Porsche Taycan GTS arrives

PORSCHE Cars Australia (PCA) has bolstered its acclaimed Taycan electric sports sedan range with the official local launch of the much-anticipated GTS variant, positioned between the 4S and Turbo.

And though demand for this latest Taycan variant is looking strong, PCA was quick to suggest the line-up was highly unlikely to further extend from the GTS to full-blown GT model. So, for now, the GTS is likely to be the last major Taycan variant launch for this generation.

The Taycan GTS is priced at $241,900 excluding on-road costs in Australia, up from $198,800 + ORC for the lower-spec 4S but a fair whack more affordable than the Turbo model’s $281,900 + ORC price tag. 

Porsche opened order books for the Taycan GTS after the world premiere at the LA Auto Show in November last year and initial deliveries have already commenced, but at the Australian launch this week confirmed deliveries of orders placed now are expected in early- to mid-2023.

“The Taycan GTS will be next year for buyers, but we urge people to go to their local Porsche Centre, because it does change a lot,” said PCA head of public relations, Chris Jordan. 

“It’s quite hard to give people a definitive wait time and the reason it’s changing a lot is the dynamics of the world right now.”

PCA cites strong interest from new and existing customers, for both the new Taycan and 911 GTS variants that were launched simultaneously. 

“Demand has been very strong, which is normal for GTS models,” Mr Jordan said. 

“Those customers that really want a GTS, and perhaps are existing GTS customers, those people have been waiting.

“I would say there are a lot of people that probably earmarked Taycan as their car a little while back, but thought to themselves, ‘I’m sure Porsche will do a GTS, and I’m sure it’ll be that sporty model that I want, so I’ll wait around for that’.”

When asked whether the Taycan GTS was seeing the same demand as its petrol-powered 911 GTS stablemate, Mr Jordan confirmed it was a fairly even affair. 

“The Taycan and 911 are reasonably similar in terms of volume, so demand is very strong for both models,” he said. 

“Although the Taycan is new, slightly more than 50 per cent of Taycan owners are existing Porsche owners.”

Porsche Cars Australia credits the Taycan’s popularity Down Under to its true-to-brand characteristics and sporting pedigree.

“That’s what we’ve tried to do all along is make sure this car is genuinely a true Porsche sportscar and a genuine part of the range, not an outlier,” Mr Jordan said.

“Two weeks ago, one of our Porsche Centres held a track day and invited 30-40 of their owners who like to do track work – five of them rocked up in their Taycan.”

The GTS is described by Porsche as the ‘sweet spot’ within the Taycan electric range, blending some of the performance features from Turbo derivatives with the day-to-day usability of the more sedate 4S model, as well as specific chassis and driveline calibration.

“It is positioned above the Taycan 4S and below the Taycan Turbo derivatives, so it represents a real sweet spot in the range,” Porsche AG vice president model line Taycan, Kevin Giek explained.

"The Taycan model range has grown steadily since its world premiere in 2019. Up to five variant options offer something for everyone.”

Die-hard Porsche GTS fans understand this proclaimed sweet spot all too well, with the Gran Turismo Sport badge holding a special place in the hearts of enthusiasts since it first adorned the 904 GTS back in 1963.

Across nearly 60 years, Porsche has maintained the integrity of the badge, offering ‘extra sportiness but with impressive comfort for daily use’, and the Taycan GTS means every current Porsche model is now offered in GTS guise. 

Visually, the GTS model stands out from the rest of the Taycan line-up, with distinctive blacked-out body parts, like the front apron, rear diffuser, side skirts, wide window trims, logos, and Turbo S Aero Design wheels.

The GTS theme carries over into the cabin, too, with Porsche’s Race-Tex interior package and various black leather trim accents, GTS logos on the headrests, and Sports Chrono package as standard.

The battery system in the GTS is shared with the rest of the Taycan range, with the same 800-volt system architecture, offering 485km of range with AC and DC charging capability.

In terms of performance, the GTS delivers 380kW under normal operation, and 440kW on ‘overboost’, silently propelling it to triple figures in 3.7 seconds and onto a top speed of 250kmh.

That puts it ahead of the standard 4S model’s 320kW but slightly down on the Turbo model’s 460kW, which jumps to an insane 680kW on overboost. 

Porsche’s Active Suspension Management (PASM) has been tweaked specifically for the GTS model, and the faux sports soundtrack has been enhanced too. 

GoAuto tested the upcoming Taycan GTS on road and on track as part of the Australian launch event, but drive impressions are under embargo until early July – keep an eye out for our review.