Just about everyone knows weight is the enemy of performance, and with the Taycan being quite the porker, you’d be tempted to say it struggles on a race track. Porsche is proving that even an electric car that weighs 2,295 kilograms (5,095 pounds) can excel in a high-speed run on a circuit. Using the range-topping Turbo S, the folks from Zuffenhausen established a new record at Road Atlanta for the fastest production EV.
To be fair, this is the first time we’re hearing about an electric vehicle lapping the track in Georgia with the main goal being to set a lap time. In other words, the Taycan Turbo S didn’t break a previous record, but it rather set the benchmark for EVs on the 2.54-mile course with its 12 turns located in the vicinity of the Porsche Cars North America headquarters.
It completed the lap in 1 minute and 33.8 seconds with professional race car driver Leh Keen behind the wheel of the 751-horsepower EV. It will be interesting to see whether the Model S equipped with the Cheetah mode will be able to best Porsche’s performance, but we’ll have to wait and see whether Tesla will take a crack at setting a new record.
Porsche wishes to point out the Taycan used for the fast lap was a production-spec 2020 Turbo S with the 21-inch Mission E wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero NF0 Elect summer tires inflated to a 41 PSI pressure. The record was actually set on November 3, but it’s only now the German sports car marque is sharing the news. The car used for the lap had a Racelogic data logger and video system to grab all the relevant info and capture the impressive onboard footage.
Beyond its sheer power, the Taycan Turbo S has a few other aces up its sleeve to establish a fast lap. From rear-wheel steering to the optional Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport, the speedy EV cuts through the corners in the quickest way possible, especially if it’s in the hands of a skilled driver like Leh Keen. He says the “track is unforgiving,” but all of the Taycan’s systems to reduce body roll when cornering worked brilliantly during the fast lap attempt.
Now, how about a Nurburgring run?
