2021 Porsche Taycan base model revealed with RWD, costs $79,900

Following a teaser image published earlier this week, Porsche has officially unveiled a new base model for the Taycan lineup in the United States. As we predicted, the model in question is the rear-wheel-drive version launched in China last year and it brings the electric sedan’s pricing down to well below six figures.

It kicks off at $79,900 or $23,900 less than the 4S trim level that up until now served as the entry point into the Taycan range. The starting price doesn’t include the mandatory $1,350 delivery charges, and just like the other flavors of the EV, the new base model is eligible for a $7,500 tax credit. Porsche says it will have the tail-happy model at US dealerships this coming spring.

The starting price is for the 2021 Taycan Performance Battery model with a 79.2-kWh battery pack and a single electric motor mounted at the back, delivering 402 horsepower (300 kilowatts) and 254 pound-feet (344 Newton-meters) of torque. Upgrade to the Performance Battery Plus model from $85,680 and the output of the motor increases to 469 hp (350 kW) and 263 lb-ft (357 Nm).

Regardless of the flavor you go for, the entry-level Taycan needs 5.1 seconds for the 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) sprint and tops out at 143 mph (230 km/h). If you’re interested in quarter-mile times, the Performance Battery does the job in 13.7 seconds while the Performance Battery Plus shaves off two-tenths of a second.

Interestingly, Porsche claims the RWD model has the lowest center of gravity of any road-legal model from the Zuffenhausen brand. By removing the electric motor fitted to the all-wheel-drive derivatives, the sedan’s weight has been reduced by about 200 pounds (91 kilograms). It borrows the rear-mounted electric motor as well as the battery architecture from the 4S.

The rear-wheel-drive model is officially the most powerful base Porsche ever made and the most aerodynamically efficient thanks to a drag coefficient of 0.24. Go for the optional air suspension and the Cd drops to just 0.22. It gets the same 19-inch Taycan Aero wheels with six-piston front / four-piston rear brakes as the more expensive 4S, but the alloys and calipers are finished in different colors. At an additional cost, 20- or 21-inch wheels can be ordered.

Typical for a Porsche, the list of optional goodies is quite extensive, and it includes a head-up display, 19.2-kWh onboard charger, 14-way seats with massaging function, an upgraded sound system, and a variety of colors and interior trims to choose from. Support for over the air update comes is standard, as are the three years of free Electrify America charging.

The only piece of the base Taycan puzzle that’s missing is the EPA-certified range, but Porsche says the crucial numbers for both the Performance Battery and Performance Battery Plus will be disclosed prior to the car’s launch.

Source: Porsche