New Porsche Taycan beats Tesla Model S Plaid’s Nürburgring time by a wide margin
Porsche wasted no time to announce its first new model of 2024: The brand will expand the Taycan lineup with a range-topping trim level. The electric sedan hasn’t been named or unveiled yet, but it has already become the fastest electric Porsche around the Nürburgring track.
Factory development driver Lars Kern lapped the grueling track in 7:07.55 in a pre-series version of the upcoming Taycan version. For context, that’s 26 seconds faster than the time set by a Taycan Turbo S equipped with the Performance Package in August 2022. Kern set a time of 6:47.25 in a 991-generation 911 GT2 RS fitted with the Weissach Package, and the 918 Spyder clocked 6:57 in September 2013.
Crucially for bragging rights, the Taycan beat the Tesla Model S Plaid’s time of 7:25.23 by nearly 20 seconds. Porsche also notes that Kern’s lap times were almost exactly identical, which suggests that the electric drivetrain delivers repeatable performance even when pushed hard.
Lapping the Nürburgring in a little over seven seconds puts the upcoming flagship of the Taycan range in supercar territory, but what exactly has Porsche cooked up? We don’t know yet; the model won’t be fully unveiled until later in 2024. The pictures show a trim-specific body kit that includes a front splitter with winglets, air intakes below the headlights (they presumably cool the front brakes), side skirts, and a big wing. Porsche notes that it fitted the pre-production prototype with a roll cage and racing bucket seats before letting it loose on the ‘Ring.
Earlier spy shots shed some light on the next addition to the Taycan range, which might wear the Turbo GT nameplate. They give us a better look at the body kit, and they show a back end with wider wheel arches, winglets on the bumper, and an air diffuser. It’s reasonable to assume chassis and suspension changes will be part of the package as well, though official information isn’t available yet, and Porsche might inject more power into the drivetrain. As it stands, the most powerful Taycan is the Turbo S, which makes up to 750 horsepower.
More details about Porsche’s next Taycan evolution will emerge in the coming months.
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