Allow us to introduce you to the 2022 Porsche Taycan GTS. This sits smack-bang in the middle of the range. And in our opinion, it’s the one to go for.
Porsche currently offers five main variants of the Taycan in Australia, including the tempting rear-wheel drive entry model which offers excellent real-world range and efficiency, and an attainable price (for its class). And then at the top end are the ridiculously quick Turbo and neck-snapping Turbo S models. However, the GTS blends a combination of alluring sportiness and optimum efficiency – the longest range of all variants – while showcasing a unique design theme.
Prices start from $240,300 for the GTS, which is obviously a lot. But put it this way, the Porsche Panamera GTS sedan starts from $317,900, offering a very similar set of principles, same basic shape, and actually slightly weaker performance; 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds compared with 3.7 in this. Although, technically, the Taycan and Panamera are not built on the same platform and they do not compete in the same vehicle category.
2022 Porsche Taycan GTS – THE SPECS
[column width=”47%” padding=”6%”]Motor: Two AC synchronous
Battery: 93.4kWh (Performance Plus)
Output: 380kW (440kW overboost) / 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed front axle, two-speed rear axle
Drive type: All-wheel drive
Wheels: F: 20×9.0, 245/45 R: 20×11, 285/40 (optional 21s as tested)
ANCAP: Not tested
Unladen weight: 2295kg
Power-to-weight: 5.21:1 (kg:kW)
Official range: 485km[/column] [column width=”47%” padding=”0″]Max charging capacity: 22kW AC, 225kW DC
0-60km/h: 2.06 seconds*
0-100km/h: 3.74 seconds*
0-200km/h: 11.43 seconds*
60-110km/h: 2.09 seconds*
1/4 mile: 11.61 seconds at 202.7km/h*
Max acceleration: 1.147g
100-0km/h braking: 2.91 seconds at 35.05 metres*
Max deceleration: -1.457g
Decibel on standby: 24*
Peak decibel at 60-100km/h: 79*
Priced from: $240,300[/column][end_columns]
* Figures as tested by PerformanceDrive on the day. Factory claims may be different
2022 Porsche Taycan GTS – THE PACKAGE
The GTS nameplate is usually reserved for sporty variants within the Porsche lineup. The badge isn’t necessarily about being the most powerful or fastest offering, but the philosophy is all about driving enjoyment with a decent serving of track performance in the mix.
As such, the Taycan GTS comes with adaptive air suspension that provides one of the best ride settings we’ve ever experienced in a sports sedan – more on that later. The GTS also comes with staggered-width 20-inch alloy wheels wearing 245/45 front and 285/40 rear tyres.
However, this test car shows off the motorsport-style 21-inch RS Spyder Design wheels ($5520) in dark grey. We think they look superb, especially against the Carmine Red body. They’re wrapped in 265/35 front and whopping 305/30 rear tyres. Goodyear Eagle F1, to be specific.
Inside, the reserved yet sporty character continues. You’ve got a suede-like material called Race-Tex for the seats and steering wheel, providing grip and softness, with twin touch-screens running down the dash fascia. It’s a geek’s paradise in here because there’s also the optional ($2150) passenger touch-screen, which offers various apps and displays, including live vehicle telemetry.
The sports seats hug you in nicely without too much bolstering to interfere with comfort or access room and practicality. Passenger space is quite intimate and cosy, but there’s enough adjustment in the front to suit most shapes and sizes. As usual with a Porsche, the driving position is spot on.
Rear seat accommodation is good, with full climate control, semi-individual seats with lateral support, and cup and bottle holders. However, it can feel a bit confined back here if you’re tall. Accessing the rear seat also requires a decent bending down, including swinging your head forward to clear the low roof.
Speaking of the low and sleek design, the Taycan is very slippery through the air, with most models (including the GTS) offering a drag coefficient rating of just 0.22. The Turbo S is rated at 0.25. On the GTS you have an electronic rear spoiler which is deployed automatically when the speed exceeds 90km/h. But there’s also a manual override switch if you fancy the racier look.
Electric vehicles usually feature an interesting charging socket location or some kind of automatic cover. And the Taycan is no different. On both sides of the car you’ll find an electronic secret door, located near where the traditional fuel filler cap is placed on a 911. These doors conceal a Type 2 AC socket and CCS2 DC socket on the other side. It’s really handy to have both socket types available as the EV industry can’t seem to decide which one to stick with – it can be very frustrating at public charging stations.
Boot space is divided up into front and rear sections. The back presents 366 litres, with some under-floor storage for the cables, while the front offers quite a deep cavity, ideal for carry-on luggage or some light shopping, measuring in at 84L.
2022 Porsche Taycan GTS – THE DRIVE
Underneath that slippery body is a 93.4kWh battery, with an electric motor at each axle. The package offers breathtaking response and power, with 380kW available at any time, or up to 440kW during ‘overboost’. That amount of power is obviously significant, and you also have 850Nm of torque at the ready.
Despite how impressive these figures are, nothing can prepare you for the sheer immediacy of it all. There is no engine so it doesn’t need to rev to produce force. Instead, it’s like a switch. If you push your foot hard on the throttle it will respond instantly with the full wave of power and torque. Instantly.
For the uninitiated the acceleration can be somewhat frightening, and thus this is the perfect vehicle to take your mother-in-law for a run down to the shops. There is no engine sound, obviously, except for a peculiar futuristic whir during heavy acceleration. But the contrast of utter quietness and serenity juxtaposed against the extraordinarily rapid forward momentum is hilarious. Well, not so much for her. Maybe have a camera secretly rolling to capture the moment.
So, what about the figures? Porsche claims 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds and we clocked it in 3.74 seconds using a private road and Racelogic Vbox Sport. We also timed 0-200km/h in an insane 11.43 seconds. The old-fashion quarter mile came up in 11.61 seconds at 202.7km/h. These latter figures are particularly noteworthy because electric vehicles usually run out puff at higher speeds. Not here. Not as much, anyway.
Part of that is thanks to a two-speed gearbox at the rear axle. We’re not sure how that works exactly, with a single-speed front gear and two-speed rear, but we can tell you it certainly does work. You can hear and feel it shift into the second speed at around 90km/h, helping to propel the Taycan further, almost like it’s starting from stop all over again. The towering momentum is just incredible.
All of this stuff is very exciting, but the element that we like most about the GTS is the handling. It is truly impeccable. The air suspension soaks up bumps with sheer compliance and competence, yet it is also firmly braced to mitigate body roll and unwanted pitching. On quiet country roads in Australia, where bumps and shoddy patches of bitumen are common and sometimes hidden, this is an ideal configuration.
Around corners the steering is brilliantly connected and driver-engaging, allowing you to work with the car like it’s an old friend rather than an awkward new acquaintance. You know what it can do, so there are no surprises. In fact, it often feels like it knows what you can do or want to do, so it puts itself on the same page automatically.
We hope that makes sense because you really need to test drive one to fully understand and appreciate what this car can achieve in the bends. Special tweaks have been made to the motors to provide a RWD-like driving character as well, compared with other Taycan models.
Grip levels are outstanding, partly thanks to the way the car remains so low and flat, and partly due to those massive tyres. Yes, it is a very heavy vehicle, weighing in at 2295kg, but that seems to help plant this car onto the ground. It is just so solid and precise. Across a point-to-point mountain run, with that instant and immense acceleration catapulting you between corners, we can’t think of many factory vehicles that could achieve a sprint in such an effortless yet exciting and capable manner.
As for the efficiency and range, the Taycan offers an excellent on-board real-time calculator to help keep any anxieties at bay. The GTS offers an official range of 485km, which is the most of any Taycan sedan. The maximum charging capacity is 225kW, however, the highest we’ve seen with a 350kW ultra-rapid charger is around 180kW.
We’ve asked a few technicians from various car brands, including talking with the ChargeFox help desk, and the best conclusion we have is that maximum charging capacities are influenced by a number of factors, including battery temperature and charger temperature, other electricity loads at the complex at the time of charging, and the state of charge of the battery.
We tried a few different chargers, including the standard home charger which requires well over 40 hours, as well as the optional 22kW AC charger ($3500) at a public station. The best (and most common) public station we used was a 50kW station. From around 30 per cent it took about 90 minutes to reach full capacity.
There is a two-mode adjustment for the regeneration level during driving, although we find the most aggressive mode pretty light compared with some other EVs. We guess Porsche probably wanted to maintain sheer driving enjoyment rather than implement a single-pedal braking function. We noticed the energy produced during throttle-off to be quite substantial, with long downhill conditions adding 5 or even 10km of additional range.
2022 Porsche Taycan GTS – THE VIDEO
2022 Porsche Taycan GTS – THE VERDICT
The handling and drive character of the GTS is absolutely sublime, even though all variants offer that trademark Porsche feel. The GTS also looks really cool, especially with the contrasting dark highlights, and it’s extremely quick. To top it off, the GTS offers the longest range of all models, with a WLTP average of 485km – other variants span from 414km to 434km – so you can enjoy driving this for the longest period before you need to charge up. For these reasons, we think the GTS is the best Taycan variant in the showroom and easily the best driver’s sedan in the electric vehicle field.
[column width=”47%” padding=”6%”]PROS:
– Phenomenal handling yet with supple ride comfort via standard air suspension
– More than quick enough; right on the edge of frightening
– Cool and suave design theme inside and out
– Longest range Taycan in the lineup
– Dual charging ports; Type 2 and CCS2
[/column] [column width=”47%” padding=”0″]CONS:
– High price, although not as expensive as some rivals (including equivalent Panamera)
– 485km range is ok but we’d like to see 600km-plus for ultimate grand touring convenience[/column][end_columns]
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