Porsche Scores Double Win as 2020 World Luxury Car and World Performance Car of the Year

The Porsche Taycan scores a double win as the 2020 World Performance Car of the Year and 2020 World Luxury Car of the Year.

This is the sixth win for Porsche in the World Performance Car category, having previously won the category in 2017, 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2016. It’s the first with for the German automaker though in the World Luxury Car category.

It managed to beat its siblings—the Porsche 911 and Porsche 718 Boxster / Cayman GT4 for the World Performance Car title, while it beat out the Mercedes-Benz ECQ and Porsche 911 for the World Luxury Car title.

“The Porsche Taycan was designed with a clear purpose: To show that an electric car could provide the performance, driving pleasure and everyday comfort and usability that characterizes every Porsche. We are very proud that the international jury of the World Car Awards believes that we have succeeded”, said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board, Porsche AG.

Vehicles were selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprising 86 prominent automotive journalists from 24 countries around the world. Each juror was appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of his or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence. The international accounting firm KPMG tabulated the jurors’ ballots.

The all-electric Porsche Taycan is confirmed to make its Philippine debut some time in 2020.

Bill Gates Chooses a Porsche Taycan Over a Tesla

Billionaire, philanthropist, and the guy who was partly responsible for Clippy, Bill Gates has chosen the Porsche Taycan as his first-ever full-electric vehicle or EV.

A big fan of Porsche (his collection includes the legendary Porsche 959), Gates revealed his recent purchase during an interview.

Gates shared his views on the impact of climate change, specifically calling for “historic levels of global cooperation” to tackle this. One of the ways to address this, he said, was by reducing emissions across various industries through the use of technologies. Recognizing that the “green approach will still cost more than the dirty approach,” Gates said people should be “willing to pay extra” for some of the activities meant toward such a goal—like driving EVs.

“I just got a Porsche Taycan… and I have to say—I mean, it’s a premium-price car, but it is very, very cool. That’s my first electric car and I’m enjoying it a lot,” Gates said, revealing his own steps in adopting sustainable mobility while at the same time acknowledging consumers’ concern over EVs’ range as an issue. Still, the tech giant called electric-powered passenger cars as “one of the more hopeful” areas when it comes to addressing climate change.

Despite its four-door configuration, Porsche says its Taycan is more closely related to the 911 than to the Panamera. Yet, it pairs performance with everyday usability, and now with sustainability as well.

Simultaneously introduced in three continents in September last year, the Taycan is currently being built, with the first batch of vehicles set to arrive this year in markets across the globe. Included among these markets is the Philippines.

Confirmed: The All-Electric Porsche Taycan is Coming Early 2020

Porsche Philippines is confirming that its first all-electric vehicle, the Taycan will be making its local debut early next year. The country is slated to be among the first batch of countries that will receive this game-changer for Porsche.

Unlike hybrids or electrified models—meaning vehicles with some type of electrical power assist fitted to their conventional internal combustion engines—the Taycan runs solely on electric motors which draw power from batteries. Fully electric vehicles, or EVs, are widely considered as the ultimate goal in eco-friendly mobility as these have zero tailpipe emissions.

More than just eco-friendly mobility, the Taycan is a Porsche through and through. Its performance is impressive starting with the base 4S and its 530-horsepower output, the 680-horsepower Taycan Turbo, and topping off with the Taycan Turbo S and its 761-horsepower motor. In the Taycan Turbo S guise, it can rocket from 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds.

All the Taycan variants have all-wheel drive systems because they are fitted with two electric motors (one for each axle). A two-speed transmission, installed on the rear axle, is a Porsche innovation.

Despite its maniacal performance, the Taycan can still deliver anywhere between 412 to 463 kilometers in total driving range. And thanks to implementing an 800-volt system, the car’s battery can be charged in just over 5 minutes using a high-power charging network—already good for a range up to 100 kilometers.

According to Porsche, they consider the Taycan as a genuine sportscar more related to the 911 than the Panamera. Yet, it pairs typical Porsche performance and connectivity with everyday usability, and its advanced production methods and features set new standards in sustainability and digitalization.

Porsche Enters a New Era with All-Electric Taycan

Porsche enters a new era as they formally introduce the Taycan—their first all-electric vehicle that offers typical Porsche performance with an atypical drivetrain.

While more Taycan variants will be introduced in the near future, at launch, Porsche is offering two all-wheel drive variants of their first EV: the Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S.

It uses two electric motors—one mounted at the front, and one at the back. Curiously, Porsche has installed a two-speed transmission in the rear axle giving it explosive acceleration from a standing start, and high efficiency (and longer range) at cruising.

The “Turbo” name is somewhat misleading because neither variant is powered by an internal combustion engine. Rather, it’s “turbocharged” with an 800-volt system—twice the voltage typically found in EVs, and the first production vehicle to use so. With that, the Taycan Turbo features 680 horsepower, while the Taycan Turbo S ups that to 761 horsepower. The 0-100 km/h comes in as little as 2.8 seconds and top speed is at an impressive 260 km/h.

More than just raw power, the new high-voltage system allows the Taycan to recharge itself quite quickly. Porsche says an additional 100 kilometers of range can be added in just about 5 minutes, while an 80 percent state-of-charge is achieved in less than 25 minutes.

The engines are mounted onto a centrally-networked control system. The Porsche 4D Chassis Control monitors and synchronizes all chassis systems in real time including the adaptive air suspension, dynamic stability control system, and even torque vectoring system. Porsche says the system is so good that in 90 percent of everyday driving, the traditional hydraulic brakes aren’t used—braking is done by the electric motors alone.

Wrapped around this impressively high-tech chassis, the Taycan has a futuristic, yet unmistakable Porsche design. Inside, the instrument panel forms a central axis around the driver, with the instrument panel being the highest point of the cabin. For the first time ever, Porsche is also offering an entirely leather-free option underscoring the sustainable concept of the Taycan. Two luggage compartments—an 81-liter one in front, and a 366-liter one at the back make it highly practical.

The Taycan proved itself on the racetrack becoming the fastest electric vehicle around the Nurburgring Nordschleife. It lapped the legendary 20.6-kilometer circuit in just 7 minutes and 42 seconds, and that’s with a pre-production model.