2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Review First Drive: A New Speed Dimension

The Porsche Taycan sparked a war with Tesla when it set a Nurburgring record with its Turbo S. Tesla went on a mission to prove the Model S could beat the Porsche and they did with the Plaid, a 1,020 hp triple-motor EV that lapped the Nurburgring in just 7 minutes and 25 seconds. Not one to sit idly by, Porsche fired back with an all new Taycan model, the Turbo GT, and recently crushed the Plaid’s record by a whopping 18 seconds.

The new Turbo GT doesn’t have any extra motors, it uses the same dual-motor powertrain and 97 kWh battery found in the Turbo S which includes the more powerful rear motor installed in the new 2025 Taycans. The power bump comes directly from a more powerful 900-amp pulse inverter, exclusive to Turbo GT. Pulse inverters are critical components in an EV because all the drive energy from the battery passes through them in order to be converted to the right type of current for the electric motors. They are crucial for performance and efficiency. And the one in the Turbo GT uses silicon carbide for the semi-conductor material, another boost to efficiency.

Visually the Turbo GT gets “air blades” on the front and rear bumpers and an adaptive spoiler topped with a carbon-weave gurney flap. Sensational new colours Pale Blue Metallic and Purple Sky Metallic are exclusive to the Turbo GT for one year.

During a launch the Turbo GT puts down a ridiculous 1,092 hp and 1,300 lb-ft of torque. The factory claims it will zip from standstill to 0-60 mph in 2.1 seconds (100 km/h in just 2.2 seconds) when equipped with the Weissach package. That’s an astonishing time which we know probably errs on the conservative side of things. The compression on your chest feels like there’s a moose sitting on it. It’s quicker than your thoughts and it feels like time stands still for those brief few seconds you’re hurtling down the tarmac. We launched it over and over and over, and it felt the same every single time. Incredible.

We were, of course, on a closed course, possibly the only place to really experience just how insane the Turbo GT’s acceleration really is. It seems a sure bet that Porsche made this car just to beat every lap record there is. Only the Rimac Nevera, a $2.2-million hyper car is faster around the Nurburgring, and only by 2 seconds. That makes the Turbo GT incredible value in comparison.

Launching down the long straight comes to an end as the first corner, a 90-degree right hander approaches at well over 250 km/h. Stomp on the brakes, which are standard carbon ceramics on the Turbo GT, and the Porsche scrubs off speed like it hit a brick wall. A damp track means ABS engagement is inevitable, but the front end dives into corners with minimal effort and maximum confidence. In the Turbo GT, it’s ok if you make mistake, you don’t have to hit every apex and even if you exit with too much power, it’s easy to catch. It’s quite possibly the least scary 1,000+ hp car to drive but this is the only car I’ve driven with over 1,000 hp, so take that last statement with a grain of salt.

While the Turbo GT doesn’t give you 911 levels of feedback through the steering wheel it feels light and agile. It’s 75 kg lighter than the Turbo S achieved through carbon fibre mirror caps, b-pillar trim, and side-skirt inlays. There are also lightweight and spindly 21-inch forged wheels with relief-milled spokes. North Americans, sadly, don’t get the carbon bucket seats that other markets do.

The push-to-pass function has been replaced here by what Porsche calls “attack mode” which was designed to function like in does in their Formula E cars. It provides a 161 hp punch for 10 seconds when activated. Attack mode was used several times during the record setting laps of the Nurburgring and Laguna Seca. It can be re-used every four seconds and blurs the line between reality and video game.

The Turbo GT comes with Active ride first introduced on the updated Panamera. On the Taycan Turbo GT, each damper is equipped with a motor pump unit powered directly by the battery. These units provide an upward or downward force on the damper and they can do it extremely quickly. The Taycan can raise or lower itself at each wheel nearly instantly which means that virtually all unwanted body motions can be cancelled out and it can remain perfectly flat on the track without using anti-roll bars.

Weissach packs are nothing new on these top-end Porsches but the one offered on the Taycan comes at no extra cost but it does come with one big caveat—no rear seats. It just feels silly to have no rear seats in a four-door sedan but on the Turbo GT with the Weissach option there’s just a big glossy carbon-fibre panel that you can use as a luggage shelf and little else. Weissach pack equipped cars are easy to spot with their big fixed carbon wing and “Weissach” decals on either side of it.

A Turbo GT with the Weissach pack is a further 70 kg lighter with the missing rear seats being a big reason for that. Other omissions in the name of weight-savings are the dashboard clock, foot and boot mats, the Bose stereo, and the driver’s side charging port. There’s also less insulation and special glass that also saves weight. The weight loss is the sole reason the Weissach Turbo GT is quicker to accelerate and faster around a track. In the right hands it’s an absolute weapon and can exit corners sideways, all four tires screaming, in a way I’ve never seen any electric car do before it.

2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT FAQs

(Q) Is the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT any everday car?

(A) If you can afford to own one, the Turbo GT can be driven daily, but it's more at home ripping around a track.

(Q) How much power does the 2025 Taycan Turbo GT have?

(A) It has peak power of 1,092 hp and 1,300 lb-ft of torque.

(Q) How quick is the 2025 Taycan Turbo GT?

(A) It can rocket from 0 to 60 mph in 2.1 seconds.