j.w.s
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Jeff
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2022
- Threads
- 12
- Messages
- 163
- Reaction score
- 271
- Location
- San Francisco, CA USA
- Vehicles
- 2023 Taycan GTS, 2024 Rivian R1S
- Thread starter
- #1
In no particular order, some facts and observations, with a sprinkling of opinions mixed in:
Oh, and yes I know it's carrAra white, not carrEra - but I type it correctly only about half the time anyway.
- I learned that options and their prices vary widely by country. The below is for US Taycans, and, as mentioned in the title, is skewed toward the GTS and specifically a White GTS, though most of the information is more generally applicable as well. Side note: The UK seems to get the best prices, measured by configuring in local currency and then converting to USD.
- Many trim pieces, including the window surrounds, the rear bumper insert, side skirt inserts, the power charge port cover accent strip, and the mission-e wheel spokes, are GLOSS black on the GTS version, but unless you tick a few boxes, you may be surprised to find some unexpected satin black trim messing up your color scheme.
- I ordered the "Exterior Mirror Lower Trim in Exterior Color and Base in High Gloss Black" option to turn the mirror base from satin black plastic to gloss. And now that it's gloss, you can PPF it along with the rest of the mirror. The Turbo S gets gloss by default.
- Similarly, I ordered the "Model designation on rear in gloss black" option. The Turbo S also has this by default.
- On the GTS, you can't get the "electric logo on front doors" option in gloss black from the factory, but Suncoast will sell them to you! As user tigerbalm pointed out, gloss black is again standard on the Turbo S.
- If you love the Mision-e prototoype, and order the Mission-e wheels for your white Taycan, be sure to tick the "Wheels painted in exterior color" option, or else they will be silver. Silver versus White wheels look very similar in the configurator, but very different in real life.
- Locking wheel bolts are now an option, not standard, but they are not expensive. Tick that box on the options list and the adapter you'll receive fits into a dedicated holder in the frunk. Nice.
- Order the 2+1 rear seat option and you get a fold-down pass through to the trunk, which is nice, but the rear seats change shape and look less like the fronts,
you lose the arm rest(user RIngoDingo points out that you still get one), there is an extra seatbelt cluttering up the look (which stays standard color even if you order contrasting color seatbelts) and you also get another headrest blocking more of the extremely tiny rear window - though I heard second-hand that you can fold down the headrest if you want. Oh, and only a tiny child could ever sit in that middle seat. Owners with small children and/or avid skiers with no second car may strongly object, but I did not go with the 2+1 option for mostly cosmetic reasons. - Order "interior accents in dark silver" if you want to match the look of the Turbo S. It looks really nice in my opinion.
- If you don't order the "Advanced 4-Zone Climate Control" option, you get a pretty plain rear control panel instead of the cool rear touchscreen. But as the driver you'll never notice. On the other hand, without the 4-zone option it seems you lose the ability to set the front foot well temperature that is different than the overall temperature, which is a loss.
- The "Storage Package" is useful and (for Porsche) not too expensive. I dig the fold-down grocery bag hook in the trunk.
- You ordered "Surround View" by ordering the Premium Package, of course, but did you also order "Remote ParkAssist incl. Lane Change Assist LCA)" to get 3D Surround View? And what does the "3D" part get you? I don't fully know since I didn't order that option. It seems Porsche disabled the ability to spin around the camera views unless you spend $1,600 on a different package. The camera hardware for 3D seems to be no different, so it's software only. Frowny face. But there is a company in Germany that sells a software update via a dongle that purports give you back this feature for 300 euros.
- The smokers package is free, so why not get it. It's removable.
- The "Bordeaux Red" seatbelts look great - and are far more muted than they appear in the configurator. Chalk would probably also look very nice on a white car, for those with exceptionally clean hands. Dear Porsche: Why no Guards Red option?
- The "Power charge port cover" blocks the vent behind the front wheels. This does two things: 1) slightly increases drag and 2) prevents dirt and rocks from flying down the side of the car. Take your pick.
- Yes, you do get a simple mobile charger "for free". Do not buy the $1,100 "mobile charge connect" upgrade. Instead, get an even better third-party EVSE for your home for half the price, and keep the included mobile charger in the trunk for travel.
- The taycan can charge at 11kw all day, in spite of the official US specifications saying 9.6KW max. So when you do buy a home EVSE, spend a little extra to get a 48A (11KW) hardwired one on a 60A circuit if you can. As user whitex pointed out, you can also spend $1,680 to upgrade the Taycan guts to 19.2kw charging, after which you'll also need a 19.2kw home EVSE at around $2,200, a new 100A circuit that could cost you $400-$2,000 more than a 60A one, and quite possibly a $5-10K new electrical service and panel since 100A is a good percentage of the standard 200A feed to a home. 19.2kw is more than 11kw, of course, but it's a rather expensive +8kw and almost nobody needs to charge that quickly at home.
- As user Fall7St8nd pointed out, it is a good idea to tick the "On-Board 150 kW/400V DC Charger" for $460, and I did so. The Taycan is an 800V system, but there are lots of 400V Tesla chargers out there, and without this rather inexpensive option you are capped at 50kW. This will really matter if/when Tesla opens up their Supercharger network in the US to non-Tesla vehicles in order to be eligible for federal subsidies.
- "Porsche intelligent range manager" is software, is available after purchase, can be trialed, and can be discounted from time to time. So consider trying it later instead of ordering it on your car.
- The GTS gets a fantastic Alcantara / Race-tex headliner standard. It's a big upgrade from the standard Taycan cloth. You may consider turning the b-pillars into Race-text as well, but it's not really necessary.
- If you do not order the "Adaptive Cruise Control" (ACC) then you don't get the ugly bubble camera in the front bumper, and you can't really upgrade later for any reasoable price. If you do order ACC, then I hear that you can upgrade to "InnoDrive" via software. This is all well and good, but the Taycan is never going to drive itself, and I didn't buy a Porsche because I wanted the car to be less engaging, so I skipped ACC entirely and will not miss it. And with no front bubble camera, I assume I'll never have to pay $1,200 for a camera "calibration" after a front-end alignment. Or so I hear. Others have strong opinions in the other direction, saying that ACC is a must-have option and is good for resale.
- The heads-up display adds a rather ugly bump to the dashboard. I skipped it for that reason. I would have loved to have heads-up if it was better integrated into the design.
- For $130 you can get the "Preparation for Porsche Dashcam (Front and Rear)" option, just in case you want to add your own camera later. Saves having to run wires and tap into the fusebox. By the way, third-party dash cams seem like a better option than the Porsche version.
- The Taycan is a LONG car. But add rear axle steering (RAS) and it becomes incredibly agile around town, with a turing radius identical to a 992 sans RAS. I recommend it.
- Should you order the "Porsche Surface Coated Brakes (PSCB) with Calipers in White" option? You almost certainly don't need better brakes given the incredible regen on the Taycan, and they sure are expensive. But the white calipers look very sharp on a white Taycan, and they produce very little dust - brake dust is my nemesis. And if you look at the cost over 80K miles, they might just pay for themselves given that they seem to last much longer under normal use conditions. Oh, and they are required if you get the mission-e wheels, and I belive you cannot use 19" winter wheels if you have them.
- There are two different "Whites" available - standard and Carrara. The standard is non-metallic and a bit yellow-warm. The Carrara white has an extremely subtle metallic flake and is more neutral. When looking at the color chips, I preferred the warmth of the standard white. But when faced with two cars side-by-side outdoors, the Carrara white was the hands-down winner. To my eye, the "warmness" of the plain white made the Taycan look a bit dull, and a bit old fashioned. You can't easily see the metallic flake in the Carrara white, but it does contribute to the overall visual effect in a subtle way. In the end, your choice will be a personal one, but I highly encourage you to make that choice by looking at cars, not color chips.
Oh, and yes I know it's carrAra white, not carrEra - but I type it correctly only about half the time anyway.
Sponsored
Last edited:
