If there was any doubt left that Porsche is working on a more hard core version of its Taycan, these spy photos should put those to rest. Spy photographers have recently caught a Taycan prototype testing in the Arctic, wearing aggressive styling elements normally found on Porsche’s GT variants. Wearing minimal camouflage, it’s easy to spot the front splitter, large rear spoiler, and additional changes to the rear fascia. And if you’re wondering why this Taycan is sporting a TDI (turbocharged direct injection) badge, typically found on Volkswagen Group’s turbodiesel vehicles, it’s likely the engineers are just having a bit of fun. So don’t get excited thinking this is some sort of hybrid Taycan, because it’s not.
Although it’s pure speculation, it is believed Porsche is working on a hotter Taycan GT to compete with the Tesla Model S Plaid and even the Lucid Air Sapphire in the high-performance EV sedan market. Don’t be surprised if the German automaker is testing a tri-motor setup in this Taycan in hopes of reaching that 1,000-horsepower mark. Although the Porsche Taycan Turbo S currently holds the Nurburgring lap record for production EVs at 7:33, besting the Model S Plaid by a mere two seconds, we don’t expect Porsche is entirely satisfied with that result.
The Porsche Taycan Turbo S currently sits at the top of the model’s range, boasting up to 750 hp and 774 pound-feet of torque. The sedan can launch itself to 60 mph from a standstill in just 2.6 seconds, so we can only imagine what a Porsche Taycan GT will be doing. If Porsche does manage to squeeze out over 1,000 hp with the current chassis and body, it’s entirely possible we’ll see the Taycan GT do the famous zero-to-60 sprint in under two seconds.
But until Porsche confirms anything, all we have to run with is speculation based on rumors and what spy photographers manage to catch on camera. One thing’s for sure, if you thought EVs were already fast enough, clearly there’s still room to grow.
