New Porsche Taycan GTS offers more performance, extra range

Porsche on Tuesday revealed its new Taycan GTS. Joining the second-generation Taycan range that broke cover in February, the German carmaker describes it as a "sporty all-rounder" designed to bridge the gap between the Taycan 4S and flagship Turbo variant. 

Starting with exterior design tweaks, the new GTS distinguishes itself from the outgoing model with Sport design front/rear aprons with inlays painted in high-gloss black. This bold finish is also applied to the bases of the car's exterior mirrors.

To add contrast, the standard 20" Taycan Turbo S Aero Design wheels are coloured Anthracite Grey. For a little extra visual drama, customers can bolt on an optional set of 21" RS Spyder Design wheels.

The interior boasts Adaptive Sports Seats Plus (with electric 18-way adjustment), a Bose surround sound system, heated GT multifunction sports steering wheel with mode switch, and a Sport Chrono package with push-to-pass function and track mode.

In addition to Carmine Red, the GTS interior package is also available in Slate Grey Neo, while a Taycan GTS logo is featured in the instrument cluster, power meter and start graphic.

Armed with dual electric motors (one on each axle), the Taycan GTS delivers a combined output of up to 515kW with Launch Control engaged. This is 75kW more than the model it replaces. Straight-line performance is impressive, to say the least, with Porsche claiming the yardstick 0-100 km/h sprint takes just 3.3 seconds — an improvement of 0.4 seconds.

Not only is it quicker, the new GTS offers a longer maximum driving range of up to 628km (an improvement of more than 120km). As is the case with the rest of the second-generation Taycan range, the GTS can be charged at rates up to 320kW at 800V DC charging stations.

Other notable features include a new push-to-pass function delivering a boost of up to 70kW for 10 seconds, and a more aggressive sound profile similar to that of the Turbo S.

Ensuring rock-solid handling through the curvy bits is a GTS-specific chassis combining adaptive air suspension with Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus as standard. Customers can also tick the box on optional rear-axle steering and Porsche Active Ride suspension.

Available as either a saloon or Sport Turismo estate, pricing for the new Porsche Taycan GTS starts at R3,938,000. This includes a three-year Driveplan.