My husband wrote a test drive report on the Porsche Taycan he recently had the chance to drive. Please take a look if you’re interested.

First, Experiencing the Porsche Taycan from the Passenger Seat

I’ve driven the Taycan several times before. The first time was on a circuit, the second time was in city driving, and this time I was fortunate to borrow it for a bit longer, allowing for a detailed review in various driving situations.

As usual, I won’t go into detailed explanations about the interior and exterior usability or features. This review will focus mainly on the driving experience.

This Taycan is the ‘Turbo’ grade, the second highest trim just below the Turbo S. However, this Turbo is loaded with so many options that it’s almost equivalent to a Turbo S.

Starting the Taycan is simple: press the start button and shift the selector lever next to the steering wheel to D. There’s no longer a traditional handbrake. So, just get in, press the button, and shift to D, and the Taycan is ready to go.

The takeoff is incredibly smooth. Despite the violent instantaneous torque and acceleration described later, there’s no harshness or abruptness in the throttle response; it glides forward gently and smoothly.

One of the things that impressed me most about the Taycan was the throttle control. When you press gently, the electric motor’s sudden torque isn’t noticeable, but when you press firmly, the motor instantly delivers its powerful torque.

It’s as if the Taycan reads the driver’s intent and adjusts the throttle opening accordingly.

Starting off and driving through the usual neighborhood roads, the ride feels very close to our 992 at home. It’s solid with a strong sense of contact to the road, even letting you feel the texture of the pavement.

Compared to the Cayenne or Panamera, the clarity of road texture is a bit different. It feels more solid than the Cayenne or Panamera. To be clear, this “texture” sensation is very subtle and not a criticism of ride comfort.

Entering mountain roads, the atmosphere from the passenger seat while my wife was driving made me feel like we were in a sports car. It’s a completely different level of body rigidity and precise cornering feel compared to European sedans of similar size.

When my wife pressed the accelerator a bit on an uphill straight, the acceleration was truly amazing. This sensation is unique to electric vehicles. Even on a slight incline, it feels almost like you’re falling forward. It’s like free-falling in the direction you’re heading.

Unlike engine cars, there’s no stepped acceleration or torque buildup sensation; the Taycan’s acceleration feels best described as “falling forward.”

Porsche Taycan on Winding Roads

I took over the wheel and lightly drove on the usual winding roads. The handling is pure sports car. It doesn’t turn in as sharply as a 911 or spin around like a Cayman or Boxster, but compared to the Panamera, it clearly feels closer to the 911’s handling.

This car is equipped with PDCC and has a heavy battery pack under the floor, resulting in a very low center of gravity, so body roll is minimal. This makes cornering very reassuring.

The brakes are excellent as well, with superb stopping power and the high level of Porsche-like control still intact. The Taycan mainly uses regenerative braking, but it feels just like a physical brake. The transition from regen to physical braking is so smooth that you can’t tell it’s happening at all.

This is the same feeling I had when testing on the circuit.

On the other hand, driving on familiar winding roads this time, the lateral G feels stronger than in Porsche engine cars. This is probably due to the minimal roll combined with the inertia from the car’s weight of over 2.3 tons. My wife in the passenger seat said several times, “I feel more lateral G than usual.” so it’s not just my impression.

Switching to Sport Plus mode and pressing the accelerator hard to test acceleration, the torque surge the moment you press the pedal is incredible. To put it simply, it’s like experiencing G-forces in reverse of a hard brake.

I don’t know how it measures on an accelerometer, but it feels like the G-forces surpass full acceleration in 2nd gear of a GT3. To put it mildly, it feels like the G-force of a GT3’s 2nd gear full throttle hits instantly. For a moment, I held my breath and even felt like I might warp through time and space.