Published on March 12th, 2024 | by Subhash Nair
0Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Is The Fastest EV Around Laguna Seca & The Nürburgring
The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT completes a round of Laguna Seca in just 1:27.87 min.
When it comes to breaking records, trust Porsche to get the job done. Even in the field of electric performance vehicles, the brand has got the art form down to a science. Late last month, they put the Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package in the hands of Lars Kern and it went around the Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca in just 1 minute and 27.87 seconds. That makes its faster than any other road-approved electric car around that legendary circuit.
Prior to production, the same Taycan Turbo GT was put around the Nürburgring where it also posted a record time of 7 minutes and 7.55 seconds. This is 26 seconds faster than the Taycan Turbo S Sport sedan with performance package as driven by the same driver in August 2022. Not only does this make the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT the fastest EV around the Nordschleife, but also the fastest four door of any powertrain type around the track!
What Makes The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT So Fast?
The entire range of Taycan models was refreshed recently and there were plenty of enhancements under the hood. Most models saw a boost in system output thanks to a new rear-axle motor. The Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package was a new entry with the facelift and is positioned as the new sporting flagship of Porsche’s EV range. Besides the new rear axle motor, a new and more powerful pulse inverter allows the Taycan Turbo GT to boost to 815kW of power for 2 seconds with a sustained 760kW overboost with Launch Control. The gearbox has also been made more durable to handle more torque.
The pulse inverter was designed with silicon carbide in its semiconductors, which reduces switching losses and enables higher switching frequencies. This piece of hardware is one of the biggest items separating the Taycan models. On the Turbo GT model, a maximum current of 900 amperes are used on the rear axle whereas the Turbo S has a pulse inverter limited to 600 amperes.
The Weissach package also cuts 75kg from the car, using more carbon fibre parts and omitting certain pieces of equipment including rear seats, analogue clock, mats, electronic charging port door, speakers and some insulation materials. Lighter glass is also used. There are also aerodynamic changes to improve the car’s performance. The Taycan Turbo GT features air deflectors on the underbody and a new front diffuser while the Weissach package adds a fixed rear wing in a carbon-weave finish for up to 220kg of downforce. There’s also a special front spoiler for this model as well as an adaptive rear spoiler.
The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package goes from 0-100km/h in just 2.2 seconds, and from 0-200km/h in just 6.4 seconds. It also has a higher top speed of 305km/h. Instead of a ‘push-to-pass’ button on the steering wheel, the Taycan Turbo GT gets ‘Attack Mode’ button and can also be activated via the right hand paddle. It also comes as standard with lightweight ceramic brakes with the calipers painted in victory gold.