WuffvonTrips
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Paul
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2021
- Threads
- 35
- Messages
- 1,850
- Reaction score
- 2,089
- Location
- Up North
- Vehicles
- Taycan Turbo CT
- Thread starter
- #1
Summary
Dream-like effortlessness for car and driver. I’ve done more miles in the few weeks I’ve had it than my previous car did this year- the vast majority have been just for the fun of it, on country roads.
(My previous car was a Cayenne E-hybrid which has similar weight, length and width, hence I use it as my most recent point of comparison with the Taycan. It impressed me with its technical competence.)
General Driving Experience
Nice to be able to put my foot down without sounding like I’m trying too hard or feeling guilty for shattering the peace.
The real sound from the motors is plenty enough aural feedback for me- I wouldn’t want it to be artificially augmented.
Firmer ride than the Cayenne at corresponding suspension settings.
To my surprise, I’ve not noticed it shift gears.
Regen- I like the characteristic of the standard regen. Auto regen is impressive but this isn’t a car I bought to have less involvement in driving it (the same logic lead me to me pass on the ACC option).
Enthusiastic driving on country roads is returning around 2.9 miles/kWh. Mostly around…
…Yorkshire Dales and the snappily titled North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (& UNESCO Global Geopark)
Where it’s nice to be able to drive enthusiastically without disturbing the naturally quiet environment (but needs additional care to avoid surprising all the sheep/cyclists/bikers on the roads).
PERFORMANCE
Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus)
A big surprise. When I originally ordered a 4S I wasn’t interested in this option. The Turbo has it as standard but I still wasn’t interested until I felt it at work. The way it powers out of corners is stunning (most memorably right after an unexpectedly sharp crest). I’d now consider it for any power level of Taycan- recommended if you enjoy a playful rear end. (footnote- I need a safe environment to explore cornering behaviour at the limit, ideally Silverstone EC but they’ve advised they aren’t currently offering Taycans for anything other than the session included with each new vehicle order).
Air suspension with self-levelling and height adjustment incl. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM)
Can’t match the Cayenne for smoothness, but has better feel of the road surface. I’ve made use of all the different ride heights and the lift option (I’m still fiddling with my few autolift to saved locations to try to get it to trigger more consistently. That said, “medium” height is clearing all but deeply rutted unmade roads). For driving on public roads I think cornering is impressively flat without needing PDCC.
Rear-Axle Steering including Power Steering Plus
Manages to U-turn in some places I didn’t think possible. In conjunction with PTV+, tight roundabouts can be fun. I’m finding that, unless I’ve bothered to line up perfectly with my garage before entry, it takes longer than my Cayenne did to reverse in because I’m not yet used to the steering behaviour.
Turbo-specifics
Stunning performance, feels effortless for car and driver (see also later section "Too much is not enough?").
Standing start without Launch Control isn’t noticeably slower in Sport+ (the speedo and my dashcam don’t update fast or frequently enough to measure accurately).
The accelerative potential combined with the quite coarse digital speedo make it challenging to take full advantage of (single carriageway) overtaking opportunities without briefly reaching unintended speed.
Can pull 1g in all directions along the vehicle’s latitudinal and longitudinal axes.
On familiar roads I’m now having to become more aware of small dips and crests that I hadn’t noticed previously as I hadn’t been up to the speed limit at that point.
COSMETIC
20-Inch Taycan Turbo design wheels
Look cheap close up (reminiscent of plastic wheel hub covers) but provide more gloss black contrast to the bodywork, and very easy to clean.
Panoramic roof, fixed
Love the airiness it brings to the cabin. In my driving position it runs ahead of me so I’m always aware of it, but have had no issue from that on sunny days even when I can see the sun through it. Much better than the windscreen at cutting heat transmission from the sun.
Exterior mirror lower trims painted in exterior colour, including mirror base painted in Black (high-gloss)
Quite prominent from within, so benefits from not having the default plastic base.
Door handles painted in black (high-gloss)
I like the high contrast with the body colour…but I’d overlooked that it makes them another fingerprint magnet.
Windscreen with grey top-tint
I’ve not noticed it (neither have I yet felt the need to use the visor).
2-Tone Black/Bordeaux Interior Leather
Happy that I kept the standard black accents as I didn’t want to introduce another colour to the 2-tone black/red cabin (because the Frozen Blue exterior visible from inside provides enough deviation from those colours).
Bordeaux Red seat belts
Relieved that they don’t overdo the red with the 2-tone leather- hadn’t previously seen the combo first hand.
Trim B-Pillars Race-Tex
I can see it’s getting brushed on entry/exit, will need to keep an eye out for signs of wear to test my assumption that it’ll show less than on the standard plastic trim.
Illuminated door sill guards in black brushed aluminium
The “Turbo” embossing on headrests is so shallow that it’s barely noticeable from outside, and the tailgate is debadged (though awaiting just “Taycan” to be added), but I wanted to let front passengers know what they are letting themselves in for, hence this option. The script of their plate is partly visible from the driver’s seat, but thankfully it only lights up on doors that are open.
FUNCTIONAL
14-way Comfort front seats
Very comfortable and supportive. Did a 4+ hour run (with just 2 brief stops) on my 3rd day of ownership, much less upright seating position than I was previously used to- no discomfort or stiffness on getting out. I’m still fine-tuning the steering wheel fore/aft position (it’s getting closer- I originally felt I was hanging off it at full throttle!).
Seat ventilation (front)
Most convenient and fastest way to get personally chilled.
ParkAssist including Surround View
All cameras are fine.
Lane Change Assist
Pricey, but spec’ed it as I came from a Cayenne that I felt needed it. My initial impression of the Taycan is that rearward visibility in the door mirrors is very good (due to the width tapering towards the tailgate) so assistance is less necessary.
Sport Chrono Package (standard on a Turbo) including compass display on the dashboard
Although higher in the eye-line than in a Cayenne, I don’t find it obtrusive.
4+1 Seats
Haven’t found that the rear centre headrest impedes rear vision.
BOSE® Surround Sound-System
It’s OK- I mainly have music for long boring journeys, but thankfully in the car’s honeymoon period I haven’t felt the need other than a quick check with various recordings.
Tracker Security Service
Spurious alerts if I stand beside the car with the transponder and the car isn’t locked or powered off inside (because the motors are powered up on entry but not switched off if either of the latter 2 actions taken).
DYSFUNCTIONAL
Centre console storage compartment
I’m not a bloody octopus! Virtually inaccessible to a driver due to the shape of lid and lack of latching open.
Displayed speed limit
Displays an incorrect speed limit quite often (never noticed that problem in the Cayenne so I guess it’s related to sign recognition rather than map data).
Excess speed warning- could do with an audible warning as well as the pulsing sign on the instrument panel.
Keyfob (virtually identical to the one for the Cayenne I had for 3 years with no issue)- accidental unattended opening of tailgate against garage internal wall (luckily stopped by my vertical strip of wood I’ve mounted to line up centred when reversing, otherwise would have scraped against rough blockwork), and separately of the doors and bonnet.
Overly cautious traction control unless in Sport+?
Hesitant delivering power immediately after sharp crests and humpback bridges, once significant traction should again be possible.
Too Much is Not Enough?
When I test drove a 4S last October, I was intimidated by its full-throttle acceleration (not just from a standing start), because it instantly made me feel unpleasantly odd in a way I can’t well describe, but it was enough to make me back off for fear of becoming less than 100% in control. When I did my Silverstone Experience in February, I’d ordered a Turbo (despite the 4S being more than enough in the acceleration department, I’d managed to upsell myself to the extent that I claimed it was a sensible decision) but I politely declined the opportunity to test its launch control potential.
I came from a Cayenne E-hybrid, which on paper isn’t that far off the 4S acceleration times (and is similar max power and weight), but I’d never experienced anything abnormal when launching it.
In just a few days’ driving my new Turbo, forcing myself to build up to launching it just to check it performs as claimed, I now only experience a hint of abnormality. The speed of my adjustment makes me think that the physical effects are minor (and remain undiminished), whereas the main sensation, now gone, was caused by psychological and/or physiological functions, for example the body feeling it was in free-fall in an unexpected direction, or the unfamiliar lack of noise to accompany the acceleration. Whatever, I suspect that staying relaxed, rather than tensing up in anticipation or reaction, has made a big difference.
I seem to have undergone a similar shift in perception of braking forces- a few times I’ve been surprised that the hazard warning lights have activated when I didn’t feel the deceleration would warrant that.
As I’ve got used to the car’s overall performance ability, I’ve become more relaxed while driving enthusiastically, and it doesn’t feel as dramatically quick- if I wasn’t timing it and seeing the world rushing towards me as fast as ever, I might even think that the car had become slower.
And finally…
Frozen blue metallic
Surprised at the overwhelmingly favourable unsolicited comments from people of all ages and levels of interest in cars. Combined with a red interior, opinion is divided even among people who love the blue, but it’s a classic ‘50s combo and was seen on the 356 (in Meissen blue). I chose it to match the exciting/fun character of the Taycan. The front occupants see enough of the wings to enjoy an interesting colour choice.
Dream-like effortlessness for car and driver. I’ve done more miles in the few weeks I’ve had it than my previous car did this year- the vast majority have been just for the fun of it, on country roads.
(My previous car was a Cayenne E-hybrid which has similar weight, length and width, hence I use it as my most recent point of comparison with the Taycan. It impressed me with its technical competence.)
General Driving Experience
Nice to be able to put my foot down without sounding like I’m trying too hard or feeling guilty for shattering the peace.
The real sound from the motors is plenty enough aural feedback for me- I wouldn’t want it to be artificially augmented.
Firmer ride than the Cayenne at corresponding suspension settings.
To my surprise, I’ve not noticed it shift gears.
Regen- I like the characteristic of the standard regen. Auto regen is impressive but this isn’t a car I bought to have less involvement in driving it (the same logic lead me to me pass on the ACC option).
Enthusiastic driving on country roads is returning around 2.9 miles/kWh. Mostly around…
…Yorkshire Dales and the snappily titled North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (& UNESCO Global Geopark)
Where it’s nice to be able to drive enthusiastically without disturbing the naturally quiet environment (but needs additional care to avoid surprising all the sheep/cyclists/bikers on the roads).
PERFORMANCE
Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus)
A big surprise. When I originally ordered a 4S I wasn’t interested in this option. The Turbo has it as standard but I still wasn’t interested until I felt it at work. The way it powers out of corners is stunning (most memorably right after an unexpectedly sharp crest). I’d now consider it for any power level of Taycan- recommended if you enjoy a playful rear end. (footnote- I need a safe environment to explore cornering behaviour at the limit, ideally Silverstone EC but they’ve advised they aren’t currently offering Taycans for anything other than the session included with each new vehicle order).
Air suspension with self-levelling and height adjustment incl. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM)
Can’t match the Cayenne for smoothness, but has better feel of the road surface. I’ve made use of all the different ride heights and the lift option (I’m still fiddling with my few autolift to saved locations to try to get it to trigger more consistently. That said, “medium” height is clearing all but deeply rutted unmade roads). For driving on public roads I think cornering is impressively flat without needing PDCC.
Rear-Axle Steering including Power Steering Plus
Manages to U-turn in some places I didn’t think possible. In conjunction with PTV+, tight roundabouts can be fun. I’m finding that, unless I’ve bothered to line up perfectly with my garage before entry, it takes longer than my Cayenne did to reverse in because I’m not yet used to the steering behaviour.
Turbo-specifics
Stunning performance, feels effortless for car and driver (see also later section "Too much is not enough?").
Standing start without Launch Control isn’t noticeably slower in Sport+ (the speedo and my dashcam don’t update fast or frequently enough to measure accurately).
The accelerative potential combined with the quite coarse digital speedo make it challenging to take full advantage of (single carriageway) overtaking opportunities without briefly reaching unintended speed.
Can pull 1g in all directions along the vehicle’s latitudinal and longitudinal axes.
On familiar roads I’m now having to become more aware of small dips and crests that I hadn’t noticed previously as I hadn’t been up to the speed limit at that point.
COSMETIC
20-Inch Taycan Turbo design wheels
Look cheap close up (reminiscent of plastic wheel hub covers) but provide more gloss black contrast to the bodywork, and very easy to clean.
Panoramic roof, fixed
Love the airiness it brings to the cabin. In my driving position it runs ahead of me so I’m always aware of it, but have had no issue from that on sunny days even when I can see the sun through it. Much better than the windscreen at cutting heat transmission from the sun.
Exterior mirror lower trims painted in exterior colour, including mirror base painted in Black (high-gloss)
Quite prominent from within, so benefits from not having the default plastic base.
Door handles painted in black (high-gloss)
I like the high contrast with the body colour…but I’d overlooked that it makes them another fingerprint magnet.
Windscreen with grey top-tint
I’ve not noticed it (neither have I yet felt the need to use the visor).
2-Tone Black/Bordeaux Interior Leather
Happy that I kept the standard black accents as I didn’t want to introduce another colour to the 2-tone black/red cabin (because the Frozen Blue exterior visible from inside provides enough deviation from those colours).
Bordeaux Red seat belts
Relieved that they don’t overdo the red with the 2-tone leather- hadn’t previously seen the combo first hand.
Trim B-Pillars Race-Tex
I can see it’s getting brushed on entry/exit, will need to keep an eye out for signs of wear to test my assumption that it’ll show less than on the standard plastic trim.
Illuminated door sill guards in black brushed aluminium
The “Turbo” embossing on headrests is so shallow that it’s barely noticeable from outside, and the tailgate is debadged (though awaiting just “Taycan” to be added), but I wanted to let front passengers know what they are letting themselves in for, hence this option. The script of their plate is partly visible from the driver’s seat, but thankfully it only lights up on doors that are open.
FUNCTIONAL
14-way Comfort front seats
Very comfortable and supportive. Did a 4+ hour run (with just 2 brief stops) on my 3rd day of ownership, much less upright seating position than I was previously used to- no discomfort or stiffness on getting out. I’m still fine-tuning the steering wheel fore/aft position (it’s getting closer- I originally felt I was hanging off it at full throttle!).
Seat ventilation (front)
Most convenient and fastest way to get personally chilled.
ParkAssist including Surround View
All cameras are fine.
Lane Change Assist
Pricey, but spec’ed it as I came from a Cayenne that I felt needed it. My initial impression of the Taycan is that rearward visibility in the door mirrors is very good (due to the width tapering towards the tailgate) so assistance is less necessary.
Sport Chrono Package (standard on a Turbo) including compass display on the dashboard
Although higher in the eye-line than in a Cayenne, I don’t find it obtrusive.
4+1 Seats
Haven’t found that the rear centre headrest impedes rear vision.
BOSE® Surround Sound-System
It’s OK- I mainly have music for long boring journeys, but thankfully in the car’s honeymoon period I haven’t felt the need other than a quick check with various recordings.
Tracker Security Service
Spurious alerts if I stand beside the car with the transponder and the car isn’t locked or powered off inside (because the motors are powered up on entry but not switched off if either of the latter 2 actions taken).
DYSFUNCTIONAL
Centre console storage compartment
I’m not a bloody octopus! Virtually inaccessible to a driver due to the shape of lid and lack of latching open.
Displayed speed limit
Displays an incorrect speed limit quite often (never noticed that problem in the Cayenne so I guess it’s related to sign recognition rather than map data).
Excess speed warning- could do with an audible warning as well as the pulsing sign on the instrument panel.
Keyfob (virtually identical to the one for the Cayenne I had for 3 years with no issue)- accidental unattended opening of tailgate against garage internal wall (luckily stopped by my vertical strip of wood I’ve mounted to line up centred when reversing, otherwise would have scraped against rough blockwork), and separately of the doors and bonnet.
Overly cautious traction control unless in Sport+?
Hesitant delivering power immediately after sharp crests and humpback bridges, once significant traction should again be possible.
Too Much is Not Enough?
When I test drove a 4S last October, I was intimidated by its full-throttle acceleration (not just from a standing start), because it instantly made me feel unpleasantly odd in a way I can’t well describe, but it was enough to make me back off for fear of becoming less than 100% in control. When I did my Silverstone Experience in February, I’d ordered a Turbo (despite the 4S being more than enough in the acceleration department, I’d managed to upsell myself to the extent that I claimed it was a sensible decision) but I politely declined the opportunity to test its launch control potential.
I came from a Cayenne E-hybrid, which on paper isn’t that far off the 4S acceleration times (and is similar max power and weight), but I’d never experienced anything abnormal when launching it.
In just a few days’ driving my new Turbo, forcing myself to build up to launching it just to check it performs as claimed, I now only experience a hint of abnormality. The speed of my adjustment makes me think that the physical effects are minor (and remain undiminished), whereas the main sensation, now gone, was caused by psychological and/or physiological functions, for example the body feeling it was in free-fall in an unexpected direction, or the unfamiliar lack of noise to accompany the acceleration. Whatever, I suspect that staying relaxed, rather than tensing up in anticipation or reaction, has made a big difference.
I seem to have undergone a similar shift in perception of braking forces- a few times I’ve been surprised that the hazard warning lights have activated when I didn’t feel the deceleration would warrant that.
As I’ve got used to the car’s overall performance ability, I’ve become more relaxed while driving enthusiastically, and it doesn’t feel as dramatically quick- if I wasn’t timing it and seeing the world rushing towards me as fast as ever, I might even think that the car had become slower.
And finally…
Frozen blue metallic
Surprised at the overwhelmingly favourable unsolicited comments from people of all ages and levels of interest in cars. Combined with a red interior, opinion is divided even among people who love the blue, but it’s a classic ‘50s combo and was seen on the 356 (in Meissen blue). I chose it to match the exciting/fun character of the Taycan. The front occupants see enough of the wings to enjoy an interesting colour choice.
Sponsored
).
