Saturday, November 2, 2019

GT SPORT: Soul, electrified

With the world braces for an electrified future, Porsche accepts the electric car challenge by creating their first-ever electric car that delivers the same Porsche feeling in a zero-emission promise.

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The result is the birth of Porsche's first electric sports saloon, the Taycan, and GT SPORT has the exclusivity to bring the new Taycan to the virtual world for all to witness the electrified vision of Porsche.

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Only Gran Turismo Sport players have been given the opportunity to have their first taste of Porsche's electrified vision with the Taycan and now that it's here in the world of Gran Turismo, let's investigate more about Stuttgart's first electric car that promises pure Porsche DNA in an electric car packaging.

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Unveiled at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Taycan is Porsche's first fully-electric sports saloon which marks the beginning of the new era for the German sports car maker responsible for the legendary 911, the 718, the Panamera, and other models. At launch, the Turbo and the range-topping Turbo S will be offered and it's very confusing why they gave a Turbo naming on an electric sports saloon like this even though it has no ICE that powers it.

Anyway, wrong naming aside, the range-topping Turbo S unleashes up to 560kW overboost power from its unique electric drivetrain with 800v of system voltage and 93.4kWh Performance Battery Plus, meaning it's capable of going from 0-100kph in less than three seconds.

Apart from the electric powertrain that leaves them a first impression, the Taycan features a wide array of centrally networked chassis systems that will keep the electric car sporty and comfortable wherever it will go.

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Upon trying out the Taycan firsthand in the game, the acceleration is worth a first impression to me because with all that power, it can get away quicker than the competition, but in terms of handling, it's a different story. Because it weighs about two and a half tons and with four-wheel drive, it feels bulky to drive and mild to handle, meaning it's too grippy to let loose and can be easily prone to understeer if you are approaching to the corner. It might be worth a break in the ligaments but if you keep driving with this Porsche, the more you will appreciate about the Porsche DNA the Taycan carries. It maybe difficult to get round corners with precision but it's worth a shot in a Taycan.

To explain what I'm on about, I had a little spa day on my own and if by spa day, it's not what you expect.

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At long last, the famous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is back in the world of Gran Turismo and the return of the Belgian track is the perfect sandbox for Porsche's first electric sports saloon.

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From Eau Rouge to Rivage, I can really feel all the drama the Taycan went through and with all that mildness and all the grip, feels like the struggle is real and my arms are starting to leave an impression on the Taycan's grippy and mild driving feel, no matter the ever-changing elevation I've been through during my so-called spa day. Speaking of which, I did a timed lap to see how fast the Taycan went through Spa and I have a little footage for us to watch.


I did it in a 2:46.806, meaning that despite the weight and handling that upsets me the most, the Taycan is surprisingly a decent and enjoyable track day car that you can challenge yourself with if your arms are fully prepared for the worst.

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It's still too early to tell the outcome of Porsche's first-ever electric sports saloon but thanks to GT SPORT, we have the experience we need to understand how the Taycan is made. If you haven't got the chance to experience what's what behind the wheel of the Taycan, be sure to play Gran Turismo Sport right now because this is the only chance you'll need to experience Porsche's electrified vision.

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