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• The established electric carmaker takes on one of the world's well-known sports car maker's.
• Taycan Turbo S is pitted against the Tesla Model S Performance fitted with the latest software update.
• The Cheetah Stance update lowers the car's front suspension and tweaks the adaptive dampers for the best possible traction.
Right now the quickest accelerating electric-powered sedans in the world are the Porsche Taycan Turbo S and the Tesla Model S Performance.
The duo will match and even beat some of the world's most powerful internal combustion engine cars. They are ballistically fast off the line by tapping into the instant torque generated by the batteries.
In a straight line, few cars can match the exploits of the Taycan Turbo S and Model S. But which one is the quicker of the two? The guys at Carwow conducted a drag race between the duo to see who drive away (silently) with the bragging rights.
Model S Performance
To give itself the best chance of winning, the Model S has benefited from a Cheetah Stance update. The setup, according to Tesla, adds new functionality to launch mode that lowers the car's front suspension and tweaks the adaptive dampers for the best possible traction when launching.
Simply put it's the fastest Model S you can buy right now, well not in South Africa.
The Model S Performance two electric motors have 615kW and 1300Nm, and a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 2.6 seconds. Top speed is 262km/h.
It weighs a lot. The Model S Performance registers on the scale at 2241 kilograms.
In Cheetah Stance, there's 37kW more to play with and above urge above 128km/h. But do those numbers translate into the American whooping the German's behind in the drag race? Well, before we get there, let's have a look at what Zuffenhausen's first EV is packing.
Taycan Turbo S
The Taycan is powered by two electric motors, one on the front axle and one on the rear axle, thus making it an all-wheel drive offering.
There are three models available, starting with the Taycan 4S packing 390kW and 640Nm courtesy of an 800-volt battery. It can accelerate from standstill to 100km/h in four seconds. This model has a range of 407km, according to Porsche.
The Taycan has a trick up its sleeve in the form of a higher-powered model labelled Turbo. We know it's a confusing name because it has no turbos.
What it does have is 567kW and 1050Nm and takes just 2.8 seconds to 100km/h from standstill. The Porsche weighs more than the Tesla at 2295kg, wow who would have expected the German to weigh more than the American.
Let the games begin between these two hefty, powerful, quiet cars. It simply boggles the mind to think a four-door sedan is capable of accelerating this quick off the line.
The Carwowteam conduct a simple drag test and then a rolling start, the results are startling. Have a look for yourself:
