Porsche’s Tesla-baiting Taycan has already caught the media’s attention. The Turbo S variant is faster than a Tesla with 1300Nm, the RWD Taycan sets the world record for the longest continuous drift, and its the darling of the road testers all over the world. And even before we can come to terms with it, Porsche continues to evolve the Taycan concept, with a new variant. This time its called the Taycan Cross Turismo.
What is it?
Essentially a slightly high riding Taycan, which can handle off-road driving. The Cross Turismo is still tested on the ‘Ring and other notable racetracks worldwide. However its also tested on the rough stuff. Its not going to climb rock faces or wade deep rivers, but its going to cope very well on mud, snow and sand long after the tarmac ends.
How did they do that?
Porsche has yet to reveal what has been done to the Taycan to make it the Cross Turismo. But they have mentioned that rear passengers will enjoy a significant increase in headroom. And bigger luggage load capacity. This suggest a taller body profile, and from the early pictures, it seems like it has a significantly higher ride height over the ‘standard’ Taycan.
Will it work?
Absolutely. One thing Porsche’s known for doing is testing its technology to the limit. Before the 918 Spyder Hypercar was unveiled, they spent years working on the E-engine / combustion engine integration. They worked on the calibration so much that when yours truly witnessed the prototype on the Nurburgring for the first time, it blew past sections of the track at such speed, with an eerie efficiency that even race cars could not match.
Taycan Cross Turismo prototypes have covered a combined 998,361 testing kilometers at the time of writing. That’s almost ONE MILLION KILOMETERS of track, road and off-road testing. Rest assured its going to be perfect for its intended purpose when it comes out.
Should I be excited?
You should. See its not just an ultra expensive crossover, its the test bed for upcoming mainstream technology. Porsche’s technologies have found its way to everyday cars of today over the years, like the tiptronic system found in early 2000’s Peugeot’s. Hence whats cutting edge million ringgit motoring technology today could be found in the Myvi-equivalent in 2035.
For those who have deep enough pockets though, you can have the crossover of tomorrow, today. Porsche says that the Taycan Cross Turismo would be launched in Summer 2021. What are your expectations on this all-electric all terrain, ‘Swiss Army knife on wheels’? Share your thoughts in the comments!