About the Taycan

The other day, a package arrived from Porsche Japan. Curious, I opened it to find this black box inside.

The box was quite heavy, and when I opened it, there was a card labeled “Taycan” along with a Taycan model car.

This box is said to have been sent to owners who reserved the Taycan during the “Taycan reservation program,” Porsche’s first EV sports car. Oh right, our family had reserved a Taycan at the end of last year. Since then, with my third pregnancy confirmed and the Porsche factory closure due to the coronavirus affecting the production schedule of the 992 Cabriolet I ordered, I had almost forgotten about the Taycan amidst all the chaos…

Thinking about that, I looked at the Taycan model car and felt its shape somewhat resembled the Panamera. I wondered, “Could it be built on the same platform as the Panamera?” But after comparing them, it was clear they were definitely different. (Of course!)

Left: Taycan, Right: Panamera

These kinds of model cars are probably made with quite accurate scale, so comparing them with the Panamera helps to better imagine the Taycan’s design and size. First, the body size of the Taycan is smaller and lower than the Panamera.

Top: Taycan, Bottom: Panamera

I see… looking at it this way, the Taycan is much sleeker than the Panamera. Looking at the rear, the design is quite different from the Panamera’s. The center of gravity is also lower than the Panamera’s.

Left: Panamera, Right: Taycan

The Taycan’s rear does not have an engine, so it doesn’t need an exhaust system or tailpipes, and instead features a large diffuser designed to use air resistance. Seeing the actual Taycan without mufflers can feel strange at first.

From the side, the rear window looks much smaller than the Panamera’s. At the Taycan preview event, I sat in the back and felt a bit more enclosed compared to the Panamera, but the roof was actually higher than it looked from outside. My husband, who is 178 cm tall, said it was “completely fine.”

Top: Taycan, Bottom: Panamera

Most electric vehicles have motors mounted under the vehicle floor, which can make the rear seats shallow, but the Taycan cleverly lowers the floor position to allow passengers to stretch their legs, making the rear seats comfortable.

Left: Taycan, Right: Panamera

Comparing it with the Panamera like this, the Taycan has a lower center of gravity, a sleeker look, and a more sports car-like design. It really looked cooler than I had imagined when I saw it in person. So, I’ve proudly added it to our family’s lineup of miniatures and model cars.

Surrounded by Porsches. If I get any more, I won’t have space to put them… (laughs)

Is the Taycan’s Domestic Price About to Be Announced?

On the other hand, when I opened what looked like a message card, it contained the domestic sales price for the Taycan. Since the official announcement hasn’t been made yet, I won’t disclose the amount, but it seems the price for Japan has finally been decided.

By the way, the Taycan’s price is somewhere between the Panamera and the Cayenne. My impression was, “Wow, it’s quite expensive~.”

The message card says, “We will inform you of the official purchase start date as soon as preparations are complete,” but I wonder when production will actually begin… Even if Porsche’s factory restarts production, dealers—likely hit hard by COVID-19—will need to invest in charging infrastructure and other preparations to sell the Taycan, so it’s going to be challenging…

Anyway, I look forward to Porsche’s official announcement.