My FH5 Log: Taycan Bloodline

The Porsche Taycan revolutionized the company behind the legendary 911 and others with its all-electric powertrain and became the starting point for Porsche's road to electrification. Here in Forza Horizon 5, I sample two versions of the said electric car.

But first, a quick refresher on the Porsche Taycan. The Taycan, Porsche’s first fully electric sports saloon, is a true revolution. It’s a sign of a new era for the company behind the legendary 911, among others. This car is an amazing testament to Porsche’s engineering capabilities. The Taycan Turbo S variant can accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in under three seconds and has a unique electric drivetrain with 800V system voltage and 93.4 kWh Performance Battery Plus. The Taycan is also equipped with a wide range of networked chassis systems that keep it sporty and comfortable.

A year after the saloon version was sold, the Cross Turismo joined the lineup. You know, the one that I won from the Modern Horizons Hot Season Playlist. The Cross Turismo features the same bits and bobs from its saloon version but is now in jacked-up shooting brake packaging. The most powerful version, the Turbo S, has 460kW of power output but when over-boost kicks in, it generates up to 560kW of power, delivering a 0-100kph time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 250kph, slower than its sedan equivalent. Range? It's up to 419km per WLTP standards.

Both the Taycan and the Taycan Cross Turismo were concepts turned real and had the same performance. The question is, which Taycan is the best? The saloon or the Cross Turismo? To find out, I went to the main festival stage to conduct this experiment. Roll the tape.

And now the results...

Taycan - 1m00.460s

Taycan CT - 1m01.044s

A close shave as expected but the saloon came up on top.

Saloon or Cross Turismo, it makes no difference which Taycan you're on because, with the Taycan, Porsche's road to electrification goes full circle and the hype is real. Electric power just got manly and dangerous. This is Soul, Electrified.

EPILOGUE

Showing respect to the first-ever Porsche Taycan, it's time for the saloon version to do a one-car show but first...

A dab of Angel's Breath and the Taycan's feeling angelic for all the wrong reasons. Still, the scent of Angel's Breath is lovely and nostalgic just like a stack of Mod magazines from my youth. Let's go, Mikan.

With the scent of Angel's Breath lingering, Mikan the Taycan is prepared to take on today's Making Drama; a storm drain setting curated by a certain EventLab pro. 

Making Drama, switch on!

The scent of Angel's Breath may be gone but my little angel skewered through the storm drain like an idol possessed.

The Porsche Taycan is a truly revolutionary vehicle. The electric powertrain is impressive, the performance is incredible, and it's both stylish and comfortable. Plus, it's fun to drive! It's no wonder that it's one of the most popular new cars on the market. It's a testament to Porsche's engineering prowess that they were able to create an electric car that doesn't sacrifice any of the things that make a Porsche a Porsche. I predict that the Taycan will be one of the most iconic cars of the decade.

GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!

Porsche Panamera (972) v Taycan Minor Change

The only premium saloon in the Porsche stable, the Panamera, is now in its third generation and it's officially the best Panamera ever made by a narrow margin.

2025 Porsche Panamera

Starting at an ultra-expensive 110,900 Euros plus additional costs, the all-new third-generation Panamera is the Third Coming of Porsche's only luxury premium sedan that combines the first-class comfort and track-honed performance you would expect for a Porsche.

2025 Porsche Panamera

The design of the Panamera 972 is very similar to earlier models, but Porsche says that this new version was inspired by the electric Taycan. The all-electric Taycan is Porsche's only luxury premium sedan, and its influence can be seen in the design of the Panamera. I think this is an exciting development that shows that Porsche is moving forward with exciting, new models that will be part of their exciting future.

Now the range-topping Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid, the most powerful Porsche Turbo, is the first to don the monochrome Porsche badge because it looks so cool. I think it's a great idea to put the badge on the most powerful version of the Porsche.

2025 Porsche Panamera interior

2025 Porsche Panamera interior

In contrast to its familiar looks, the interior is all-new for the 972. On the driver's side, it features a dual touch-screen display with the other one on the passenger side, which is of course an optional extra and it's only visible to whoever sits in the front passenger seat, not from the driver's seat to avoid distracted driving. Boo. On the plus side, the analog clock from the previous model is still here. On the top as usual. On the passenger side, it still has that out-on-the-limo feeling, and things get even more interesting if you go for the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Executive with longer wheelbase and executive rear seats. Going first-class doesn't need to be a dull moment especially when you're in the all-new Porsche Panamera.

The new Porsche Panamera has a good amount of boot space, as long as you don't need the rear seats. With the seats folded down, you can fit up to 1264 liters of stuff in the back, which is pretty good for a premium sedan. So if you’re a Porsche purist and you need a lot of cargo space, you’ll likely be happy with the new Panamera.

2025 Porsche Panamera

Base Panamera variants are powered by a 3.0L V6 Twin Turbo engine with 353PS of power and mated to an 8-speed AT but the E-Hybrid variants are armed with the same engine but bolted to an E-Motor to produce a total output of up to 544PS of power for the 4S E-Hybrid variant. Mated to the said gearbox, it does 0-100kph in 3.7 seconds and flat-out at 290kph.

The range-topper Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid is armed with the new 4.0L V8 turbo engine bolted to an E-Motor that produces a total output of 680PS of power and 930Nm of torque. It does 0-100kph in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 315kph. That's nearly supercar performance in a car that weighs over two tons.

Dynamics have been slightly improved thanks to its standard Porsche Active Suspension Management, available all-wheel steering, available Porsche Active Ride active suspension, and new active shock absorbers, among others. With such improvements, the dynamics made the all-new model the best premium sedan to drive by a narrow margin. You might as well ditch your Mercedes-AMG S63 for this one. It feels downright addictive to drive.

As for safety, the all-new Panamera features a revised active speed assistant as well as the updated Porsche InnoDrive now with swerve assistant and the new Remote ParkAssist function.

The all-new Porsche Panamera is no doubt the best Panamera ever made by a narrow margin but is it really the best Porsche sedan you want to drive and leave others driven to tears?

2025 Porsche Taycan

2025 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo

2025 Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo

To give us the answer, let's introduce to you to the Porsche Taycan's 2025MY Minor Change. Priced at 101,500 Euros, which is slightly more expensive than the all-new Panamera, the Taycan is still offered with three body styles such as the saloon version, the Sport Turismo with up to 1212 liters of boot space with the rear seats folded down, and the slightly rugged Taycan Cross Turismo.

2025 Porsche Taycan interior

The Taycan minor change features a slightly refreshed design as well as a revised interior with more touchscreens, a refreshed digital instrumental cluster, standard brushed aluminum side sill scuff plates, new leather-free upholstery options (both with Pepita houndstooth fabric), revised two-tone color scheme choices and new Aluminium Prisma decor. Everything around the Taycan is still first-class comfort.

2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT

Of course, you can have the all-electric Taycan from 408PS to 952PS for the Turbo S but ignore all of that because there's now the ultimate Taycan you want to have; the Taycan Turbo GT.

Priced at 240,000 Euros plus additional costs, the Taycan Turbo GT juiced its AWD dual-motor powertrain with 105kWh Lithium battery to produce a monstrous 1034PS of power and 1340Nm of torque. It does 0-100kph in 2.3 seconds and flat-out at 290kph, slower than the all-new Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid. As for driving range, the Taycan Turbo GT is good for 555km in one full charge and it will take half a day to charge it while at home or 18 minutes while at a public 320kW charging station if there is one.

Armed with the available Weissach Package that deletes the rear seats and other forms of comfort to drop 70kg on a car that weighs over two tons, the Taycan Turbo GT is capable of crushing the Nurburgring Nordschleife production EV lap record in 7 minutes and 7.55 seconds, faster than the controversial Tesla Model S Plaid. This is no doubt the fastest saloon to lap the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife and such plaudits must not be ignored.

So, the all-new third-generation Panamera and the Taycan minor change. Both Porsche saloons are built for the new normal with the first-class comfort and race-honed performance you would expect for a Porsche but in the end, it's the facelifted Taycan, in Turbo GT form, takes the upper hand. Either way, these two are too hot to be ignored. WE JUST WANT ONE OF THESE.

Photo: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo

Speedo boys got blown away by the arrival of the first-ever Porsche Taycan, an all-electric premium sports sedan that is proof that Porsche laid their strongest card ever on the electric car wars thanks to its performance and ecology that puts its nemesis, the Tesla Model S, on its crosshairs. Thanks to the success of the Taycan, a new addition to the lineup has been welcomed and looks like we're gonna need some extra space with this one.

The Porsche Taycan is now joined by the Cross Turismo variant, a so-called sport utility wagon that offers the same thrills as the sedan variant but now with the ruggedness to do some dirty stuff, come tarmac, gravel, or snow.

Known as the production version of the Mission E Cross Turismo Concept, just like its sedan counterpart that bears resemblance to the Mission E Concept, the concept-turned-reality styling of the Taycan Cross Turismo is a rewarding treat for speedo boys who can't wait to have one if they have a hundred pounds worth of hundred euro bills because of the pricing that starts at around 93,635 Euros plus additional costs. That's about ten grand more than its sedan equivalent but what do you get for that kind of money?

What you get is a Taycan with some extra space at the back and while it works and feels just like the sedan version, especially the futuristic dashboard that is packed with touchscreens all over and seating for five people on board, since this is the crossover shooting brake version, the added boot space makes it suitable enough for your next weekend outing. With the rear seats present, boot space is about 446 liters, which is more than the sedan version but with them folded down, that makes it up to 1,212 liters, making the ideal business partner if you are into delivering sensitive packages to high-profile clients.

The Taycan Cross Turismo has four variants to choose from at the start and they are packed with the Performance Battery Plus with a total capacity of 93.4kWh and a system voltage of 800 volts for quicker charging times. The most powerful version, the Turbo S, has 460kW of power output but when overboost kicked in, it generates up to 560kw of kW of power, delivering a 0-100kph time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 250kph, slower than its sedan equivalent. Range? It's up to 419km per WLTP standards.

Porsche says that the Cross Turismo is almost capable of doing offroad stuff thanks to its raised ground clearance like most crossovers have but since this is a soft offroader, the only surfaces it can tackle are tarmac, gravel, and snow, even sand. Probably because with the Cross Turismo, there's an additional Gravel mode that allows the Cross Turismo to traverse through the dirt like a decent rally car but with some added sensibility.

When you had enough fun doing the rounds on the dirt, you can enjoy the Cross Turismo the same way you did in the sedan version of the Taycan and although it feels bulky to drive as the saloon equivalent, it's still worth satisfying to drive until you are fully satisfied and thanks to a wide range of driving aids, it's safer as well.

So, would you want this over the sedan version? It's hard to say but if you are thinking you need a Taycan that deserves more, consider this.

Photo: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

Porsche Taycan

Porsche is one of the luxury carmakers that jumped into the electric revolution by creating a German equivalent to the Tesla Model S which promises to be the most revolutionary Porsche ever made; delivering zero emissions to the environment while delivering the same experience speedo boys get from the Porsche. Say hello to the first-ever Porsche Taycan electric sports saloon, the most revolutionary Porsche ever made.

2020 Porsche Taycan

The Porsche Taycan starts at a very expensive 105,607 Euros plus additional costs, which is more costly to own than the Tesla Model S but despite the outrageous price tag for an electric sports saloon, the Taycan promises to be one of the most surprising cars of the new decade and Porsche really laid down their strongest trump card on the EV wars with this one, although unsure about how it lives to its name.

2020 Porsche Taycan

First of all, the design draws inspiration from the Mission E Concept car, meaning that the Taycan almost has all of the bits and bobs from the concept car it was based on so therefore, it's great to look at, although the naming is worth a headscratcher. Look at the grade list; there's the word Turbo on it and it's impossible to be called a Turbo because being an electric car, there are no turbochargers on it, but for the Porsche folks, they redefined the Turbo meaning to their cars to serve as the most powerful and fastest variants ever made and they do have a point. Anyway, let's talk about that later on because it's time to get inside and see what's it like.

2020 Porsche Taycan interior

The interior is as futuristic as the exterior design itself because on the driver's side, the dashboard's heavily dominated by so many touchscreens to toy at, which is very next century-ish but you would really want to keep it clean with your cloth used to clean your glasses after touching it. You wouldn't want to leave fingerprints on such screens, of course. On the passengers' side, it's about as spacious as a Panamera as well as a boot space big enough for today's trip to the country club or a five-star hotel. Either way, living in a Taycan is anything fancy for those got their hands on it and whether if its drive or be driven, this Porsche does it all.

2020 Porsche Taycan

The Taycan uses two electric motors bolted on each axle with the rear takes good care of its two-speed gearbox. The utterly misleading Turbo variants have a normal power output of 460 kW but because this is the top-tier variant of the range, they come with an Overboost feature, which in Turbo S guise, churns out up to a smashing 560kW, that's more than today's Model S range-topper by a narrow margin. With that kind of power, the Taycan Turbo S can do 0-100kph in less than three seconds and limited to 260kph. Now that's Porsche'level fast for an electric car but it can't outrun a speeding rocket heading straight towards bull's eye.

On the dynamics side, the Porsche Taycan features active suspension management and torque vectoring technology, which all sounds very nice but be warned because handling one is like a double-edged sword because when you take it through the corners, it feels mild and menacing for an electric sedan and when things get rough, it's an arm-breaking experience. 

Despite that, the Taycan is worth drivable over and over again until you are fully satisfied with the way it behaves and when you get the hang of its mild and menacing grip, it's very exciting.

2020 Porsche Taycan

When you had enough fun, you can really ease yourself in the Taycan because even though it's a sportscar at heart, it works like a luxury car on the streets. It's surprisingly comfortable to live with and safer as well thanks to its wide array of safety features too many to list.

Porsche really did laid their strongest card on the electric car wars with the Taycan and with its electric powertrain, performance, style, and comfort, there's no denying that this is going to be one of the best new cars of this brave new decade. Everyone's anticipated for this but sadly, there's one major problem with the Taycan; Gran Turismo completely ruined it.

Yep, the Gran Turismo folks featured the Taycan first on the GT SPORT game and as I said, cars that featured first and only on Gran Turismo are downright terrible just like the Toyota GR Supra. Face it, nobody likes a car featured first and only in the world of Gran Turismo like the Taycan, and if you're thinking about having one, please don't if you value your collection of super fast cars and your dignity. That is all.

Available colors; Weiβ, Carrara Weiβ Metallic, Dolomit Silber Metallic, Vulkan Grau Metallic, Schwarz, Tief schwarzes Metallic, Enzian Blau Metallic, Frozen Blue Metallic, Mamba Gun Metallic, and Karminrot.

Photo: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

GT SPORT: Soul, electrified

With the world braces for an electrified future, Porsche accepts the electric car challenge by creating their first-ever electric car that delivers the same Porsche feeling in a zero-emission promise.



The result is the birth of Porsche's first electric sports saloon, the Taycan, and GT SPORT has the exclusivity to bring the new Taycan to the virtual world for all to witness the electrified vision of Porsche.



Only Gran Turismo Sport players have been given the opportunity to have their first taste of Porsche's electrified vision with the Taycan and now that it's here in the world of Gran Turismo, let's investigate more about Stuttgart's first electric car that promises pure Porsche DNA in an electric car packaging.



Unveiled at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Taycan is Porsche's first fully-electric sports saloon which marks the beginning of the new era for the German sports car maker responsible for the legendary 911, the 718, the Panamera, and other models. At launch, the Turbo and the range-topping Turbo S will be offered and it's very confusing why they gave a Turbo naming on an electric sports saloon like this even though it has no ICE that powers it.

Anyway, wrong naming aside, the range-topping Turbo S unleashes up to 560kW overboost power from its unique electric drivetrain with 800v of system voltage and 93.4kWh Performance Battery Plus, meaning it's capable of going from 0-100kph in less than three seconds.

Apart from the electric powertrain that leaves them a first impression, the Taycan features a wide array of centrally networked chassis systems that will keep the electric car sporty and comfortable wherever it will go.



Upon trying out the Taycan firsthand in the game, the acceleration is worth a first impression to me because with all that power, it can get away quicker than the competition, but in terms of handling, it's a different story. Because it weighs about two and a half tons and with four-wheel drive, it feels bulky to drive and mild to handle, meaning it's too grippy to let loose and can be easily prone to understeer if you are approaching to the corner. It might be worth a break in the ligaments but if you keep driving with this Porsche, the more you will appreciate about the Porsche DNA the Taycan carries. It maybe difficult to get round corners with precision but it's worth a shot in a Taycan.

To explain what I'm on about, I had a little spa day on my own and if by spa day, it's not what you expect.





At long last, the famous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is back in the world of Gran Turismo and the return of the Belgian track is the perfect sandbox for Porsche's first electric sports saloon.





From Eau Rouge to Rivage, I can really feel all the drama the Taycan went through and with all that mildness and all the grip, feels like the struggle is real and my arms are starting to leave an impression on the Taycan's grippy and mild driving feel, no matter the ever-changing elevation I've been through during my so-called spa day. Speaking of which, I did a timed lap to see how fast the Taycan went through Spa and I have a little footage for us to watch.

I did it in a 2:46.806, meaning that despite the weight and handling that upsets me the most, the Taycan is surprisingly a decent and enjoyable track day car that you can challenge yourself with if your arms are fully prepared for the worst.



It's still too early to tell the outcome of Porsche's first-ever electric sports saloon but thanks to GT SPORT, we have the experience we need to understand how the Taycan is made. If you haven't got the chance to experience what's what behind the wheel of the Taycan, be sure to play Gran Turismo Sport right now because this is the only chance you'll need to experience Porsche's electrified vision.