Four months after arriving on the scene with a blistering Nürburgring four-door lap record of 7 minutes 7.55 seconds, the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT has landed in Malaysia. The most extreme example of Zuffenhausen’s pioneering electric sports sedan is also the most expensive, priced starting at a whopping RM1.16 million – RM100,000 more than the already-potent Turbo S.
Using the recently-introduced facelifted Taycan as the base, the Turbo GT heaps on a huge helping of performance. Still utilising dual motors – rather than the triple-motor setup found in the Tesla Model S Plaid and Lucid Air Sapphire, its more powerful rear motor has bumped up the combined output to 789 PS (580 kW). This is boosted to 1,033 PS (760 kW) for up to two seconds with launch control engaged.
At their peak, the motors produce a staggering 1,108 PS (815 kW) and 1,340 Nm of torque – 156 PS and 230 Nm more than the Turbo S. Some of this is reserved for the new Attack Mode, which builds on the push-to-pass feature on the facelifted Taycan. This gives you an additional 163 PS (120 kW) to use for up to ten seconds, accessible through either a push of a button on the rotary drive mode selector on the steering wheel or by pulling on the right paddle.
Despite the increased performance, the Turbo GT is only a tenth of a second quicker than the Turbo S from zero to 100 km/h, which it completes in 2.3 seconds. But it’s at higher speeds where the improvement is most felt – it drops more than a second from the zero-to-200 km/h sprint, taking just 6.6 seconds. The top speed, meanwhile, is some 30 km/h higher at 290 km/h.
Allied to the power boost is a weight-saving exercise that includes making the B-pillar trim, door mirror caps and side sill plates out of carbon fibre, as well as the standard fitment of carbon bucket seats, lighter boot trim and the removal of the powered boot lid function.
You also get 21-inch forged alloy wheels with milled reliefs for weight saving and brake cooling, plus redesigned carbon ceramic brakes that alone shave two kilograms. All in all, however, the diet has pulled just five kilograms compared to the Turbo S, and with a kerb weight of 2,290 kg, it’s still not a lightweight.
For a bigger weight saving, you’ll have to turn to the Weissach Package, which jettisons the rear seats (a carbon storage shelf takes its place), Sport Chrono clock, some of the insulation and even the carpets. There’s also only one manually-opening charge port door on the passenger side, while lightweight glass and a pared-back sound system without rear speakers have been fitted. All this to shave another 70 kg on a car that still a porker at 2,220 kg.
Be that as it may, the Weissach Package car manages to be tangibly quicker than the standard Turbo GT. It shaves a further tenth of a second off the century sprint (2.2 seconds) and another two tenths from the double ton (6.4 seconds). Its top speed is also higher at 305 km/h.
This is the specification in which the Turbo GT achieved the aforementioned Nürburgring lap record, as well as the production EV record at Laguna Seca with a time of 1 minute 27.87 seconds. Surprisingly, this package is a no-cost option in Malaysia.
On the outside, the Turbo GT sits mean and low, riding on retuned Porsche Active Ride air suspension. Building on the sharpened looks of the facelifted Turbo and Turbo S, a sizeable front splitter with built in flics and a carbon fibre Gurney flap on the active rear spoiler. The Weissach Package swaps the latter out for a fixed rear wing and introduces underbody deflectors and a front diffuser, all together generating up to 220 kg of downforce.
Inside, you get leather and Race-Tex microfibre upholstery, as well as the aforementioned buckets with “Turbo GT” embroidered into the headrests and a special badge on the centre console. The Weissach Package adds another badge in front of the driver.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
