Porsche has smashed the Nurburgring lap record for a four-door production vehicle with a new lighter weight, track-focused version of its Taycan electric super sedan.
With 760kW and 1340Nm, the new Taycan Turbo GT is the most powerful road-going Porsche model ever and the quickest series production electric vehicle around the Nurburgring Nordschleife, its 7:07.55 lap time eclipsing the previous best Taycan Turbo S by 26 seconds. Its blistering pace puts it just 12.56 seconds shy of a 992 911 GT3, and more than 16 seconds quicker than a 997 911 GT2 RS.
The Taycan is the first electric Porsche to receive the Weissach weight-saving treatment, normally reserved for the brand’s ultimate track-focused models such as the 918 Spyder, GT3 RS and GT2 RS.
The new, non-Weissach Taycan Turbo GT benefits from extensive use of carbon-fibre, a manual-closing rear lift-back (in place of an electric motor) and lightweight CFRP bucket seats. The 21.0-inch wheels are forged, while ceramic brakes are standard – and further optimised for weight-saving compared to other Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake systems.
The Weissach pack takes the dieting to an extreme by deleting the Taycan’s back seat, ditching the Sport Chrono clock, binning the boot and floor mats, and doing away with a bit of sound deadening material – as well as the rear speakers for the stereo.
The Weissach also utilises lighter glass and only one charge port that operates manually – normally there are two on each side, which open electrically. A fixed rear wing on the Weissach contributes to a total 220kg of downforce. The weight-saving measures see the Taycan Turbo GT Weissach drop 75kg compared to a Taycan Turbo S, 2220kg (DIN) versus 2295kg. The Taycan Turbo GT is only 5kg lighter.
Both Taycan Turbo GTs benefit from a new rear electric motor and upgraded two-speed rear gearbox, while an uprated pulse inverter capable of 900 amperes – up from 600 in the Taycan Turbo S – can deliver a maximum of 815kW for two seconds, depending on the measurement standard used. Silicon carbide is used in the pulse inverter’s semiconductors for greater efficiency and performance.
In Weissach guise, the new Taycan Turbo GT can sprint from zero to 100km/h in a claimed 2.2 seconds, while 0-200km/h is dispatched in 6.4 seconds. The standing quarter mile takes an eye-watering 9.4 seconds, according to Porsche.
Overtaking ability is blistering, the 80-120km/h sprint vaporising in just 1.1 seconds; while the top speed is a maximum 305km/h in Weissach guise.
Thanks to its high-tech 800-volt architecture the Taycan Turbo GT can accept a maximum of 320kW at a DC fast-charger, meaning relatively brisk recharges at your next track day – taking 18 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 percent.
In Australia both the Taycan Turbo GT and Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package will cost $416,600 before on-road costs – $52,800 more than the current range-topping, $363,800 Turbo S.
Porsche Cars Australia will offer floor mats as a no-cost option on the Weissach, while the Turbo GT can be specified with a panoramic fixed glass roof, adaptive cruise control and front-and-rear seat heaters for no additional cost.
Porsche Cars Australia has also taken the liberty of fitting noise-insulated privacy glass, lane change assist, a 360-degree camera, head-up display and side rear airbags on the Turbo GT as standard equipment – all things the Weissach does without. And all things adding a fair bit of weight back in, we would suspect.
The Taycan Turbo GT Weissach also set a new lap record for an electric production vehicle at Laguna Seca, in the USA, with a 1:27.87 lap time.
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