Page 63 - Motor Trend (May 2020)

Yet these McLarens are street-legal cars.
The same holds true with Ferraris because
they are also rear-wheel drive.
But all-wheel drive further changes
this acceleration equation. Just ask the
video operators who have ridden along
on occasion. On the first run, I always warn
them, “Put your head and camera against
the head restraint. You’ll thank me in about
a half-second.” The response is always
the same: “Holy guacamole, you weren’t
kidding!” OK, maybe a bit more industrial
language, but this is a family show.

Including the Taycan Turbo S, there are now
eight AWD cars on the list. The “slowest” to
30 mph, in 1.23 seconds, are the quad-turbo
16-cylinder Bugatti Veyron 16.4 and Porsche Photo: Dennis Ardel
918 Spyder. The rest leap off the line like a
cat seeing a cucumber (trust me, look up Surf and snowboard in the same day with
the videos).
Our 911 Turbo S pointed its frunk to the a single charge and an electric Porsche
heavens and even did a teeny wheelie after
t’s called the California Double: surf range, which says this car will go 192 miles
I had softened the dampers for better rear
and snowboard in the same day. But on a full charge. If you drive like the EPA.
weight transfer. By contrast, the Taycan
Iwhat if we could make it the California I don’t. The Taycan is fitted with Conti-
was unusual in that it remained eerily flat on
Trifecta and throw in a great drive, too? nental all-season tires, not the ultra-
launches, with virtually no weight transfer.
Let’s make it a challenge, even, and do it sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s, so it
This really heightens the sensation of the
in a California-approved electric sports (probably) won’t get stuck in the snow.
Taycan’s acceleration, as your body senses
car, the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. The Contis don’t grip as hard, and they
the seat back with the same force as your
The Double is every Silicon Beach early complain a lot, but I’m still able to race up
weight. This is truly unusual—especially
retiree’s dream: Surf at dawn at El Porto the mountain like I’m driving a Porsche.
because your surroundings are otherwise
then swing by the house in Manhattan It comes at a price. By the time I’m
quiet. One sense (hearing) is diminished,
Beach and exchange the surfboard and done snowboarding, my battery is down
and the other (touch) is heightened.
wetsuit for the snowboard and beanie. to 24 percent and my range just 42 miles.
All four P Zeros were scrambling for
Dried and ready, zip up the interstate to No matter, it’s all downhill from here.
traction—on the brink of wheelspin—and
the bottom of Angeles Crest Highway. Letting the car coast as much as
the Taycan was literally dancing and
From there, it’s 33 miles of glorious moun- possible, which is still enough to break
bucking under its own power. It reached
tain road to the base of the lifts. Total the speed limit without trying, my battery
the point where I needed to make steering
distance from the beach: 66 miles. stabilizes at 21 percent, and my range
corrections to keep the car pointed straight
From beach house to surf break, it’s 5.5 actually goes up to 64 miles once I’m
during those first 1.7 seconds. At about
miles, so by the time I make it back home back to the interstate. Halfway home,
2.5 seconds, I could barely detect the 1–2
to swap boards, my estimated range has I’m out of the foothills, my range up to 70
gear change happening at the rear motor,
dropped from 239 to 226 miles, and my miles, and I’ve had the heat and then the
guessing at 63 mph.
battery is down to 94 percent. A/C going the whole time.
Cruising up the interstate at L.A.’s Pulling into the driveway, my battery
standard pace of 80 mph with the A/C is down to just 13 percent, but I still have
It’s interesting that our three quickest
on, my range is down to 193 miles and the 51 miles of range left. I’ve driven 154 miles
quarter-milers are, to this day, hybrid-
battery to 80 percent when I reach the from sea level to the top of a 7,000-
electric hypercars, but the previous
foothills and begin my ascent toward the foot mountain and back, I’ve driven it
battery-electric vehicle record holder
Crest. No matter, it’s only 64 miles each hard, and the car still thinks it’ll beat its
was the Tesla Model S P100D (aka “Plood”)
way from the house to the lifts at Mount EPA-estimated range. Trifecta complete.
Ludicrous+ with its 10.51-second pass at
Waterman, well within the Taycan’s EPA Scott Evans
125.0 mph. The Taycan Turbo S, carrying 218
pounds more curb weight, did not reach
30 or 60 mph as quickly as the Model S, but
You can fit a longboard in a Taycan if you
because of its rear two-speed transmission
drop the rear seats and scoot the front seat
and higher combined output, it did reach up, leaving just enough room for a passenger.
100 mph 0.12 second earlier. It also crossed
Photo: Jade Nelson
the 1,320-foot finish line 0.04 second sooner
going a significant 5.7 mph faster with a
10.47-second, 130.7-mph pass.
Congratulations, Porsche, on your slim
victory. If the Teslarati are correct, though,
a 2020 model year over-the-air firmware
update to the newest Tesla Model S Perfor-
mance Raven might have something to say
about that. Chris Walton

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