Review: 2022 Porsche Taycan GTS

In Porsche's vernacular, GTS means a bit of a sweet spot. Usually perched right between the rocket ship Turbo models and the more "pedestrian" base variants, GTS gives you a little more oomph and the best suspension options. Without the obscene (and useless) power levels of the quicker cars. Apply that name to the Taycan and it means an electric spaceship that will show you EVs can be every bit as good to drive as their gasoline counterparts.

Let's start with the hardware. The Taycan GTS takes the big rear motor from the Turbo, complete with its two-speed gearbox and the front motor from the 4S. Splitting the difference power-wise, with Launch Control it makes 590 hp. Under your feet is the 93.4 kWh Performance Battery Plus from the Turbo, helping make sure you get maximum range and (more importantly) all of your power for more time.



Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) is standard. The air-ride system drops for highway range and a lower centre of gravity. It climbs up (with smart GPS location-remembering) on demand to get over steep driveways, road humps, and to make it easier for older buyers to get in and out of the low-slung sedan. Torque vectoring left and right is included, as is the Sport Chrono package with its cool dashboard clock.

The front rotors are 30 mm larger in diameter than a 4S, though the calipers are the same at all four corners. And the fake sound that it makes to try and make up for the missing engine is "deeper and louder for both bystanders and passengers alike." I immediately turned it off and left it off.

Optional extras that are performance must-haves include rear axle steering with Power Steering Plus (this one sharpens the turning circle). And Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport (PDCC). PDCC Sport uses electric actuators on the anti-roll bars to make them (in effect) stiffer when you're cornering and softer when you're not. So the Taycan GTS doesn't roll.

Enough about the specs, time for the road.

Cornering like you're on rails is a tired cliché. If you've spent much time in a train, it's not even a good thing. Trains throw you to the outside as they lurch around corners, couplers banging and metal wheels squealing.

The Taycan GTS corners like the world is on easy mode.



Thanks to all of the car's suspension trickery, and despite the 5,200 lb curb weight, the road disappears under the GTS's 21-inch RS-design wheels. Bumps don't come through; pavement imperfections are gone.

Instead of having to worry about things like maximum grip and those pesky yellow warning signs the government loves to put on the best roads, all you need to worry about here is where to turn in and how many digits are showing on the digital speedometer. Because there's a good chance there are more of them than you think there should be.

The GTS effortlessly ties sequences of corners together. The beefy steering wheel feels perfect in your hand, with satisfyingly heavy weight. No, it doesn't offer a classic Porsche steering feel, but that disappeared from even the gas cars years back.

Crucially, despite the immense grip, and the ability to make the twistiest sections of road become straight lines, the GTS is a cushy cruiser. The same suspension that works in the corners turns all but the biggest potholes into little more than a thump you can hear at one corner of the car.

If this makes the Taycan GTS sound detached, it's not. It absolutely engages you in the driving experience as it conquers roads. With your view of the scenery framed by two bright red fenders bulging up from the nose.

510 hp (it makes 590 peak, but only in launch control mode) rockets you from apex to apex. If you had to slow down, that is. Along with the 627 lb-ft of torque, the GTS is your typical performance EV missile. No, it's not as quick as the Turbo (or a Tesla Model S), but it's still quick enough that my passenger begged me not to do a full-power launch. They couldn't handle the forces.

With many EVs, the performance driving experience falls apart once it's time for the brakes. One pedal modes, predictive regeneration, balky transitions between the two braking systems, whichever afflicts that particular EV takes you out of it.



Porsche decided to make the regen braking work and feel just like standard brakes. Lift off the accelerator and the Taycan coasts. Brake firmly and it uses regen. Mash the brakes for a panic stop and the massive calipers grip their big steel discs and bring you to a halt. The only difference in the latter two scenarios is how quickly you stop. You can pick a mode with driving regen, but, well, don't. Use the brakes like gas car's maximum enjoyment.

GTS cosmetic details start with the black front apron and the mirror bases. The Taycan version gets Sport Design Package trim and side skirts.

Inside, you'll find nearly every surface covered in Race-Tex. That's what Porsche calls its faux-suede fabric. Sports Seats with more adjustments than we know what to do with are available while we got the GTS Interior Package (with carbon steering wheel, center console, and door trim) in chalk.

The Taycan has just received Porsche's latest infotainment system - our tester's update was finished mere minutes before we picked it up. The changes include adding wireless Android Auto (it already has wireless CarPlay), more colourful tiles, Spotify Music, and a faster user interface.

We found it plenty quick to use, even when doing ridiculous tasks like showing three different maps on the three screens. The optional passenger screen is delightful for letting someone else do the navigating, and for making sure your passenger isn't just sleeping the whole way.

The Taycan GTS is estimated to deliver 396 km of range with city and highway consumption ratings nearly identical (25.1 kWh and 25.5 kWh). My extensive highway and high-speed back road driving (with the heat set to 23C on a 15C day) saw the car dip into the 23's, so it should easily beat that range.



Charging was even faster than using the power up. The car was able to accept virtually full power from the 200 kW charger we were using, even on that cool day. Adding 100 km took about five minutes.

The only thing that a Taycan GTS can't do that a combustion Porsche can is make noise. And I'll go out on a limb here and say I don't care. When you're driving. Really driving, the engine note fades into the background. It's not a soundtrack, it's noise.

If you want that noise to impress as you cruise around main street, then fine. That's not what this (or any) GTS car is for.

If you want to crush corners, taming the road in ways you didn't think were possible in a four-seat sedan, this is how you do it.

2022 Porsche Taycan GTS

BODY STYLE: Four-door sedan

DRIVE METHOD: Dual-motor AWD

MOTOR: Dual electric motors, Combined Power: 590 hp; Torque: 626 lb-ft

EV RANGE: Estimated 396 km

CARGO VOLUME: 366 litres, 81 litres in front trunk

PRICE: $185,580 as tested; $150,100 base including $3,590 Carmine Red, $6,080 GTS Interior in Chalk, $2,170 Rear Axle Steering, $4,090 Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, $720 Power Charge Port Cover, $3,330 21-inch RS Spyder wheels, $600 seat heating, $1,130 four-zone climate control, $520 on-board 150 kW DC charger, $4,960 Technology Package, $1,270 Mobile Charger Connect, $340 Intelligent Range Manager, $5,890 Premium Package