The electric Porsche Taycan has made its dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in lightly disguised form, driven by ex-F1 driver Mark Webber. Porsche is building up exposure of its highly anticipated model ahead of its reveal at Frankfurt motor show in September, and UK arrival early next year.  The Taycan has previously been previewed with official camouflaged images (below) and has also been spotted testing numerous times in prototype guise. The Taycan’s styling is heavily influenced by the original Mission E concept, which was designed by Porsche’s former head of exterior design Mitja Borkert, now head of design at Lamborghini. Details include a retractable rear spoiler, advanced regenerative braking system and Tesla-style retracting door handles. The Taycan is the first in an extended line-up of electric models being developed in a programme budgeted to cost up to £5.3 billion through to the end of 2022. It marks a radical departure from Porsche’s traditional line-up, bringing zero-emissions running together with the promise of what the new car’s lead engineer, Stefan Weckbach, describes as a “typical Porsche driving experience”. When it goes on sale in the UK, the Taycan will be positioned between the £55,965 Cayenne SUV and £67,898 Panamera five-door coupé in a move that will set the scene for the introduction of other new electric Porsches, including a mid-engined sports car in the mould of the existing 718 and an electric Macan. Porsche UK boss Marcus Eckermann told Autocar earlier this year that the Taycan is “the beginning of a new era” for Porsche, and is attracting many conquest customers. “We have a lot of interest in the car – and a lot of new customers. Based on the expressions of interest, there are more new people to the brand than existing customers.” While he declined to give expected sales figures, the Taycan’s share of the line-up is set to be considerably higher than the overall EV market share in the UK, which is below 1%. Porsche has previously said it expects to produce 25,000 Taycans worldwide annually, which is about 10% of its current sales. In the UK last year, Porsche sold 12,500 cars, so we can expect at least 1250 sales of the Taycan per year. The Taycan will be offered in two bodystyles, with the standard saloon planned for right-hand-drive delivery in Britain in early 2020 and a higher-riding estate-cum-crossover model, previewed by the Mission E Cross Turismo concept, arriving in showrooms in 2022. Taycan rivals include Tesla Model S Among the key rivals for the new Porsche is the Tesla Model S, which was used as an initial benchmark during the early phases of the Taycan’s development. However, Weckbach acknowledges the model will also compete against a host of other upcoming electric offerings, including the E-tron GT from sister brand Audi and the Mercedes-Benz EQS. Taking full advantage of the packaging advantages inherent in its drivetrain layout, the Taycan combines the fundamental short-nosed proportions of traditional Porsche models at the front with the stretched proportions of modern front-engined models towards the rear, providing clear design links to existing models. One major departure from the earlier Mission E is the adoption of sturdy B-pillars and four front-hinged doors in a measure aimed at increasing body rigidity. At the rear, the Taycan also receives a short notchback-style boot lid housing a full-width light band that provides access to one of two luggage compartments. The other is under the bonnet and claimed to have a capacity of nearly 100 litres.   The Taycan is around 4850mm in length and 1990m in width, making it 199mm shorter but 53mm wider than the Panamera. By comparison, the Model S is 4975mm long and 1965mm wide. More than one bodystyle due The initial saloon and crossover are just two bodystyles created by Porsche designers for the Taycan. Others not yet revealed to the public include two-door coupé and cabriolet proposals, the likes of which insiders at the German car maker’s headquarters say could be added to the line-up, if demand warrants it, once production capacity is freed up. The basis for the Taycan is the J1 platform, a high-strength steel, aluminium and carbonfibre structure designed to house battery modules of varying sizes as low as possible within the confines of a long wheelbase. This will also underpin the E-tron GT in a move aimed at increasing economies of scale. Significantly, the platform has been conceived exclusively as a dedicated electric vehicle architecture, with Weckbach confirming it doesn’t accept a combustion engine. It does, however, form the basis of a more versatile structure being developed in an engineering programme between Porsche and Audi called the Premium Platform Electric (PPE). The interior of the Taycan is described as providing a typical 911-style driving position up front and two individual seats with adequate space in the rear. Prototype versions
Origin: Electric Porsche Taycan makes dynamic debut at Goodwood