Simply Abu Dhabi XXXVI

The feeling is like changing from fourth to fifth on the motorway or from third back to second as you dive into a corner and lift off the throttle. Both happened at the same time as my fingers intuitively looked for the paddle shifters behind the wheel. It’s an innovative addition not seen on other EVs where it has a virtual first gear that offers maximum power for standing start accelerations, while the second gear uses a longer ratio to ensure high efficiency and equally high power reserves at high speeds. Being first to market with a low-slung EV sports car has also been a top priority for the company for nearly half a decade. An issue most manufacturers are finding is that a skateboard-like chassis, where batteries fill the full length of the floor, makes the car sit tall like the I-Pace and Tesla, which is the enemy of Porsche’s design philosophy. Recesses in the battery in the rear footwell allows for a low vehicle height typical of sports cars but without sacrificing headroom. The cockpit features new architecture including a free-standing instrument cluster first seen in the 918 Spyder prototype but has been complemented with the latest curved instrument cluster. A central, 10.9-inch infotainment display and an optional passenger display are combined to form an integrated glass band. Conventional switches and buttons have disappeared and replaced with a touch screen operation using haptic feedback via pulses through the fingers. Externally, designers needed to emphasise that this is a ground-up new model but without diluting Porsche’s DNA. Wide haunches over the rear wheels, raised front guards bookending a sloping front bonnet and a full width rear tail light are just a few of the features carried over from other models in the Porsche family. With models not due in the region until the third quarter of 2020, prices are still not available from Porsche Middle East but you can expect it to be in the high six-figure range. Driving the Porsche Taycan was genuinely enjoyable in a way that I didn’t think could be possible for electric vehicles. Dare I say, it’s even given purists a ray of hope for fun driving days ahead in the EV era.