Porsche’s all-new, all-electric Taycan Turbo S has generated plenty of buzz in recent weeks, but mainly because of its rather disappointing EPA-estimated driving range of only 192 miles. This time, however, the good ol’ Stig is giving Porsche enthusiasts a reason to smile by taking the electrified sports sedan around the Top Gear test track. Its time? A peppy 1:17.6.
Uploaded to YouTube over the weekend, the footage only shows in-car camera views of the Stig at his daytime job. While seeing exterior angles of the Taycan barreling into corners and blasting down straightaways would’ve been cool, there are a few things we can appreciate from seeing two different in-cabin views. First, there’s the sound emanating from the two axle-mounted motors and 93.4-kWh battery, which produce a thunderous 750 horsepower and 774 pound-feet of torque. The futuristic whirr sounds more like a muscle car out of the Jetsons than any other Porsche we’ve ever heard.
Then there’s the savagery of it all. Notice how the Stig is constantly making small corrections with the steering wheel on corner entry, mid-corner, and then again on corner exit. The first couple of corners seem to go according to plan with smooth transitions from one apex to the other, but things get a little more exciting when he reaches the Hammerhead, as the understeer-inducing corner tries to throw off the Taycan’s all-wheel-drive and two-speed transmission. Despite its best efforts, the Stig manhandles the Porsche through the tight right-hander before blasting away to the Follow-Through, where it probably has the biggest “oh-crap” moment of the lap. The famous test driver wraps up the session by pushing as hard as possible through the final two corners, where the Taycan’s suspension is tested as it hits the notorious potholes found near the finish line.
The Taycan Turbo S’s lap time of 1:17.6 is good on its own, but to get an understanding of just how good it is, you must know that it’s nearly a whole second faster than a Bugatti Veyron and equally as fast as a Koenigsegg CCX around the iconic airfield, according to the official Power Lap Times.
High-five, Porsche.
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