The 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S—and the rest of the initial Taycan range—has arrived in the United States, with the first batch of cars having landed in customers’ hands. To mark the occasion, our friends at Automobile took the title as the first U.S.-outlet to bring you a racetrack test (click the play button below) of what some enthusiasts likely think is the end of the world as we know it.
In fact, the 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S marks the first time we’ve tested a fully electric vehicle on Pro Racer’s Take; we figured if it was time to take a walk on the Dark Side, what better way to kick things off than with the range-topping (so far) electric vehicle from what is arguably the world’s best sports-car company?
In our sister publication’s previously published first drive of the 2020 Porsche Taycan S, Automobile noted that—powertrain aside—the German EV makes a strong case for itself as a contender for the theoretical crown of “Best Sports Sedan” sold today. Despite its curb weight of more than 5,000 pounds, the Taycan delivers a precise chassis, good steering, immaculate fit-and-finish, and absolutely stonking performance.
With a maximum output of 750 hp and a tarmac-disintegrating 774 lb-ft of torque, we found the 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S—like other Porsches—goes quicker than the manufacturer claims. (Note: The 750-hp maximum is available in launch-control mode; standard output is 616 horses.) In our testing at NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, we logged a 2.5-second sprint to 60 mph—Porsche’s official figure is 2.6 seconds—and a quarter-mile time of 10.5 seconds at 133 mph. Those are the kinds of numbers you have to experience for yourself to fully appreciate, but even for seasoned racers and professional car testers, this sort of performance caused our colleagues to suck their breath through their teeth.
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With the acceleration pulls out of the way, Automobile‘s pro driver, Andy Pilgrim, set off for a full official lap of the fast, challenging NCM Motorsports Park road course. And when the 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S crossed the finish line, the stopwatch told a mighty strong story: For starters, the sedan bested the manufacturer’s own 2018 718 Cayman GTS by more than a second, and finished not far behind a bevy of conventionally powered, top-flight performance cars. Click here to see our full list of previous lap times.
Debate all you want, EV enthusiasts, about the relative merits of this and other six-figure electric cars; that’s part of the fun, after all. But know this: The biggest compliment the Taycan Turbo S is worthy of right out of the gate is, it’s a legitimate Porsche from top-to-bottom. Put another way, this is not just a rolling battery pack that’s actually only as strong as some numbers on a spec sheet. Like we said: It’s one of the most impressive sports sedans a person might ever have the privilege to drive. And like we also said: So far, anyway.
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