Does a Taycan feel like a 911?

[4thPcar]

NO NO NO - nothing like a 911 IMHO.

Sponsored

 

[ChronoMax]

Sure it feels like a 911.......................if your original frame of reference is a Model S.

 

[tbinmd]

Nope, not a 911 feel at all. The Taycan drives like it's own model and feels like a Porsche.

 

[dmattingly23]

I’ve never owned a 911 but have driven them before

But I did come from an m3

I def feel the Taycan’s weight on turns - turns I used to take with ease in the M3 with minimal braking, I now need to go heavier on the brake

that said, the Taycan is sporty, handles great (despite the weight), and has four doors/seats 5 which the 911 doesn’t so is more practical. It also looks freakin amazing as does the 911!

 

[Edward]

One point not yet mentioned -- the seating position, particularly where your hips sit, is similar to a 911. The way the steering wheel rises to you, the good view through at least 270°, and the front wheel "wings" all feel 911-ish.

Things not like the 911 (I've had a 997 and currently have a 986 S 550 Spyder edition):

• Letterboxed view out the back. The 911 has the biggest view out the backlight of any sports car.
• Mid-engine feel versus rear-engine feel - I found I can't trail brake through corners like the 911 because the weight transfer doesn't work the same way.
• Smoothness - no 911, even the 992, rides this comfortably!
• Noise
• Weight

A 911 is a 911, and that's why there is no substitute.

 

[Streemline79]

They don’t feel the same, but both are fun to drive. Enjoy your Taycan when it arrives! Get both if you can.

 

[f1eng]

The Taycan is the first Porsche for which I have actually placed an order.

I have tried others over the decades and got close to buying a 911 Carrera 2 (993) but whilst the chassis and build were way better it felt so much slower than the TVR Griffith I had as my sportscar at the time (350kg heavier with less power) I was disappointed by it. I tried the Turbo but it was so laggy (again compared to the TVR) that it was real world slower overtaking traffic and whilst spectacularly fantastic from 60 to 150+ mph that was not much use where I live.

Subsequently they got even heavier and wider and none appealed to me since.
The Taycan did feel a bit heavy but not as heavy as it actually is (the 993 did after the TVR) and in the end the only thing I intensly dislike about the car is the width, that was nearly a deal breaker.

The big gain is the engine.
I was told by an electrical engineering lecturer when an engineering student at Imperial College that electric motors are superior to IC engines and, as a petrol head studying engineering in the hope of becoming a racing car designer, I thought in my ignorance he was talking bollox.

He wasn't and after decades designing and running racing cars the hybrids opened my eyes to the benefits (response, wide power band from zero) and the down side - battery.

Current Formula 1 hybrid power units have about the same power as the previous IC only engines but with much higher efficiency than the NA ones and much, much better throttle response than the turbos. The 1980s turbos used about 165 kg of fuel in a race, the last generation IC engines used 150 kg and the current hybrids 100kg, a huge gain fwiw.

It is too long ago to compare precisly the 993 to the Taycan and they are, in any case a different sort of car, but, for me, the Taycan has been the first Porsche which impressed me enough to actually go through the exasperation* of the configurator and actually place an order.

* to get a Taycan up to the standard equipment of a Prius adds £10k.

 

[WRC_1S]

Taycan is a very capable car for its size and Weight. Handles and grips lovely for a big old unit. Handles much better than a panamera but no its not like a 911. I've only old owned air-cooled 911s so can't comment on 996 997 etc. I've driven a 991 quite a bit but not owned one. 911s feel smaller, more direct and way more feedback through the steering for me. I do love my Taycan though. Best family daily I've owned.

 

[Fitz]

The 911 is imperfect, it drives funny, its all mechanical noises and that strange way of accelerating fast and early out of corners that would get you killed in other cars. You have to work a 911 to get the best out of it, thats why test drives and friends driving your can be disappointing, they/you are not willing to rag it. Its all these faults that we love in the 911 and give it that unique character and such a loyal fanbase.

Taycan is almost too easy, too good, too configurable. You can drive it like a 911 and it works well, but there is not challenge in it.

For me the pleasure of a 911 is that its not the fastest car, but a good driver can make it match much faster metal. The taycan is just the world best all rounder at the moment, no talent required.

 

[FLT6LVR]

It’s as close to a 911 as any sedan is going to get. To be honest as a long-standing 911 owner I had doubts when my wife wanted one.

Sitting in the car it does feel somewhat like a 911 with the cockpit feel, low seating position, supportive seats, and the fender lines on the hood just visible. In fact no other Porsche (barring boxster/cayman) feels so close to a 911.

Next there’s the steering feel which is pretty close. Yes the 911s wheel dances a little more in your hands over bumps but I don’t think any other electric car comes close to the Taycan. And then there’s the suspension: it is far smoother than any 911 I’ve driven but the car stays flat under cornering, acceleration, and braking. The Taycan doesn’t feel rear engined like the 911 though.

As for the motor that’s where the biggest difference lies. The 911 has a cacophony of funny sounds and a very mechanical feel from idle to redline. Newer 911s with their turbo motors have less character but more torque…in some ways I feel like the Taycan is a continuation of that trend.

Overall I’ve been shocked by how good the Taycan is. Outside of the cheap headliner, the low quality steering wheel leather, and the complexity of its charging timer and AC system I think it’s amazing. Let’s hope Porsche didn’t skimp on the long term quality.

N

 

[Dee]

Absolutely not.
First of all, why would you compare two different type of cars?
One is a thoroughbred sportscar and the other is a sporty family car.
Are there any similarities?
I don't think so, just because it's an ICE, a RA (rear motor, awd) and a two-seater.
Does it drive like a Porsche?
Hell yeah!

One should compare a Taycan to a Panamera, same weight, same type of car.

It's a compliment for the Taycan that it's being compared to a 911 though.
I've had a 992 C4S, totally different experience.
After owning a Taycan for more than two years now, I can say a 911 feels outdated.
There, I said it.
Does that make the 911 experience less interesting?
No sir, it's fun in a very different way.

 

[Terrance Sig]

This car is very capable on a track and can easily pass other coupes with a good driver. So stable and neutral in a corner. Its not a 911, but it does not disappoint

 

[Fish Fingers]

One point not yet mentioned -- the seating position, particularly where your hips sit, is similar to a 911. The way the steering wheel rises to you, the good view through at least 270°, and the front wheel "wings" all feel 911-ish.

I think this is quite an interesting graphic from that point of view. comparing Taycan / 911 / Panamera dimensions.
'seating position similar to 911'

 

[Archimedes]

I think this is quite an interesting graphic from that point of view. comparing Taycan / 911 / Panamera dimensions.
'seating position similar to 911'

All Porsches share similar driver ergonomics. That has very little to do with the actual handling of the car. The Taycan is a sporty sedan. The standard 911 is a GT sports car. The GT2/3/4 is a sports car.

 

[charliemathilde]

Interesting topic and great to have insight from owners of 911 and Cayman/Boxters.

I have considered to buy a Cayman (S) and turn it fake (replica) GT4, to have a fun car, that's why I will watch this topic closely.

-----
I know some will wonder why would I turn normal Cayman to replica GT4, here is explanation:

I live in shitty country where every car must pay "car tax" (calculated from CO2 emissions) added to VAT etc. in Taycan Turbo it is 3,400€, Cayman S it is 38,700€, Cayman GT4 it is 64,600€.

So end price of of Cayman S is 115,332€ and GT4 is 173,200 and GT RS is 277,340€

----
So question is, will Cayman "GT4" provide that much more fun to justify to spend significant money on it?

Take a look at a cayman gts 4.0 too

gt4 is great. 12k miles on mine. Gts 4.0 is maybe even better on public streets. For track work, gt4 is hard to beat at its price point. A gt3 will run a lot more money, and while faster, it’s … differently fun as opposed to more fun.

cayman platform is just a lot of fun.

Sponsored