So the new $80,000 “entry level” Taycan is slow as molasses, weighs as much as a garbage truck, is as long as a bus and comes with nearly no equipment beyond a heater. Is everybody cool with this? 🤔

 

The entry Taycan just allows Porsche to say the Taycan starts at $80k. They don't want anyone to buy it.

 

I'm cool with it. Have another Porsche when I want to go faster than molasses. I have no use for a heater though, I guess I should have added some options.

 

It’s faster than an entry level Panamera and $8k cheaper. Turns out a lot of people don’t need to go faster 0-60 than 5s, especially with EV torque. As a basic daily / commuter this is an excellent car with the exception of price. And some people will pay $80 for the badge, or just to avoid Tesla and it’s service or build quality

there is a market for this, even if that’s not you.

 

Yes, the entry level Panamera...good point, it’s arguably better than that.
I actually want to like the base Taycan as much as I love the base 911, which I consider the best in the lineup for its pure driving experience, but the Taycan lineup needs a $20k price reduction across the board. At $60k this car starts to make sense, $80k not so much.

 

+1 for the price it's disappointing the base should have the 4s power and the 4s should be somewhere higher up under the turbo. Your unlikely to get a base under 100k with any desirable options. While I love the 4S it's hard to part with almost a 130k for one.

 

the pricing and power/performance make perfect sense in the context of the entire Porsche Product line - and there in lies the problem - they can’t price the Taycan’s appropriately without trashing their existing product line sales…

porsche is trying to pull off a very very delicate transition here - they need to ramp down their ICE business, but it currently makes them a lot of money - and if they priced the new product line appropriately it would tank the panamera business for example…

so we’re left with artificial product designations that make less sense in an EV world, and they are priced so as not to threaten the existing ICE business…

it’s a class problem for existing manufactures transitioning to a new disruptive technology - porsche is trying to adopt/promote the disruption technology while controlling hte amount of disruption to their existing line

so we end up with $80k RWD taycan’s that really aren’t that compelling…we all know porsche could price a 4S at 90k and make some of hte options standard but that’s a bit too disruptive to their existing business…

 

I mean ... so ? With this pricing, they bleed some sales to Tesla, but they're still selling every Taycan they can make. 20,000 in the first year was their shoot the moon goal, and they hit that in 15 months even with the pandemic delays.

it's going to be okay.

 

My guess is that the electric Macan is going to fill that slot.

 

Carwow didn't seem to like the base that much, suggested you just go for the 4S.

 

yeah porsche has done a great job of selling 2 weeks worth of Model 3 production in about a year…really really on a roll - now if they could only keep their 12V batteries charged we might be good.

 

Does it seem like the base Taycan is very Lexus like - comfy and well made but not a compelling drivers car compared with its peers? The Macan EV is going head to head with the Mustang GT and Cadillac Lyriq, not to mention the MB EQ and BMW whatevertheycallit, in a hugely competitive segment so I think that is the one to watch.
Maybe the base Taycan is the cheap lease special that gets customers into the dealership to be upsold...

 

A brand new product line outselling all Caymans, all Panamera, and about 50% of the 911 family in its first full year. Total failure. People hate these. This product sucks. Porsche should borrow 400 years worth of its profit and buy Tesla instead. GENIUS!

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...301201279.html

 

I actually think the Porsche EV's are not very profitable right now. There are press releases with Blume stating the Taycan won't make money until 2023 primarily because of the battery costs, which they estimate will come down significantly over the next few years. I'm playing my part in supporting the base Taycan - below from the same article:

This is part of the reason why Porsche has launched with the expensive Taycan Turbo and Turbo S models. The truth is they’re not that much more expensive to build than lower-end models.

 

I can see where you're coming from as far as overall pricing is concerned but I disagree somewhat when it comes to the power issue. There might be a bit too much gap down to the base Taycan (it probably should have come in under 5 seconds to 60) but I think it will still fit the bill for some folks looking for a quality, sporty, good looking EV. Also, Porsche has spaced the performance among the 4S, Turbo, and Turbo S about as well as they could. Porsche claims 3.8 seconds to 60 for the 4S but Car and Driver got 3.4 and 11.2 in the 1/4 @120mph which is very respectable and not far off Turbo performance.

More important is the way the power is delivered with instant torque and acceleration. In real world driving the 4S is fast enough to get you in trouble very easily. I test drove one yesterday and it is seriously quick; at anything other than an all out launch from a standing start it is as quick or quicker than my GT3 in many on road situations. It almost completely belies it's 5000lb curb weight and it's very difficult to imagine where you would realistically use any more power on public roads. It also handles really well...period...not just for a heavy sedan. Not quite like my 911, but very impressive nonetheless.

Not cheap by any means but quality of materials and fit and finish is significantly better than Tesla as is the overall performance, one shot straight line acceleration runs aside. I'm probably going to buy one.