The Taycan Turbo GT Is in a Class of Its Own

Ever since the Taycan Turbo GT with the Weissach Package arrived in my garage, it has completely upended the way I think about cars. I’ve driven a range of Taycan models, but the Turbo GT is quite literally a different beast. To put it in 911 terms, the gap is like the difference between a Carrera and a GT3—perhaps even greater.

So what makes this car so special?

It pushes two qualities that are usually at odds—exceptional performance and a comfortable ride—to extraordinary levels at the same time. I’ve described the Panamera Turbo as striking a “high-level balance between sportiness and comfort,” but the Turbo GT goes far beyond that. It comprehensively outperforms a regular 911 on the road, while also surpassing the Panamera and Cayenne for comfort. I can’t think of another car that brings such extreme capabilities together in one package.

Why Everyone Says It Changed Their Perspective

I’ve let plenty of people I know take the Taycan Turbo GT for a drive, and they all tend to come away with the same reaction.

Almost without fail, they say things like, “The ride is incredible” and “It changes the way you think about cars.” A friend of mine who owns a 911 drove it recently and immediately declared, “This will be my next car.”

I was struck by what he later posted on X: “Even compared with the Carrera, the Turbo GT is in a different league for acceleration, chassis performance and ride comfort. It’s unbelievably comfortable as a daily driver, too. Is there any car that can beat it overall? I doubt even the next Turbo S could.” I couldn’t agree more. At this point, the 911 simply can’t keep up. The gap is so great that the only way for the 911 to win may be to go electric.

The Moment My Feelings About the 911 Changed

After experiencing the Turbo GT, I’ve found myself less drawn to the 911, which I’d always considered the pinnacle of sports cars.

Of course, I understand that the 911 has a character all its own. Its defining strength has always been that it’s a high-performance sports car you can also use every day. The 911 embodied Porsche’s “Race on Sunday, drive on Monday” philosophy.

But the Taycan Turbo GT takes that idea to an even higher level. It outperforms the 911 both on weekend track days and during the weekday commute. As a result, my desire for a current-generation 911 has faded. These days, the only 911s I find myself wanting are older ones, like air-cooled models. It feels as though my choices have narrowed to two extremes: a classic Porsche or the Taycan Turbo GT.

How a Low Center of Gravity Delivers Extraordinary Performance

The Taycan’s center of gravity is said to sit even lower than the GT3’s, and you can feel the difference at the final chicane at Suzuka Circuit. Compared with a Boxster or 911, the Taycan Turbo GT clearly slices through the corner with greater precision and stability. That physical advantage is a barrier a gasoline-powered car simply can’t overcome.

Seeing this firsthand has convinced me that if Porsche wants to make the 911 and 718 even more capable, electrification is the only way forward. No matter how much an engine is refined or a chassis developed, it can’t overcome the fundamental physics of a low center of gravity. In fact, I hope Porsche moves to EVs sooner rather than later and builds ultimate models like a “Super 911” or “Super 718.”

A New Standard for Choosing a Car—and Hopes for the Future

With the arrival of the Turbo GT, cars that sit between classic Porsches and the Taycan Turbo GT have started to feel like a compromise. They certainly improve year after year, but the Turbo GT has reached such extraordinary heights that I find myself thinking, “I’d rather have something older,” or “It doesn’t need to be that fast.” My choices now seem to be a lightweight, modestly powered car like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, a classic Porsche—or the Turbo GT. Those are the only options that really excite me.

This isn’t a criticism of the 911. It simply means that, as a Porsche enthusiast, I’ve been completely captivated by the Turbo GT’s almost devilish appeal. Before driving it, I never imagined it could change my perspective so dramatically. For a while, I may struggle to get excited about any other car. That’s how completely the Taycan Turbo GT has transformed the way I think about cars.