2020 Porsche Taycan: Here's What We Know

[Rayan™]

Porsche stunned the world two years ago with the debut of its all-electric Mission E sedan concept, later promising it'd go into production as the Taycan in 2020. The spy photos seen throughout this post provide an early look at a Taycan prototype testing in public near Porsche's development center in Weissach, Germany. 

Here's everything we know about this incredibly exciting car.

Porsche Is Aiming for a Sub-Eight Minute Nürburgring Lap
Porsche is letting loose a few more details as the months wind down until the Taycan is finally revealed. One that stuck out to us—the car should be capable of a sub-eight at the Nürburgring. Porsche hasn't done it yet, but its simulations indicate that it's possible.

For a fun comparison, the Porsche 911 GT3 made headlines 20 years ago when it ran a 7:56 on the track—faster than any production road car yet. Progress is an electric luxury sedan being able to achieve the same feat.

 

Over at Roadshow, Tim Stevens got to ride along in a near-production Taycan during winter testing way up north in Sweden. There was some sideways action. The Taycan has a version of Porsche Stability Management (PSM, that allows for some yaw in PSM Sport mode, and a lot of yaw when it's switched off. Stevens also reports that the top-spec Taycan he was riding in had a two-speed transmission and a limited-slip differential at the rear, which should make sliding on low-grip surfaces easier.

It's Called the Taycan
At first, we thought Porsche would just call this car the "Mission E," but the company has announced that won't be the case. It'll be called the Taycan, pronounced tie-con. It's a Eurasian word that translates, roughly, to "lively young horse."

"Our new electric sports car is strong and dependable; it’s a vehicle that can consistently cover long distances and that epitomizes freedom," Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said in a statement announcing the name. 

It'll Be Priced Between the Cayenne and Panamera
Speaking to Automotive News, the model-line director for the Taycan, Rober Meier, said "we're expecting a price somewhere between a Cayenne and a Panamera," when asked how much the EV will cost. In the US, the Cayenne starts at just under $66,000, while the Panamera starts at $85,000. So perhaps the Taycan will start in the $75,000 range.

Of course, there'll be model variants offering more performance, so consider $75,000 a base price.

You Can Put Down a Deposit Now
On Porsche's website, there's a form for those who want to register their interest in buying a Taycan. Once that form is filled out, a Porsche dealer will contact those interested, who can then put a deposit down on the upcoming electric sedan. A Manhattan Porsche dealer told us the deposit is $2500.

The Production Car Will Look Like the Concept

The Mission E concept combined futuristic looks with classic Porsche proportions to stunning effect, and thankfully the production car will too. Oliver Blume told Car magazine that the production car is "very close to what you saw two years ago at Frankfurt. It will be exciting but a bit different from the concept." The folks over at TaycanForum.com previewed the design in the rendering you see above.