Porsche has set a new track record for electric cars at Laguna Seca with the new Taycan Turbo GT electric car it revealed today.
The model is the highest performance version of the Taycan yet released.
It features a 777 hp all-wheel drivetrain, but has an Attack Mode that can boost that by 160 hp in 10-second bursts and it can also be cranked up to 1092 hp for two seconds in Launch Mode.
With Launch Mode engaged, it will sprint to 60 mph in 2.2 seconds, while a more aggressive Weissach Package version will hit that speed in 2.1 seconds. They will also clear 124 mph in 6.6 seconds and 6.4 seconds, respectively and their top speed are 180 mph and 190 mph.
PENSKE PORSCHE WINS ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA
The Weissach Package is a track-focused option that adds a carbon fiber rear wing and also uses the lightweight material for several other components including a storage system that replaces the rear seat and turns the Taycan into a two-passenger vehicle.
The Laguna Seca time was 1:27.87, which makes it the fastest series-production electric car to lap the 2.2-mile circuit, beating the Tesla Model S Plaid’s time of 1:30.3 set in 2020.
A pre-production version of the Taycan Turbo GT also holds the Nurburgring records for electric and four-door production cars with a 7:07.55 time at the 12.9-mile track.
Pricing for the four-seat Taycan Turbo GT and two-seat Weissach Package have been set at an identical $230,000 and U.S. deliveries are scheduled to start this summer.
Tesla hasn’t released a higher performance Model S since the Plaid came out, but has announced that the long-gestating second-generation Roadster will be released next year. Tesla has previously said it will be capable of reaching 250 mph and accelerating to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, but it has apparently increased its performance targets. Elon Musk also claims it will have a cold gas thruster rocket pack option that will allow it to hit 60 mph in less than one second and also improve its handling capability.
Oddly, Porsche isn’t the only company with a four-door, two-seat car. Toyota offers a GR Corolla in a Morizo Edition with the same layout.