Porsche Taycan Turbo to Arrive Despite Clear Lack of Turbos
The high-performance version of the upcoming Porsche Taycan electric sedan will be called the Taycan Turbo, it has been revealed.
The Drive journalist Alex Roy, who is on the mailing list for updates for the Taycan, recently received an email from his Porsche brand ambassador informing him that the Taycan will be offered in three trim levels from launch: Taycan, Taycan 4s and Taycan Turbo.
The base Taycan, which is expected to start in the low $90,000 range, will likely be rear-wheel drive only. To get all-wheel drive, you’ll have to step up to the mid-range Taycan 4S, which Porsche says will start in the high $90,000 range. The high-performance Taycan Turbo, meanwhile, will ring in at $130,000 or so.
SEE ALSO: Porsche Boosting Taycan Production Due to High Demand
This is a bit of an odd decision, as electric cars don’t have turbochargers, but it makes sense for Porsche. The automaker has typically used the ‘Turbo’ badge to denote the fastest, most expensive mass production 911, so it’s simply sticking to its guns with the Taycan Turbo name. Besides, many people don’t actually know what a turbocharger is – they just know the word is synonymous with speed and power.
It appears the performance version of the Porsche Taycan EV will be branded “Turbo”.
Because ICE nomenclature is how one converts customers to EV.
— Alex Roy (@AlexRoy144) December 26, 2018
Official details on the Taycan’s powertrains aren’t yet available, although Porsche has said a version will be available with over 600 hp and 310 miles of range. Those are seriously impressive stats, so Porsche was probably referring to the range-topping Taycan Turbo. The automaker also claims the 600 hp Taycan will accelerate from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in under 3.5s and from 0-124 mph (200 km/h) in under 12s. What do you say, are those stats worthy of the ‘Turbo’ badge?
The Porsche Taycan is expected to make its official debut sometime in 2019 before going on sale in late 2019 or early 2020.
[Source: Alex Roy on Twitter]
A version of this story originally appeared on Hybrid Cars
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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