Porsche Experience: Tracking Porsche’s Hottest Models & Autocrossing a Base Taycan
Porsche Experience allows us to sample some of the tastiest morsels in the Porsche lineup on the track and on an autocross course.
It is tough work, but someone has to do it. My local Porsche dealer recently invited me to take part in the Porsche Experience that was being held at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey. The event provided the opportunity to get my first up close look at the Taycan 4S Cross Turismo which was stunning. I was also able to drive a base rear-wheel-drive Taycan around a short autocross course. Everyone in attendance also had the chance to take a few laps around the Lightning course in a 911 4S, a Macan S and a Panamera 4S. Not a bad way to spend a Tuesday morning.
The driving instructors on hand all work at the Porsche Track Experience at Barber Motorsports Park. So, the level of instruction was top notch. In addition to the instructors there was also a Porsche technical specialist on hand to answer any questions we may have about any of the vehicles we would be driving that day. And of course, it would not be a dealer event without a few sales professionals on hand to help anyone who maybe wanted to purchase a new Porsche.
Getting Organized
Upon arrival we are registered and assigned to one of three color groups. There were about 16 people in each group. I was in the red group which I think was the best of all of them. Not just because it was the group I was in, but because how our events would be sequenced. There would be three main stations for the day. Each group would start at a different station and rotate after about an hour.
Station one would be the Taycan autocross course. Station two would be driving the four-door vehicles around the track. And the final stop would be driving the 911 around the track. The red group got to go in that order, and I think that was the best sequence as you got to warm up to the finale of driving the 911 on the track.
Display Cars
Not all the cars that Porsche brought to the event were for driving. Some were just to drool over. Example number one was the 992 Turbo S Cabriolet in paint to sample olive green. Stunning. But perhaps even more impressive was the Taycan 4S Cross Turismo that was on hand. The car was finished in Gentian Blue Metallic which looks even better on this car than it does on the 911. At least in my opinion.
The car also rode on the optional 21-inch Cross Turismo Design Wheels. To me these are some of the best-looking factory wheels on the market. Another notable design option on this car was the Off-Road Design Package with inlays in Vesuvius Grey. This package includes some additional side cladding, increased ground clearance of 10 millimeters, and of course the painted inlays. It is subtle but looks wonderful on the car.
The rest of the car is your standard Taycan affair. No real changes on the inside except in the cargo area of course. With the seats folded down the Cross Turismo will hold 42.8 cubic feet of stuff, and the hatch design makes it all easier to load. If you need to lug around a 100-pound dog like I do, this would be the perfect ride. The Cross Turismo looks amazing in the metal.
Autocross
My only previous Taycan driving experience was when I was able to get a Taycan 4S out on the road for a drive a couple months ago. I am not really an EV guy, but I was massively impressed by what the car could do. But to me a Porsche needs to do more than just be fun on the road. I want my Porsche to perform on the track as well.
I know an autocross course is not a racetrack, but it would allow me to throw the car around more than I would be comfortable doing on the road. The other nice thing is the Taycan I would be driving this time was the base model riding on the base steel suspension. This is the true bottom rung of the Taycan lineup. If this car does well, you can be sure the higher trims will be even better.
Let’s skip the suspense. The Taycan did well. The course was tight and short even for an autocross, but it provided the opportunity to see how the car would respond to sharp transitions. The runs were not timed, and I was not focused on trying to make the cleanest and quickest run. I took this as a chance to just chuck the car around and see how it would feel.
One thing you notice right away is that your autocross driving style needs to adapt when in a Taycan. With the instant torque and acceleration at hand, you really need to be sure the wheels are pointing straight before you get into the power. The rear-wheel-drive Taycan was also playful, and it was easy to get the car to rotate.
Even though this is the lightest Taycan in the range, it still pushed 4,700 pounds. But that weight seemed to disappear, and it never felt that heavy on the course. And the center of gravity is so low that the car handled sharp transitions with aplomb. It was very impressive. And this is the base car of the first all-electric Porsche.
Imagine the performance we will see out of the 2031 Taycan.
‘Porsche Experience: Tracking Porsche’s Hottest Models & Autocrossing a Base Taycan’ continued…
