The Porsche Taycan 4SPorsche Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam.Here’s what you missed while you were away.This lower-priced Porsche Taycan wants to take on Tesla’s Model SPorsche has introduced another, more affordable but just-as-attractive variant to the Taycan lineup. The Taycan 4S starts at $119,400, which is about the same as the Panamera 4S, over $50,000 cheaper than the base Taycan Turbo and nearly $100,000 less than the Turbo S. Yeah, it’s a tad more expensive than a Tesla Model S, but can we agree it’s got more style? With twin electric motors, the base all-wheel-drive Taycan 4S gets 407 km of range and manages the sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds. Expect to see the Taycan 4S on Canadian roads summer 2020. Toyota may replace recalled Supras with new carsToyota is proposing a drastic solution to what seems on the surface to be a small issue. The problem? Faulty seat belt mount welds. The fix? An entirely new vehicle. That’s right, a BMW recall on certain Toyota Supras may see seven owners driving away with brand-new vehicles, all due to some spotty welding work. “If the driver’s safety belt guide loop mount was not welded to specifications, then in a crash of sufficient severity, the mount could become damaged and may not restrain the driver as designed which would increase the risk of injury to the driver,” the recall reads. Four of seven have already been replaced. Elon Musk forecasts Tesla truck arrival in NovemberAccording to the second-most-influential Twitter user in the world, Elon Musk, the wait for the electric truck is nearly over. The Tesla CEO laid out the schedule for the much-anticipated electric pickup’s arrival earlier this summer and recently Tweet-confirmed everything is still on pace. Styling remains a mystery (see photo above) with Musk touting a design that’s “really futuristic-like cyberpunk Blade Runner design,” but all shall be revealed in no more than a month and a half. U.S. government auctioning Trans Am owned by Burt Reynolds, plus 148 other classicsIn December 2018, U.S. Marshals brought the full might of the law down on a couple of ponzi schemers who had swindled Warren Buffet, among others, out of over US$800 million. Among the possessions seized from the pair was a collection of 149 classic cars, which included a low-mileage 1978 Pontiac Trans Am formerly owned by OG bandit Burt Reynolds. The lot will be auctioned off following the conclusion of the case and will be the single largest car collection ever sold by the U.S. Marshals. New Honda Fit not likely to come to CanadaHonda has confirmed there’s another Fit on the way, but it hasn’t said if it’ll find its way to North America. And, based on the general decline of the small car sector, the fact the Fit press release called it only by its European name “Jazz,” and in light of Fit sales being down both in Canada and the U.S. this season, there’s a good chance it won’t be. We asked Honda Canada how the next-gen tiny Honda fits into the Canadian market but it wouldn’t comment on future vehicles just now—Honda America is singing the same
Origin: News Roundup: A Tesla-rivalling Porsche, a Burt Reynolds Trans Am and a Honda unFit for Canada
Porsche
Porsche: we must diversify beyond selling cars to survive
Porsche must invest in companies looking to solve issues such as traffic in cities rather than rely on selling cars to survive in the future, according to Porsche finance and IT boss Lutz Meschke. “Cities want to reduce traffic, therefore we have to look for solutions which fit our brand. Shared mobility is not enough – it will not bring us significant profit share,” said Meschke. “If you want to get a piece of the cake, you have to think about investments in other brands or in traffic solutions. Just to talk about Porsche cars to get the right fit for future mobility, that’s not enough. We must think about investments, starts-ups, to get profitability in other businesses. “Today our customers are willing to buy two, three, four Porsches, but in future, maybe they will buy one or two and for mobility in cities, they will use other services. We have to think about business models that can balance these potential losses.” One example is Porsche’s subscription service, already launched in a handful of cities in America. Described by Meschke as a “good starting point,” he said it supports Porsche’s business and reaches younger customers. It will launch in Asia and Europe over the next two years. However, he added, in five years it will not compensate for the reduced mobility in cities, and in turn, reduced sales. “If 60% of people will live in major cities, then car sales in those cities will be reduced significantly. With our brand, we are limited. It will be a niche and we will not earn enough money to keep the profitability level at 15% (Porsche’s margin aim) and that’s the problem. We must think about new business models, not only with our own brand but with investments.” Meschke acknowledged there would come a time when Porsche’s main revenue stream would not come from selling cars. He didn’t give a timeframe, but said: “Of course, we have to try to keep direct selling (cars) as long as
Origin: Porsche: we must diversify beyond selling cars to survive
SUV Review: 2019 Porsche Macan S
2020 Porsche Macan SBrian Harper / Driving OVERVIEW Compact-size, 5-passenger sport/luxury crossover PROSSports car-like handling dynamics, very quick, comfortable front seats CONSPrice of options borders on gouging, rear seat cramped for adult passengers VALUE FOR MONEYFair WHAT TO CHANGE?Reduce weight by 150-200 kg; standardize some options HOW TO SPEC IT?As is with about $15,000 fewer options By the time the compact-sized Macan debuted back in 2014, the Cayenne Porsches mid-sized (and first) crossover had been out for 12 years and was already into its second generation. So, the righteous indignation from purists, outraged that the German manufacturer would build anything other than a sports car, had pretty much run its course.That the Macan would succeed the Cayenne as Porsches best-selling model was just further proof of public acceptance. This continues today; the company recently released worldwide sales figures for the first half of 2019 with the Macan accounting for 35 per cent of those sales, and the Cayenne 32 per cent. If you love the 911, Boxster, Cayman, or Panamera, respect the fact the two crossovers provide the vast majority of the profits that allow Porsche to continue building great sports cars.As with literally every model Porsche makes, the Macan is offered with multiple trim/performance levels base, Sport Edition, S, GTS, and three variations of the Turbo. The 2019 model year sees a freshening of the base and S. In addition to a redesigned front fascia, with notable changes to the grille, lower air intakes and headlights, the latter features a new 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 mated to a seven-speed PDK transmission.The engine generates 348 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, slight increases compared with the 3.0L twin-turbo V6 used in previous S versions. Official figures released by the company indicate the revised S will accelerate to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds, five seconds even with the optional Sport Chrono package. Top speed also increases slightly to 254 km/h, for the armchair quarterbacks who hold such numbers dear. Im not going to try to convince you the Macan S is a 911 in crossover disguise. Thats an argument not worth the effort. But I will say the Macan S is a sports car among crossovers there is nothing soft or flouncy about it, no compromise for gentler aesthetes. Even left to its own devices, without switching from Normal drive mode to Sport or Sport Plus, or activating the Sport Chrono, theres an eagerness to it just waiting for the opportunity to prove itself. This Porsche is in the business of pushing boundaries, happily sacrificing a measure of civility in exchange for a rewarding drive.Not that the S is overtly harsh, but its nonetheless very firm, with a ride somewhat compromised by the testers optional 21-inch performance rubber ($5,060, including the Spyder Design rims). While nothing really filters up into the passenger cabin, you will still become aware of any tarmac irregularities encountered, the upside being able to take corners flat and at a higher speed should that be your jam than what is typical of the crossover segment.Never content to leave well enough alone, Porsche engineers made a few chassis revisions as part of the Macans 2019 facelift. On the front axle, strut forks made from aluminum replace the previous steel components, thereby reducing unsprung mass. Newly tuned anti-roll bars also ensure more neutral handling, and furthermore, the S gains larger and thicker front brake discs.Everything about the Macan has a muscular heft to it, and I dont just mean the crossovers curb weight, which exceeds 1,900 kilograms. The steering, naturally, but even things like the gear shifter actuation and the way the doors shut. Theres no sports car lightness to this machine, despite the fact, as I said earlier, its a sports car in crossover form. The seeming contradiction makes itself clearer the more the S is pushed; then it reveals Porsches DNA with a surge and a snarl, the latter amplified through an optional ($3,350) sport exhaust system. And speaking of options, the tester certainly had enough of them, inflating what might be considered a reasonable base price ($63,000) for a Porsche, to a borderline obscene $93,670. I know plenty of Porsche buyers are more than happy to pay the freight to get their vehicles just so, but the depth to which the company is willing to extract what it believes its due still bewilders. Lets talk cosmetics, for example: The testers bright and bold Carmine Red paint job sets one back $3,560. OK, you like red, who doesnt? But then Porsche wants another $770 to paint the sideblades the same colour. Plus another $840 for tinted LED taillights. Plus $270 to paint the window trim black, and another $460 for complementary-coloured roof rails. The worst: $330 for the Porsche crest to be embossed on the front headrests. Its nickel-and-diming to me, but hey, its your money.The Macans
Origin: SUV Review: 2019 Porsche Macan S
Gaze into the Aquamarine blue of this Emory Outlaw Porsche Speedster
The gearheads at Emory Motorsports have created another stunner in the Porsche Outlaw scene.For all you Porsche nerds out there, youll know the companys Speedsters were made between 1954 and 1958, replaced by the Convertible D in 1959. This custom car represents a fictional 1959-1/2 Transitional model.The car started out as a rusted hulk, with a roof so badly damaged that Rod Emory and his team decided to ditch it entirely. The client for the vehicle was fully on board with a Speedster look, so Emory Motorsports obliged, hand-forming the aluminum tonneau cover and headrest fairing. In the trunk is a classic Porsche flat-four, but now displacing 2.4-litres and making 205 horsepower thanks to Weber 48 IDA carburetors and MSD twin-plug ignition. The engine drives the rear wheels only thanks to a lightweight four-speed gearbox. The suspension has also been heavily revised with a 901-style independent rear setup, as well as adjustable Koni dampers and upgraded sway bars. Brake rotors and calipers borrow heavily from the 911, and the 15-by-5-inch wheels with Dunlop SP 5000 tires stick it to the ground.To finish it all off, the car is painted in a period-correct Aquamarine Metallic paint, with a beautiful contrasting red
Origin: Gaze into the Aquamarine blue of this Emory Outlaw Porsche Speedster
Plugged In Podcast: From electric Porsche replicas to three-wheeled city cars
Meccanica founder Jerry Kroll with the Sparrow electric car, which served as the prototype for the Vancouver-based company’s Solo vehicle. He will be the first guest on Plugged In, our new podcast on EVs.Gerry Kahrmann / Postmedia Plugged In connects you to the ever-expanding Canadian electric vehicle network, featuring in-depth interviews with experts, engineers and everyday EV owners from across the country and from around the world.In this inaugural episode well speak with Jerry Kroll, the founder of Vancouver-based electric vehicle manufacturer Meccanica. You might be familiar with the companys three-wheeled, single-seat Solo, which has been displayed at auto shows across the country and has been a sensation on social media platforms.Jerry epitomizes the passion that people working in the electric vehicle segment have, not just for the remarkable technology itself, but also for the bigger picture of how the technology can impact the future of our planet.Plugged In is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.
Origin: Plugged In Podcast: From electric Porsche replicas to three-wheeled city cars
This lower-priced Porsche Taycan is the real Tesla-killer
The Porsche Taycan 4SPorsche Take a good look at the Taycan on these pages. Sexy as the Turbo and Turbo S we showed you last month, isnt it?And, like the Turbo and Turbo S, this new 4S has twin permanent-magnet electric motors on both axles (hence, all-wheel-drive), a fully-touchscreened interior and, as you can plainly see, the sportiest silhouette in the entire electric sedan segment.It is, again like the Turbo and Turbo S that wowed us at their Niagara Falls world unveiling, the electric vehicle writ Porsche.Buy you know what it doesnt have? The one thing it doesnt share with its two siblings, the feature that, in its absence is going to wow potential EVers all the way to Porsche dealerships?The outrageous price tag.While they did indeed wow the world, the Turbo and Turbo S versions of the Taycan also shocked for their price tag. At $173,900 for the base Turbo and a seriously wallet-challenging $213,900 for the Turbo S, the original Taycans put it to Teslas Model S in every way but affordability.Not the new 4S. At $119,400 for the base version, it is not just a bargain by Taycan standards, its almost exactly the same price as a plain old Panamera 4S. Wow! Double wow! The Porsche Taycan 4S Porsche Now, there are some sacrifices. The base cars battery, for instance, is a smaller, single-layer 79.2-kilowatt-hour affair (the Turbos two-deck 93.4-kWh affair, now dubbed Performance Plus, is available as an option).Horsepower is down some, the base car offering 522 horsepower while that Performance Plus option bumps things to 562 hp. But the 4S still has twin electric motors, still drives all four wheels and still scoots to 100 kilometres an hour in 4.0 seconds (slower, of course than the Taycan Turbos 3.2 seconds, but faster than every non-Turbo Panamera in Porsches lineup).Range, according to the European WTLP standard, is 407 kilometres for the base model; 463 km for the Performance Plus. The base cars maximum charging ability is also slightly reduced, with peak charging power at 225 kilowatts; the Performance Plus can take a faster-charging 270 kW. The Porsche Taycan 4S Porsche Technologically, the 4S uses the same 600-amp (rear) and 300-amp (front) inverters as the Turbo Taycan. And, in fact, the innovative two-speed transmission in the rear (for maximum acceleration from a stop) and single speed-gearbox in front is used as on the more expensive models. Ditto for the adaptive air suspension, which is also standard on the 4S. The base 4S even boasts six-piston front brake calipers.In other words, while it is obviously aimed at a different clientele, and we do not have information on the exact interior spec and standard equipment, the 4S has not in any way been neutered. We expect it to be just as sporty, albeit a little less rapid, than the Turbo and Turbo S Taycans.Porsche Canada is taking orders now and expects to start delivering the Taycan 4S in the summer of
Origin: This lower-priced Porsche Taycan is the real Tesla-killer
New Porsche Taycan 4S unveiled with £83,000 price
Porsche has made its new Taycan EV much more attainable with the addition of a new 4S trim underneath the existing Turbo and Turbo S. The new model is available to order now from £83,367 (excluding the £3500 government grant) and is expected to arrive for UK deliveries in January alongside the Turbo and Turbo S. While it doesn’t get the 751bhp of the £138,000 Taycan Turbo S, the 4S still puts out 523bhp during overboost in standard form. It also gets a 79.2kWh battery for a WLTP certified range of 252 miles. However, Porsche also offers a Performance Battery Plus option pack, which raises peak power to 563bhp and increases the battery output to 93.4kWh. While the 0-62mph time is unchanged from the standard 4S at 4.0sec, the range is boosted to 287 miles – the highest figure in the current Taycan line-up. The Performance Battery Plus also gets a faster peak charging rate, at 270kW to the base car’s 225kW. Much of the 4S’s technical make-up is the same as pricier Taycans, with two electric motors across both axles for four-wheel drive and a two-speed transmission for acceleration. However, the rear motor is 80mm shorter than it is in the Turbo and Turbo S, while it also receives smaller brakes, down to 360mm and six pistons on the front and 358mm and four pistons at the rear. Exterior styling changes include smaller 19in wheels, red painted calipers and a revised bodykit including a different front apron, side sills and rear diffuser. Dynamic LED lights remain standard fitment. Part-leather is standard, but Porsche also offers a leather-free cabin with recycled materials. As with other Taycans, it comes with three years of access to Ionity’s rapid chargers and the Porsche Charging Service. Customers also receive a driving experience at the brand’s Silverstone Experience
Origin: New Porsche Taycan 4S unveiled with £83,000 price
Porsche Taycan 4S launched
Porsche Taycan 4S launched The new Taycan offers a range of up to 287 miles Porsche has revealed the Taycan 4S, set to join the company’s pure-electric sports saloon range from early next year. The new Taycan 4S produces 390 kW (530hp) in overboost, or up to 420 kW (571hp) when fitted with the optional Performance Battery Plus. In either variant, the 0-62mph time is 4.0 seconds with a top speed of 155mph possible. Range is quoted at up to 287 miles on a single charge with the Performance Battery Plus 93.4 kWh battery fitted – the highest found in the Taycan range. Standard Performance Battery models – 79.2 kWh – get a range of 252 miles. Charging is available at up to 225 kW or 270 kW for the standard and optional battery specifications respectively, via the Taycan 4S’s CCS inlet. All wheel drive is offered thanks to a motor fitted on each axle, with two-speed transmission fitted to the rear axle aiding with efficiency at higher speeds. Prices start at £83,367, and the Performance Battery Plus option adds around £4,600 to the cost of the Taycan 4S. OTR costs exclude any government grants. The £3,500 Plug-in Car Grant would likely be applied to the Taycan 4S, since it meets all the criteria, but it has yet to be approved by OLEV. The new Porsche can be ordered now, with deliveries expected from January 2020.
Origin: Porsche Taycan 4S launched
First Drive: 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S
The Taycan Turbo S might be by definition a sedan, but by all other accounts is a unabashed and unapologetic sports car.Andrew McCredie GOTHENBURG, Sweden Having just driven 400 kilometres in a 750-horsepower sports car, I felt surprisingly refreshed. No ringing ears. No sore kidneys. No rattled teeth.Welcome to the new era of the supercar road trip.To celebrate/show off its first-ever all-electric vehicle, the 2020 Taycan, Porsche invited the worlds motoring press to Scandinavia last week to begin an 18-day, 6,440-km odyssey that would cover nine countries between Oslo, Norway and Stuttgart, Germany. I had the privilege of being among the first group of journalists on the first leg between Oslo and Gothenburg, which included a lunch stop at an Ionity charging station in Strmstad, Sweden, 20-kilometres south of the border between the two countries. The first two models in the all-wheel-drive Taycan fleet are the Turbo and Turbo S, with less powerful variants expected sometime next year and a Cross Turismo by the end of next year. My tester was the Turbo S.The drive route was a good mix of urban roads, twisty country lanes and major highways, each of which demonstrated different attributes of the Taycan (pronounced Tie-Con). Settling inSitting in the drivers seat, it was immediately apparent that as much design work and engineering had gone into the cabin ergonomics and aesthetics as had into the much-hyped electric powertrain system. The well-bolstered seating position and the way the meaty sport steering wheel met my eager hands felt almost identical to a contemporary 911 cockpit. This, along with the equally 911-ish silhouette of the Taycan, softened my internal criticism of Taycan press material Id read before the drive that kept referring to the sedan as a sports car. Strapped into the drivers seat, youd be hard pressed to think youre in a four-door. And unlike a 911s rear seats that dont accommodate anyone over five-feet tall (and even then if they are a contortionist), the Taycans rear seats fit a six-footer in comfort and sporty style. Likewise, the sedans trunk is a very good size (366 litres), and theres even room for a couple of backpacks under the hood up front (81 litres). Although the power button located on the dash to the left of the steering column is the same as the key ignition on Porsches since, well, forever, all Taycan comparisons to Porsche sports cars cockpits begin and end with the seating position, as the entire dash/gauge/switchgear layout of the sedan is all new, and according to Porsche, intended to bring its products into the digital age.With a central 10.9-inch infotainment display, an optional passenger 10.9-inch infotainment display and a floating centre console screen controlling things like climate functions, the Taycans dash feels very digital age indeed, the dashboard-mounted clock the only analog throwback in sight. However, its not overwhelming, which is often the case with multi-screened displays. Likewise, steering-wheel controls are kept to a minimum, limited to just audio/phone controls, a drive mode dial and a regeneration button. Ready for LaunchWith a push of that aforementioned start button, the Taycan Turbo S comes to life (not with a roar but a whisper). To put the car in gear you flip a unique toggle switch located on the dash to the right of the steering column; down for drive, up for reverse.The initial driving impressions in Oslo werent that much different from your garden-variety EV navigating city streets in morning rush hour. The acceleration was crisp, the cabin quiet and the ride silky smooth. However, when city streets gave way to country roads and with it opportunities to push the sport sedan into and through tight corners and up and over rolling tarmac, the Taycan revealed its unmistakably Porsche personality. Again, I was reminded of the press kit description, and again I understood and accepted the Taycan Turbo S as a sports car.The driving dynamics technological features of the Taycan Turbo S are extensive, innovative and include some industry firsts, and all have a profound impact on the performance and handling of this vehicle (for a deep dive on the technical specs, see David Booth’s thorough and definitive First Look of the Taycan).After an hour or so of running hills and dales through pristine Norway countryside and along waterways we met up with a highway that would take us to the Norway-Sweden border then onto the lunch stop. My co-driver was now at the wheel as we silently spirited along the motorway at 137 km/h, wind noise at a minimum and the experience not unlike that of sitting on a very comfortable high-speed train. <img src="/uploads/img/electric-cars/38-first-drive-2020-porsche-taycan-turbo-s.jpg"
Origin: First Drive: 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S
Texas tuner Hennessey to hit Porsche Taycan with style and performance upgrades
A rendering of the 2020 Hennessey Porsche TaycanHennessey Performance Hennessey Performance in Texas is known for adding gobs of horsepower to new muscle cars most people assumed already had more output than they needed.But the tuner is planning to tackle its first electric vehicle next year in the form of the 2020 Porsche Taycan sedan.While past efforts have seen them crack the 1,000-hp mark with a 1,200-horse Shelby Mustang GT500; or add an extra axle to the Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss, were not certain you should expect any of those enhancements on the battery-driven Hennessey Taycan.All we know for certain is that theyll throw some wheel, tire and interior enhancements on the thing, reports Car and Driver, as well as new front and rear fascias. But it wouldnt be a Hennessey if the firm didnt also bump up the wattage coming out of the Taycans motors, right? Like some other electric performance vehicles, the Taycan is already plenty darn quick, so well see what one can do once it passes through Texas.Development of the Hennessey Taycan will begin in earnest once the first cars hit the U.S. in early
Origin: Texas tuner Hennessey to hit Porsche Taycan with style and performance upgrades
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