Rear Axle Steering....not needed, nice to have, or must have?

[YWGT3]

From my experience, the RWS has come in handy, especially when it comes to parallel parking. It's a piece of cake sliding into a tight parking spot, all in one shot. Maneuverability through tight areas in some of the public garages has been a cinch. I also enjoy how planted the Taycan feels when changing lanes or negotiating curves at higher speeds.

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[Vim Schrotnock]

Absolute MUST HAVE! Just for the maneuverability in tight spaces, it is miraculous for a car of this size. So easy to move in and out of parking spaces, u-turn radius is smallest I've ever seen. Just this tremendous convenience at low-speed is worth the $'s. Haven't had a chance to really wring it out at higher speeds.

 

[Skystorm]

Must have Have RWS and PDCC and the car feel so nice to drive..

 

[JacobDK]

I have tried it and decided against it. Turning radius is OK for me in standard and I prefer a steering to be as simple and easy to comprehend in its setup when the car is at speed.

 

[Vim Schrotnock]

I have tried it and decided against it. Turning radius is OK for me in standard and I prefer a steering to be as simple and easy to comprehend in its setup when the car is at speed.

What specifically is the steering doing at speed that makes you uncomfortable? As I said, I haven't really pushed the car yet.

 

[chrisk]

I don't have it and the car still drives great. I used to have a Macan, X3, S4, S6 and I have driven several luxury sport vehicles of this size. The Taycan drives better than all of them even without it.
You might need it if you make tight maneuvers in small parking spaces or if you push the car to the limit.
My suggestion is if you are on a budget to use your money to pick the color, wheels and interior you like because that is what you will see all the time. If you have money to spend then sure tick the Performance Package option and get all the rings and bells.

 

[CJE]

I have RWS but I'm not that impressed.
It's indeed great for making a turn while it's a big car, sure, totally happy about that.
But....being a Porsche I had higher expectations cuz I think it has too much bump steer.
When going over a pothole it settles quite a bit.
I'm used to drive (RWD) sportscars and this is what stood out to me quite distinctly...
Other than that it drives very well but I wouldn't opt it next time (also due to the extra weight).

Adding a big Must Have to the votes already cast. I've had a Tesla Model S and a Panamera GTS and neither had this remarkable feature. As such they were long heavy cars that lacked the nimble character of a 911. RWS changes how the Taycan feels in everyday driving as you suddenly have a "shorter"car" and it stabilizes you in high speed maneuvering as the wheel base seems to grow. I'm also a fan of PDCC and all the other handling and suspension assists Porsche can provide. These features are what distinguishes Porsche engineering and turns this heavy rhino into a gymnast.

RWS: Don't leave home with it.

 

[JacobDK]

What specifically is the steering doing at speed that makes you uncomfortable? As I said, I haven't really pushed the car yet.

On public roads i guess it’s fine but if you’re on the limit of the car there are two factors you will have to adapt to. I have not tried this with a Taycan only 991 Turbo etc. But the rear axel steering has a maximum steeringangle (2,8 degrees) - when steering input exceeds this only the front wheels keep increasing the angle thus creating a threshold to deal with in the cars reaction to steering input. Moreover when going slower than circa 50 km/h the wheels at the rear turn in one way but above this speed in an other way. If you therefore exit a hairpin turn at low speed but have a fast and long cornerexit my experience is that the RWS reacts in a weird way. So I find it more pure / natural only to have the fronts wheels turn allthough I suspect a skilled wheelsman will be able to post faster laptimes in a car with RWS.

 

[Vim Schrotnock]

On public roads i guess it’s fine but if you’re on the limit of the car there are two factors you will have to adapt to. I have not tried this with a Taycan only 991 Turbo etc. But the rear axel steering has a maximum steeringangle (2,8 degrees) - when steering input exceeds this only the front wheels keep increasing the angle thus creating a threshold to deal with in the cars reaction to steering input. Moreover when going slower than circa 50 km/h the wheels at the rear turn in one way but above this speed in an other way. If you therefore exit a hairpin turn at low speed but have a fast and long cornerexit my experience is that the RWS reacts in a weird way. So I find it more pure / natural only to have the fronts wheels turn allthough I suspect a skilled wheelsman will be able to post faster laptimes in a car with RWS.

Interesting - sounds like it takes some getting used to on the track. But as you say, after a few dozen laps I'm sure it will give a skilled driver better times.

I really don't intend to push this car to the limit very often - I've got my racer to do that. Plus I am committed to retaining my street license...

 

[Taycant]

For practicality it is a revelation for me. Turning circle is like a small car. Its a bit disconcerting at times as you feel the car's pivot point change but well worth getting used to.

Must have imo.

 

[redrocket]

Must have for all of the reasons stated, and in my case I have a very tight right turn into my garage. RWS makes a snap out of a difficult and regularly occurring situation.

 

[Martinl]

I have a very tight horseshoe bend entrance to my home and the Taycan makes it far easier than any of the RRs or previous BMWs.

I didn't option the rear wheel steering. I had tested this exact situation with the demo car before making the decision to forego it.

 

[chrisk]

This thread is like any other thread where people ask should I add this option:
- Sport Chrono
- Electric Sound
- PDCC
- RWS
...
There are about 70% who say that each one of them is a must have option and without it the Taycan does not feel like a 911..
As I said in my previous comment, if you are not on a budget, then click all of these options. Each make the Taycan feel a little sportier.
But the car is already very sporty and drives very well without any of these so they are not must have in my opinion. The real must haves are the air-suspension which is standard equipment and the P+ battery.

 

[epirali]

Not must have, but do it if you can. It makes the turn radius of the car defy the laws of physics. Just for that alone, not counting for improvements in performance, its worth it.

 

[Poluski]

Absolutely a must have. Makes it a short car at low speeds and a long wheel base car at high speeds. It's a no brainer. Put it this way, I utilize it more in daily driving than the Sport Plus mode on my 4S. When cruising at speed, one can't ell the difference if you have a 4S or a TurboS but you can tell if you have 4WS.

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