Porsche is out testing prototypes for an updated Taycan, and the latest spy footage shows the electric vehicle’s Sport Turismo wagon body style. Prototypes for the Taycan sedan and Taycan Cross Turismo soft-roader are also out testing.
The Taycan initially arrived in the sedan body style for the 2020 model year and spawned the Cross Turismo for 2021 and Sport Turismo for 2022.
The complete updated range should arrive for the 2024 model year, meaning a market launch later this year is likely, though the launch may be pushed into early 2024.
The updates, which likely constitute a mid-cycle refresh for the Taycan, will be subtle, judging by the prototypes. Camouflage front and rear points to new fascia designs, and some of the prototypes also feature new wheel patterns.
Porsche high-resolution matrix LED headlight debuting in the Taycan
We also know the updated Taycan will feature new internals for the matrix LED headlights, with four individual LED elements. Porsche showed the new headlight in February and confirmed it will deliver a more precise light pattern as well as double the brightness of the current headlight.
It isn’t clear if any powertrain changes are planned, but a new battery chemistry could potentially lead to increased range, power discharge capability, or both. Porsche will also likely have some software tweaks, as the automaker has added minor software updates each successive year since the Taycan’s launch.
Performance in the Taycan currently tops out with the Turbo S grade, whose peak output is 616 hp (750 hp temporarily) or enough for 0-60-mph acceleration in 2.6 seconds and a top speed of around 162 mph. Depending on the grade, Taycan buyers also have two battery options: 79.2 kwh and 93.4 kwh.
Rumors say a new range-topping option may be in the works, a potential Taycan Turbo GT grade with closer to 1,000 hp. A prototype with major aerodynamic mods has also been spotted, suggesting there may be some truth to the rumors.
With close to 1,000 hp, the Taycan could potentially accelerate quicker than the Tesla Model S Plaid, which hits 60 mph in around two seconds. The current Turbo S is already quicker than the Tesla around a racetrack. Last summer it became the fastest production EV around the Nürburgring when it clocked a 7:33.35 lap time, more than two seconds quicker than the Model S Plaid’s time.
However, Tesla in May also introduced a Track Package for the Model S Plaid that includes carbon-ceramic brakes and unlocks the car’s speed limiter so it can hit a top speed of 200 mph.
