Most monstrous EV yet? 2024 Porsche Taycan GT scores major upgrades, potential extra motors and Nurburgring lap record
Ahead of its full unveiling in the coming months, the heavily revised 2024 Porsche Taycan has been teased playing in the snow.
Shown wearing the lightest camouflage yet, it’s clear that when the new facelifted Porsche Taycan rocks up in Australia before the end of 2024 it will look largely similar to the current battery-electric sedan.
It’s only on a closer inspection you might spot the fresh four-element LED matrix headlamps, revised front bumper, new rims and minor changes to the rear end.
So far, so underwhelming.
But that’s because the big changes have occurred beneath the Taycan’s skin. Latest intel suggests Porsche has focused resources on upgrading its EV’s chassis, batteries, motors and all-important software.
The result will be an even quicker, better-handling and more efficient sports sedan with longer range than the outgoing car.
Taycan performance hits the stratosphere
Joining the line-up will also be a new performance flagship, tipped to be called the Taycan Turbo GT. Because the Taycan Turbo S was a bit soft, right…?
The newest member has already clocked an incredible 7min 7sec lap around the Nurburgring, setting a new production EV record.
In fact, the Taycan Turbo GT was so fast around the the Green Hell its lap was just two seconds off the time set by the 1408kW Rimac Nevera hypercar.
That suggests the facelifted flagship Taycan will pump out epic power, perhaps as much as 750kW, with this Turbo GT variant featuring a triple- or quad-motor powertrain.
Differentiating itself from the core Taycan range, the Turbo GT boasts a huge rear wing, new front bumper, large front splitter and new rear air intake, plus a set of lightweight rims shod with stickier Pirelli P Zero Corsa rubber.
More range, wholesale improvements
Perhaps more relevant for real-world buyers is the most efficient Taycan should eclipse 500km of ‘real-world range’ from a single charge.
Despite only an overhaul of an existing model to ensure the revised Porsche Taycan is fit for sale, the sedan, Cross Turismo and Sport Turismo wagons have all endured 3.6 million kilometres of testing on race tracks and public roads around the world.
Before it was signed off, the refreshed Taycan also had to survive 53C temperatures in California’s Death Valley, and withstand -41C in the frozen Arctic Circle.
Both hot and sub-zero conditions put the battery, motors and charging systems under extreme stress as engineers ensured the vehicle’s thermal management system could cope.
There’s no word on when exactly Porsche will unwrap the facelifted Taycan, but the German brand says it will land in Europe’s spring (which begins this March).
When it arrives, Porsche model line boss, Kevin Giek, says engineers will have “improved the new Taycan in practically every discipline compared to its predecessor.”
Both the Taycan and the all-new Macan EV are set to arrive in Australia in the second half of this year.
Before that, this March the third-gen 2024 Panamera sedan will make its debut and feature a revised plug-in hybrid powertrain and combine 500kW with an all-EV range of around 90km.