2021 Porsche Taycan Turbo S sets production electric vehicle lap record at The Bend
Porsche's debut electric car sets another lap record, this time around South Australia's The Bend.
The 2021 Porsche Taycan Turbo S has set a lap record for a production electric vehicle at South Australia's The Bend Motorsport Park.
Piloted by former Bathurst 1000 winner and Porsche Track Experience chief instructor Luke Youlden, the red Taycan Turbo S lapped The Bend's 7.7km GT Circuit layout in three minutes and 30.344 seconds – claimed to be a record for a series-production electric vehicle (EV).
However, it's worth noting the Taycan Turbo S's lap has seen it set a production EV lap record, rather than break an existing time – meaning it remains to be seen whether rival electric vehicle manufacturers including Tesla and Audi could be capable of beating Porsche's time with their most potent machinery.
The Taycan's record is only four per cent slower around the same lap than the lighter Porsche 911 Turbo sports car, which posted a three-minute, 22.066-second time.
"The lap time of the Taycan just absolutely blew me away. You drive it in a similar way to any other Porsche sports car. The turn-in, handling and acceleration were outstanding. The power out of the corners is definitely where it makes up a lot of time", said Youlden.
Powering the Turbo S sedan – the flagship, most powerful variant in the Porsche Taycan range – is a pair of electric motors and a 93.4kWh lithium-ion battery pack, combining to develop 560kW (on overboost) and 1050Nm. Those outputs are said to be good for a 2.8-second 0-100km/h sprint time, and a 260km/h top speed.
The Bend Motorsport Park is said to be the second-longest race circuit in the world, behind Germany's iconic Nurburging Nordschleife – another track home to an official Taycan lap record, posting a seven-minute, 42-second time in 2019 to become the fastest production electric vehicle around the circuit.
That's in addition to a number of other records set by the Taycan globally, from endurance records in the UK, and the world's longest electric vehicle drift, to the indoor production car speed record.
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