Auto123 gets in a first drive of the 2022 Porsche Taycan GTS, Sport Turismo version.
Rome, Italy – “GTS”. Those three letters have meant a few things over the years – gran turismo spyder, gran turismo sport, etc. — and they’ve graced the flanks of a few cars. The Dodge Viper. The Ferrari 308. The Nissan Skyline. The…Porsche Taycan?
Nope, your eyes aren’t deceiving you; for 2022, Porsche has added a GTS trim to the Taycan EV lineup, meaning the German automaker now has a GTS version of every car it sells.
At Porsche, GTS does, indeed, stand for “Gran Turismo Sport” (not to be confused with the popular video game) and on the Taycan, it graces the flanks (and rump) of both the Taycan sports sedan and Sport Turismo wagon styles. Which is a little confusing — or right on the money — because that means if you expand it out, the wagon’s full name would be “Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo Gran Turismo Sport”. But who’s counting?
Those who are counting will realize that of the GTS models, the Taycan is the most powerful. It makes a generous 589 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, enough for a 0-100 km/h time of just 3.7-seconds. Needless to say, that is an almost unfathomable number for what is after all a 2,295-kg (that’s over 5,000 lb!) station wagon with seating for five.
Yes, seating for five. Because like its Cross Turismo sibling but unlike the sedan version, the Sport Turismo gets a bench seat in back. It also gets more rear headroom and more cargo room because, ostensibly, the Sport (or Cross) Turismo version is the one for those who want that famous Stuttgart crest on the nose, but still want to move a family. And who don’t want a Cayenne. Or a Panamera.
Having sampled both the Cross and Sport Turismo versions of the Taycan as well as the sedan version, I can safely say that the “wagon”-style Taycan (“shooting brake” may be more apt, but since the Sport Turismo has four doors, it doesn’t quite fit the definition) is the one I would have. It’s also the one that should have debuted before the sedan, in my opinion.
I say that because in addition to the added interior room, the Turismo versions are just better looking. There’s just something about a big car that, in my eyes, demands a long roof and the Turismo gives you that, but still maintains a sharply (though less so) raked rear window and that great ground-hugging stance that’s magnified by the shape of the front light assemblies.
After that, you get all the usual interior goodness such as infotainment displays for both driver and passenger, a third display below that for your climate control (as well as your trunk/front trunk opening controls, though I’d rather a mechanical lever for that, as one gets in a 911 or 718) and if you spec it, an advanced nine-section panoramic glass roof that can become completely opaque, or set to let in just as much light as you like. My tester didn’t have this, sadly, but not having a heavy glass roof does lower the centre of gravity, which plays well into the GTS ethos.
In GTS form, meanwhile, the Taycan gets 21-inch blacked-out wheels, black badging, front apron, smoked headlights and bonkers rear diffuser and side skirts. It’s all pretty aggressive stuff but what’s interesting is it actually reduces the space-age effect that other Taycans have. Even when painted this shade of Mamba Green Metallic, the GTS looks the more traditional car.
Actually, come to think of it, the green paint is probably a big part of that as opposed to the whites and metallic grey/blues the Taycan has been so well known for since its debut. I think it’s those wheels, though. In an effort to reduce drag and improve range as much as possible, Porsche has always fitted the various Taycan models with futuristic, low-drag wheels. Those still are standard spec even on the GTS (though painted black as opposed to silver) but the optional RS Spyder style seen with their black paint and y-spokes look like race car wheels in comparison.
But then, that’s kind of the point with the Taycan GTS. Throughout the Porsche lineup, the GTS models are the ones you look for if you are looking for the even-more-athletic version of an already athletic car.
Take the 911, for example. If you want to go all-out athletic or sporting, there’s the GT3. However, if you want some of that raciness without the hefty price tag and overly serious chassis and aero tuning (putting aside the more street-sensible GT3 Touring, for a minute), you’ve got the GTS.
Now, there is no GT3 equivalent of the Taycan because that really wouldn’t make much sense, but this is still Porsche and Porsche makes performance cars, no matter their source of power. So a Taycan GTS has a rightful spot on the roster.
As is Porsche’s way, the conversion to GTS extends far beyond some fancy badgework and blacked-out wheels.
Keyword: 2022 Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo First Drive: An EV That Pretends It Isn’t One