Most of the stops you'll make in daily driving will come from the internal magnetism of the drive motors when the regenerative braking system temporarily reconfigures them as generators. The Taycan's regenerative braking capacity is uncommonly high at 0.39g — almost double what we've measured in our own Teslas. Porsche says the pads could technically last for 20 years, but it wants you to change them after six years because corrosion will outpace wear.

You'll still use the brake pedal whenever you want to slow down, and a computer sorts out whether to use regenerative braking or the traditional friction brakes. In other such cars, this can lead to wonky pedal feel, but Porsche has obviously put in the time to make it feel right. The Taycan's pedal feels firm and easy to modulate, with the same sure and confident brake control you'll find in any Porsche.

The Taycan doesn't provide regenerative braking when you lift off the go pedal — so-called one-pedal driving. Porsche doesn't like the idea because regenerative braking is not available when the battery is near full or if the temperature is cold, which is indeed true for every EV. But in practice we've found it easy to live with. It seems like a huge missed opportunity because one-pedal driving is fun, not to mention efficient. Would it be so hard to allow the driver to make that choice?

The Taycan's battery is fundamentally different from any competitor's, Tesla included. The battery, electric motors, inverters, and the external DC fast-charging equipment are all built around 800-volt operation. Other cars are built around 400 volts. The Taycan's higher voltage allows for faster charging, cooler motor operating temperatures, higher regenerative braking capacity, and smaller onboard cabling that weighs less and takes up much less space.

You'll need special 800-volt fast-charging equipment to pull this off, but Electrify America is currently building a coast-to-coast network that includes 800-volt equipment rated at 350 kW. While the Electrify America network isn't as extensive as the Tesla Supercharger network, it is being built out rapidly. We tested the Taycan 4S with a fast charger in Los Angeles and found it to be a simple and effective process (see video).

Truth be told, this is mostly a side issue because the vast majority of EV charging happens overnight on 240-volt Level 2 equipment in your own garage, with occasional top-up charges in public spaces or at work. Here the Taycan offers more flexibility because it has Level 2 charge ports on both front fenders (the DC fast-charge port is only on the right). Any EV's onboard charger rules the day with Level 2 home and public charging, and the Taycan's is good for 9.6 kW — just what's needed to get the most out of Level 2 equipment.

The included charge cord comes with a NEMA 14-50 plug end that is compatible with the common Class A motorhome socket found at RV parks. This plug supports 240 volts at 40 amps, and that means you'll only need to have a certified electrician install a matching 14-50 receptacle instead of an entire dedicated charge station to charge at the 9.6-kW maximum. Porsche has agreements with Amazon Home Services to ease the process. So equipped, a complete fill from empty — a theoretical scenario that never happens — takes 11 hours. That'll rise to 14 hours when the Level 2 power supply is backed by the 32-amp power that is more common in public areas.

The Taycan's cockpit manages to be both modern and familiar at the same time, with exquisite build quality and sumptuous materials that we have not seen in other premium EVs. The basic look is not unlike that of the newest 911, with strong horizontal lines across the dash and a well-defined center console. The similarity ends quickly when you notice that there aren't any real instruments and the number of screens can range up to five.

The instrument panel itself is a broad 16.8-inch curved display that can be configured to show traditional-looking instruments or a full-width map. You can make easy changes with the steering wheel controls, and the menus are as simple and straightforward as any we've seen. Clearly labeled touch-sensitive controls on either side of the steering wheel manage the lights and traction control.

A 10.9-inch screen serves as the central infotainment interface. Its menu logic and map graphics are clear, and there is precious little operational lag. It's paired with a portrait-oriented 8.4-inch screen below that houses the climate controls and a touchpad to help scroll through lists. The only thing that's missing is a volume knob. There's a roller control on the steering wheel, but the central control has a subtly marked plus-minus zone low on the touchpad. The passenger has an optional second screen directly in front, and there they can make route adjustments and play DJ while the driver focuses on the business at hand.

The optional Burmester surround-sound system sounds glorious, but the lower-cost Bose stereo can easily hold its own. Both systems can call up your Apple Music account without a phone in the car, and Apple CarPlay is supported via USB cable. Android Auto is not available on the basis that 80% of Porsche customers use iPhones, which is another way of saying tough luck if you're in the other 20%.

You'll find familiar and intuitive physical controls for the mirrors, steering wheel, cruise control, wipers, and other such things that are usually accomplished with switches and stalks. And the shifter is a beefy dashboard toggle that feels good to the touch.

Porsche is proud of its electronically controlled air-conditioning vents, but we remain unconvinced. The only way to adjust the airflow direction exists a menu-level deep into the touchscreen, where you can select from Diffuse, Focused and Individual. Choosing the latter opens a screen where you can drag your finger to customize the focus points to your liking. This setting is all great if you're the type who would set it and forget it, but it's not well-suited to those who tweak their vents regularly. Rear passengers get a 5.9-inch touch panel of their own if you buy the optional quad-zone climate control system.

As for the seats, we found them to be comfortable and supportive over long stretches. And even though they're highly adjustable, the basic shape is good enough that we didn't have to fiddle around. Several leather themes and at least one leather-free upholstery option are available. Headroom and legroom are plentiful, and the driving position is top-notch. It's easy to see ahead and to the sides, too, but the view to the rear is slot-like because the rear package shelf is uncommonly high.

The rear seat environment is spacious enough for tall passengers when it comes to headroom thanks to a soaring glass roof that spans from the windshield to the back window and extends from door to door. There's enough legroom in back so long as the driver and rear passenger aren't both over 6 feet tall. And the "foot garage" — a pair of zones where battery cells are absent from the underfloor battery — is where rear passengers are meant to park their feet. The rear backrest angle is a whisker more vertical than we'd like, though, and it doesn't recline. It all works well, and there is enough space for long drives. But it is clear that the swoopy roof styling did rank higher on the design priority list.

The Taycan's dual electric motors are mounted low between the wheels, leaving space for trunks at both ends of the car. Porsche's designers went with a standard trunk with a wide-opening lid at the rear instead of a hatch to optimize the 911-style roofline while providing enough structural strength to enable the car's all-glass roof. And even though the compartment isn't terribly tall, it can easily accept carry-on roller bags set on edge. The well-trimmed space is quite deep, too. If you need to expand it further, you can fold the 60/40-split rear seatbacks to create a flat load surface that's about 6 feet long.

Up front, the so-called frunk is surprisingly handy considering the adjacent electric drive motor. Porsche's use of a compact coaxial motor design leaves enough space for an opening that is deep and sufficiently squared off to neatly swallow an overstuffed carry-on roller bag.

Inside, the Taycan offers a bit more knickknack storage space than you'd find in a sports car but a bit less than you'd get in a typical sedan. The front doors each have decent-size pockets, and the glovebox is roomy. The center console box under the armrest is decidedly tight, but it does contain a Qi wireless smartphone charging pad, a couple of USB ports, and space for a few small items. A nice-size shelf in the "basement" beneath the center console makes up for the small console box somewhat. But the platform lacks any sort of upturned edge to fence in items and prevent them from sliding off and tumbling down by your feet if you corner with any amount of gusto. It'd be a handy place to stash a box of tissues otherwise.

The driver aids on the Porsche Taycan do not move the needle beyond what Porsche already offers. Like other Porsches, the Taycan is for people who absolutely want to drive and is not for those who hope that someday they never have to.

Porsche InnoDrive walks that line as far as Porsche is currently willing to go. This add-on to Porsche's capable full-speed stop-and-go adaptive cruise control system provides lane centering at speeds up to 37 mph, and the Taycan version uses regenerative braking to smoothly manage the gap to the car ahead. Lane centering doesn't work at higher speeds, but the system does alter the cruise control set-speed to match terrain, curves and speed limit changes via traffic sign recognition.

Porsche's Lane Change Assist option reads like an automated lane change system, but it is merely a highly capable blind-spot monitoring system. Likewise, Park Assist gives the impression of automated parallel parking, but it is in reality a premium surround-view camera system that helps the driver clearly see close-up obstacles while maneuvering in tight spaces.

Tesla has ruled the premium-EV roost for years now with little opposition, and Porsche, for one, has apparently seen enough. With the Taycan joining the fray along with its upcoming Audi e-tron GT platform mate, that sound you hear from Silicon Valley could well be Tesla executives quaking in their boots.

The Taycan also sets the tone for Porsche's electric future. We've seen several high-performance Porsche hybrids, and we know more are coming. But Porsche will need a full EV lineup to maintain growth, especially in foreign markets where EV purchases are much more heavily incentivized. So far, this looks like an auspicious start for the Stuttgart brand.

Have we mentioned Tesla? The aging Model S has received meaningful updates over the years, but it suddenly seems vulnerable when there's a fully realized Porsche alternative in the mix. That said, Tesla's party trick has always been its ridiculous numbers.

Price is one of the Taycan's biggest downsides. While we expect Porsche to release more affordable models in the future, even a base Taycan 4S starts higher ($103,800) than the current top-level Tesla Model S. The optional Performance Battery Plus adds $6,580. The $152,250 Taycan Turbo and $186,350 Turbo S cost significantly more than the current top-level Model S, and Tesla claims a 0-60 mph time of 2.4 seconds, a 163-mph top speed, and almost 350 miles of range from its 100-kWh battery. Prototypes of a rumored three-motor wide-body Plaid version of the Model S have been seen at various testing venues, but production specifications and the chance to actually drive one are still some ways off.

Most drivers probably won't be able to notice that two-tenths-of-a-second difference during their daily commute, but Tesla has proven again and again that bragging rights matter. The same goes for range. Even though our experience has shown that for most drivers anything much over 200-250 miles of range is more about hype than actual need, Tesla again wins this game of top trumps.

Still, the Porsche brand has cachet by the bucketload, and its high-performance credentials are unquestionable. Porsche quality and the Taycan's surprising interior also help set it apart. The Taycan is by far the more well-rounded multidimensional performer, but the decision may come down to choosing between whether you want a car that drives you or a car you want to drive. Porsche is, after all, famous for making driver's cars, and the Taycan is no exception.

The Taycan will also challenge a wide range of conventional sport-luxury sedans, providing a clean, futuristic alternative to fossil-fuel familiarity.

When Porsche drops a new product aimed at shaking up the status quo, we listen. Now that we've driven it, we can add driving dynamics and sheer performance to the list of things we're impressed with after styling, technical innovation and build quality. The competition has every reason to be very nervous, and those who have been waiting for the Taycan have every reason to be very excited.

So which to choose? Although the Turbo and Turbo S models are undoubtedly great fun, we'd advise choosing the 4S. It gives away very little in terms of performance while offering a significant cost saving. It's currently the best version of a seriously good car.