Electric car builders are in a Cold War of speed.
Many build high-end luxury sedans, like the Tesla Model S, Porsche Taycan, or Lucid Air. Those cars are plenty quick, enjoying the instant-torque advantage electric vehicles (EVs) have over gas-powered cars, which build up torque gradually.
But many also offer a limited-edition, high-performance model meant to threaten records. Tesla claims its Model S Plaid, for instance, can get from zero to 60 in under two seconds on a specially prepared track with optional high-performance tires.
Lucid says its Air Sapphire can do the same trick with its standard equipment tires on an unprepared track.
And Porsche? We’ll find out soon.
The Stuttgart gang has released a teaser image hinting at a high-performance version of its recently revamped electric sedan. We can’t tell much from the photo, which silhouettes the car against a background of tire smoke. It wears a huge rear wing and looks like it may have larger tires and a lower ride height than the standard Taycan.
But improving the speed of an EV is often as much about programming as it is about tire choice. We anticipate the car will offer a horsepower boost, something like the 1,020 of the Plaid or the 1,234 figure of the Sapphire.
We’ll find out more soon – Porsche promises to unveil “the most dynamic Taycan of all time” in less than a week.
