Latest news with #PorscheTaycanTurboGT
Miami Herald
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Goes Even Harder With Aggressive Manthey Racing Upgrades
Our spies are always camped at the Nürburgring Nordschleife during industry testing days, and their latest sighting is of a Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with several additions that appear to come straight out of the Manthey Racing playbook. For the record, the $230,000+ Taycan Turbo GT with the no-cost Weissach Package is already an exceptionally hardcore electric sedan with 1,019 horsepower and no rear seats, and independent testing has seen 0-60 mph sprints completed in as little as 1.89 seconds. Porsche set a Nürburgring time of 7:07.55 with its most hardcore Taycan last year, breaking records as the fastest series-production electric car and the fastest four-door of any kind on the track, but then the Chinese rained on Porsche's parade, hard, and this new prototype, expected to cost around $300k in production form, seems like Germany's retort. Launched earlier this year with a starting price approximate to just $73,000, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra offers 1,527 hp and similar 0-60 times. A more powerful, quicker accelerating, cheaper EV might not seem like a big deal, but ever-improving Chinese cars have been hurting Porsche's market share in the region, and with the SU7 Ultra beating the Taycan Turbo GT's time by lapping the Green Hell in just 7:04.95 last month proves that Xiaomi's lower asking price is not necessarily evidence of a lesser product. With Manthey Racing upgrades, Porsche will surely take a crack at reclaiming the record. We doubt there's much weight that can be shed here, but Manthey's focus is predominantly on aerodynamic enhancements, and these photos show several elements that are similar to those seen on the Porsche-owned tuner's GT3 RS kit. At the front, the lower side intake scoops have lost their grilles, and the middle of the front fascia is no longer a closed panel. However, the side intakes just below the headlights, which cool the brakes, have been closed up. The outer extremities of the front fascia have gained canards for additional downforce, while the lower splitter seems sharper and is no longer connected to the winglets that form air curtains over the wheels. This is because the Manthey kit will widen the car with bulging arches, which, at the front, are vented and feature a floating air guide to smooth turbulent air from behind the front tires. Also noteworthy is that the hood has vents aligned with the center of the arches. The side skirts don't appear to have changed much, if at all, as is the case with the rear wing. The rear wheels, though, have gained Manthey's trademark aero covers with another floating air guide, and the lower half of the rear fascia is far more aggressive, with a simply massive diffuser that wouldn't look out of place on the Le Mans grid. All in all, this looks mighty, and our spies report that racing driver Lars Kern was at the helm. He's the man who has set numerous Nürburgring Nordschleife lap records for Porsche, so it's quite possible that he and the automaker are preparing to go for gold again. But the Chinese won't be easy to beat, even after all this. Last month, a modified version of the SU7 Ultra lapped the almost-13-mile course in just 6:46.87, some 8 seconds quicker than a GT2 RS with the Manthey Racing kit, and not far behind the outright record-holder, the Mercedes-AMG ONE (6:29). Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Car and Driver
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
2025 Lucid Air Sapphire Is the Quickest Car We've Ever Tested
The Lucid Air Sapphire we tested hit 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, 100 mph in 3.9 seconds, and finished the quarter-mile in 9.1 seconds at 155 mph. The Sapphire's 60-mph time ties the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach, but the Lucid is even quicker in accelerating to triple-digit speeds. Both EVs we tested wore ultra-grippy Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tires, and while the Sapphire is 418 pounds heavier, it has an extra 215 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Welcome to Car and Driver's Testing Hub, where we zoom in on the test numbers. We've been pushing vehicles to their limits since 1956 to provide objective data to bolster our subjective impressions (you can see how we test here). Have you ever wondered what it's like to drive a Top Fuel dragster on the street—legally, of course? The 1234-hp Lucid Air Sapphire is arguably the closest thing, minus all the noise and nose-hair-tingling smell of race fuel. Similarly quick and equally electric, the 1019-hp Porsche Taycan Turbo GT qualifies as a close second. In fact, in Car and Driver's nearly 70 years of testing cars, the Taycan Turbo GT was the first to record a sub-two-second sprint to 60 mph, hitting that mark in an incredible 1.9 seconds. With the mass-reducing Weissach kit, the Turbo GT was even quicker, but not enough to get to a 1.8-second zero-to-60 time. While Porsche deserves its flowers, holding the title of quickest car to 60 mph we've ever tested was short-lived, as Lucid's quarter-million-dollar supersedan has tied that record-setting run. Since ties are as exciting as waiting in line at a public fast-charger, we need a way to separate these two hypercar-like EVs. When it comes to acceleration, the Sapphire owns the tiebreaker. Incredible Quickness This isn't the first time we've tested the ultimate Lucid Air. Previously, we tested a 2024 model that hit 60 mph in 2.1 seconds. However, that car wore Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, which aren't nearly as grippy as the Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS Elect rubber on our 2025 Sapphire, a $2900 option. Along with sticky tires and all-wheel-drive traction, the tri-motor four-door makes 1430 pound-feet of torque that puts every heavy-duty truck's diesel engine to shame. That stump-pulling torque and 1234 horsepower helped give the Sapphire an acceleration advantage against the Taycan Turbo GT Weissach, which makes 914 pound-feet and has the same type of tires. The Weissach we tested weighed 4915 pounds, which is 418 pounds less than the 5333-pound Lucid. Jessica Lynn Walker | Car and Driver View Photos Michael Simari | Car and Driver It's probably best to eat a light lunch before launching either of these machines. The experiences are akin to a catapult, instantly forceful and eerily quiet, apart from the mostly muted sound of outside wind and road noise. Besides the sensation of butterflies in our stomach and feeling like being glued to the back of the seats, both the Sapphire and Taycan Turbo GT have launch control that makes it relatively easy to pull off these insane feats of acceleration. But while they each reach 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, the Lucid pulls away after that, hitting 200 mph in 17.9 seconds on its way to a governor-limited 208-mph top speed. Meanwhile, the top Taycan tops out at 190 mph, but we only hit 170 mph in our acceleration test, which took 12.7 seconds—1.5 seconds slower than the Sapphire. While it's officially a tie to 60 mph, if you zoom into the hundredths place, the Sapphire is fractionally ahead, and the Lucid's acceleration advantage starts hitting the tenths place after they both hit 80 mph in 2.8 seconds. From there, the Sapphire's lead grows, and it hits 100 mph two-tenths sooner at 3.9 seconds. It hits 130 mph in 6.3 seconds and 150 mph in 8.4 seconds, which are advantages of 0.3 and 0.5 second, respectively. Michael Simari | Car and Driver Our 2025 Lucid Air Sapphire had an as-tested price of $253,400, and the 2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach was $20K behind it at $233,395 as tested. Despite being slightly slower than the Sapphire, the top Taycan posted better cornering grip on our skidpad (1.11 g vs. 1.09), and both cars stopped from 70 mph in an identical 140 feet. However, we're not sure the Weissach's slight edge will be enough to overturn the Sapphire's decisive lap-time win at Virginia International Raceway over the non-Weissach Taycan Turbo GT at our last Lightning Lap. If track days aren't part of the equation, the Lucid's comfier cabin, with its luxurious massaging front seats, and bigger trunk definitely make it a more desirable daily driver. Not to mention, the Sapphire comes with a limo-like back seat, whereas the Weissach-equipped Turbo GT ditches its rear buckets to save weight. Quicker Than a Bugatti? While all-wheel-drive EVs have blistering off-the-line quickness, one area they haven't been as strong in is higher-speed acceleration, through the quarter-mile and beyond. The 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport we tested is the king of triple-digit acceleration times, hitting the 200-mph mark in 14.8 seconds. That's 3.1 ticks ahead of the Sapphire. The Chiron has also been our reigning king of the quarter-mile, with its 1578-hp quad-turbo 8.0-liter W-16 propelling it to a 9.1-second time. However, this latest Lucid sets the quickest quarter-mile we've ever seen from an EV, tying the $4.3 million Chiron hypercar at 9.1 seconds. View Photos Marc Urbano | Car and Driver However, once again, if you zoom into the hundredths place, the Sapphire pulls off a slight victory and is oh, so close to a run of 9.0 seconds flat. We managed that in one direction, but the best in the opposite direction dragged the average up to 9.1. (All of our acceleration results are an average of the best run in each direction to help neutralize the effects of wind or slight elevation change.) Also, the Sapphire hit 60 mph three-tenths quicker and reached the century mark two-tenths sooner than the Chiron SS. While the two machines are neck and neck through the quarter-mile, the Bugatti's additional horsepower is evident in its 161-mph trap speed, which is 6 mph faster than the Lucid's. Eric Stafford Managing Editor, News Eric Stafford's automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual '97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a '90 Honda CRX Si. Read full bio
Herald Sun
26-06-2025
- Automotive
- Herald Sun
Mercedes-AMG GT XX concept revealed
Don't miss out on the headlines from HiTech. Followed categories will be added to My News. Mercedes could be the first brand to sell a car in Australia with one megawatt of power. Mega what? That's the term for 1000kW of power, an enormous figure that pushes the brand's next supercar beyond the wildest cars currently on sale – machines such as the 760kW Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and Lamborghini's V12 hybrid Revuelto with its 747kW of power. Mercedes-AMG Concept GT-XX. Picture: Supplied Wilder still, Mercedes says its car is capable of 'at least 1000kW', suggesting the car's true performance potential is even higher than that. That enormous power lies under the composite skin of the Mercedes-AMG Concept GT XX, a show car designed to demonstrate the brand's considerable ability. It has three 'axial flux' electric motors that, according to Mercedes, develop 'high power from an extremely compact package', offering 'unprecedented capability'. MORE: The proof EVs have arrived Mercedes-AMG Concept GT-XX. Picture: Supplied How unprecedented? Try a top speed of 360km/h – some 55km/h more than Porsche's fastest Taycan. Better still, the car has the ability to take on 400 kilometres of electric range in just five minutes. Granted, electric charging infrastructure to support that does not exist. But when it does, Mercedes will be ready. The electromechanical guts underpinning the concept car were a joint effort by Mercedes‑AMG in Affalterbach, where flash road cars are made, and Mercedes‑AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth, where Formula 1 powerplants are born. The new machine represents the first electric car developed purely by AMG – other fast battery-powered Benz models are hotted-up versions of the brand's luxury cars. MORE: Inside BYD's plan to take over the road Mercedes-AMG Concept GT-XX. Picture: Supplied The car's retro looks are inspired by Mercedes concepts of the 1970s, accompanied by thoroughly modern details. A dot matrix light panel between the tail lamps replaces conventional badges. The show car can display Mercedes or AMG logos – or be customised with anything else a driver might like to say to those behind them. MORE: F1: The Movie reviewed Mercedes-AMG Concept GT-XX. Picture: Supplied Clever lighting elements on the side replace pinstriping or vinyl details. In the cabin, an F1-like steering wheel takes inspiration from the Mercedes-AMG One hypercar – the revolutionary machine powered by the same 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid motor that powered Mercedes to several championships. Michael Schiebe, chief executive of Mercedes-AMG, said the concept car represents 'the next milestone in the history of AMG', one that 'forges a whole new dimension of performance'. 'We're bringing groundbreaking technology that redefines high performance,' he said. 'The best thing is that this car is a true AMG with every fibre of its being. The heart of an AMG was always the motor, and that will remain so with our in-house electric architecture. 'With our high-tech axial flux motor, we're delivering a revolutionary new drive that is unparalleled in terms of power density, weight and packaging. 'This pairs with a new performance battery developed from scratch that enables previously unimagined level of performance and endurance.' Originally published as Mercedes-AMG GT XX concept revealed
The Citizen
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
All-electric Porsche Taycan Turbo GT goes fastest once again
This Taycan has 580kW of power on tap which increases to 760kW during launch. The ridiculously fast Porsche Taycan Turbo GT has just gone and added the Yas Marina Circuit to the growing list of global racetracks where it is officially the fastest production battery electric vehicle. The record lap time of two minutes 7.247 seconds was set using the current 5.2km F1 GP World Championship circuit in Abu Dhabi. Strict regulations A new official lap record format from the Emirates Motorsport Organisation (EMSO) dictates that cars undergo strict scrutineering prior to track activity. This is done to ensure the cars are being run standard production car trim and specification. On track activity is then limited to a 60-minute practice session, followed by a 45-minute qualifying session. It's during this qualifying session that the lap record time must be set. ALSO READ: Porsche's most powerful jolt ever released called Taycan Turbo GT UAE-based GT racing driver and instructor Ramez Azzam was the man behind the wheel of the Porsche Taycan for the record attempt. 'We all know electric vehicles can be fast in a straight line. To be fast over a whole lap is where the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT really shines,' said Azzam. Eye-popping oomph Using the expertise Porsche has developed from its championship-winning 99X Electric race car that competes in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the Taycan Turbo GT is able to bring that technology to the street as the most powerful production Porsche ever. The car offers 580kW of power for normal use. But this number jumps up to a full 760kW with launch control activated. An optional Weissach package is available for the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. What this means for the man in the street is that there are no rear seats. There is also more carbon fibre and this in turn offers a better power-to-weight ratio. The Weissach package saves 75kg while a fixed rear wing provides extra downforce. Porsche Taycan Turbo GT race-ready The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT comes standard with lightweight ceramic brakes based on the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake. The car is also equipped with the Dynamics Package that includes the Porsche Active Ride suspension with GT-specific tuning. The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT is said to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in just 2.2 seconds. And reach a top speed of 305km/h. If only The Citizen Motoring could get our hands on one, this Porsche just might be able to topple Mercedes-AMG's GT 63 S E Performance Coupe from the top of our sprint table too.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Damp Road Atlanta Track Can't Stop Porsche From Setting New EV Record
Damp Road Atlanta Track Can't Stop Porsche From Setting New EV Record originally appeared on Autoblog. Porsche has broken its own production EV lap record at Road Atlanta, this time with the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. Back in 2020, the Porsche Taycan Turbo S zipped around the 2.54-mile track in 1:33.88 minutes, and now Porsche has slashed another 6.73 seconds off that time. Piloted by brand ambassador Patrick Long, the newer and more powerful Taycan Turbo GT managed a time of 1:27.15 minutes last month. Although it was equipped with a few optional extras, adverse conditions made the latest Turbo GT's run even more impressive, and this achievement adds to the extreme EV's growing list of lap records. Although the latest record was achieved with a stock Taycan Turbo GT (note that the pictures shown here aren't from Road Atlanta, but from Interlagos), the model was equipped with the optional Weissach Package. Interestingly, Porsche doesn't charge extra for this package - the Turbo GT costs $231,100 with or without it. If you want to set the best lap times, the Weissach Package's enhancements include a special aero package, including a fixed rear wing with a carbon-weave finish and front aeroblades. This derivative weighs 4,925 pounds, 165 lbs less than the normal Turbo GT, and that's due to extreme weight-saving measures like the removal of the back seats. These changes allow the Taycan Turbo GT to hit 60 mph in 2.1 seconds, a tenth quicker than the normal model, and reach 190 mph. Pirelli Trofeo RS tires also helped with traction. 'The new Taycan was so easy to get up to speed, and the brakes were amazing; there was absolutely no compromise in feel or power,' said Long. 'I didn't expect how powerful the Active Ride suspension would be in counteracting pitch, roll, and squat. Road Atlanta puts a lot of load into a car, and the hydraulics kept up with it without any issues, and made sure the tires were always at their best.' Porsche said that weather conditions changed throughout the day of the record attempt. Morning rain was followed by drier conditions later, with the temperature at around 75 degrees. At the time of the lap, the track was mostly dry, except for damp patches here and there. Porsche said the battery was at 97%, while the tire pressures were set to 37 psi. Using the Track Endurance Mode, the battery's starting temperature was 68 degrees Fahrenheit. 'To be on the safe side, we experimented with traction and stability control settings, Sport PSM and off, and found the car to work just fine with it in Sport; you could see the traction control working on the dash, but it was totally seamless from the drivers seat,' said Long. 'And finally, Attack Mode is intense, I never have felt such a smooth but intense burst of usable power in anything, including race cars!' The Turbo GT was faster around the track than the Panamera Turbo S (1:31.51) and 718 Cayman GT4 (1:32.24). The quickest production car overall (including both gas cars and EVs) was previously the 911 GT2 RS (991), with a time of 1:24.88. However, Chevrolet broke this record earlier in 2025 with the Corvette ZR1 with the ZTK Package, which achieved a blistering time of 1:22.80 minutes. However, among EVs, Porsche remains untouchable. Damp Road Atlanta Track Can't Stop Porsche From Setting New EV Record first appeared on Autoblog on Jun 17, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
