2022 Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo: Smooth Sailing on California Roads
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The new-for-2022 GTS Sport Turismo expands the Porsche Taycan lineup, which already included a sedan and a high-riding Cross Turismo wagon.
The German automaker is taking a page from the conventionally powered Panamera, which also offers two different body styles.
- Also: 2022 Porsche Taycan GTS: We Put it to the Test at Willow Springs Raceway
- Also: 2021 Porsche Taycan 4S: Elektrisch
Following an official debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in mid-November, the folks at Porsche not only invited us to a lapping session at the Willow Springs Raceway, but they also let us shred some of California’s most scenic roads including Angeles Crest Highway, an amazing, 106-km-long succession of twists and turns through the mountains between Pasadena and Wrightwood.
Improved Range
The new Taycan GTS has the longest WLTP-estimated range of any Taycan model at 504 km. That’s because Porsche revised the 93.4-kWh battery’s energy management system. Not to be left out, every other Taycan will get the same system starting in 2022.
As a result, the cars provide 20 km of additional range. However, since the WLTP standard is more optimistic than the ones used in North America, expect to achieve nearly 400 km in normal driving conditions with the Taycan GTS.
RWD Bias
The Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo slots between the Taycan 4S and Taycan Turbo when it comes to performance. The front motor comes from the base 4S model, while the rear motor is borrowed from the Turbo.
With 509 horsepower, or 590 with Overboost, and 626 pound-feet of torque, acceleration is impressive, though not quite as explosive as full-throttle sprints in a Taycan Turbo or Turbo S.
That being said, the Taycan GTS is unique for the fact that 80 percent of the torque is sent to the rear wheels under normal circumstances, and that RWD bias combined with a standard active rear differential makes it a bit sharper in corners.
By the way, the Taycan Sport Turismo variant will eventually add new powertrain options beyond the one available in the GTS model.
Firmer Ride
The adaptive air suspension on the Taycan GTS is 20 percent stiffer than that of the Turbo or Turbo S in order to improve cornering performance. What’s more, the optional four-wheel steering system is tuned for more direct steering and even better handling.
On Angeles Crest Highway, the GTS felt totally at ease, showing incredible steering precision and ferociously sticking to the pavement despite a weight of more than 2,800 kg.
Sportier Looks
The new Sport Turismo body style is obviously derived from the Taycan Cross Turismo, which offers more headroom for rear passsengers and up to 1,200 litres of cargo capacity.
Styling reflects other GTS models in the Porsche catalogue, with numerous black accents on the outside and anodized black brush aluminum inserts inside. The Sport Chrono package comes standard, while customers can specify a panoramic roof with Sunshine Control, which uses an electrically switchable liquid crystal film to change the roof from clear to matte.
How Much?
Pricing for the 2022 Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo starts at $152,700, or $2,600 above the four-door Taycan GTS. In typical Porsche fashion, there’s a very long list of options, most of them costing a pretty penny. Look for the new GTS models to arrive in dealerships during the second quarter of 2022.
