This is pretty much what everyone expected to Porsche to do, especially with how they've been pumping out Macan's, Cayenne's and Panamara's. It's a vehicle which will sell based on the perception that Porsche builds high quality performance vehicles, which is at least marginally true, although things like this continue to stray from that.
Really, I'm only surprised Porsche is letting their brand be diluted even further, when they could have had a car like this sold under the Audi label instead. That would also have allowed for a much more reasonable cost comparison between this and the Tesla S, since you can get one of those for well under 100k, and the Audi brand has a much wider price spread than the Porsche lineup.
That is true, but more in an Audi V10 R8 than a Porsche sort of way. Audi has always been more of a GT brand to Porsche's light sport car; with the recent non-traditional Porsche's been released VW risks diluting its marques in the same way GM ended up doing with Pontiac and Oldsmobile minivans during the 90s. I have the feeling the only reason it's a four door sedan is so that's always included in rankings with the Model 3; it would most certainly be faster without the extra row of seats but then it would end up being compared with electric sport coupes the general public has never heard of instead.
Wait. Wasn't it Porsche that started all this with the Cayenne SUV? Porsche has always been near the bottom of the pedigree e.g., compared with Ferrari, Lambo, McLaren, etc., but still they are considered supercar-ish status.
It's a slippery slope. Now the Italians with SUVs manufactured from Maserati and Lambo and soon Ferrari(purosangue)!
Fortunately, Porsche is still a 'rare' car. They didn't even hit 60k in the U.S. last year. Yes, Porsche is a good brand, but that didn't stop them from going nearly bankrupt in the 90s. Mercedes has been diluting its brand since the mid 90s through introducing cheap and wide range of models, but it still maintains a good level of prestige. Does it have the same level of prestige as it did in the 70s and 80s? Of course not. But most people don't even remember it. I think Porsche will be fine if they can maintain their product quality.
Every manufacturer needs a good revenue source. Unless you are a manufacturer that is making mass market cars like Honda and Toyota, you need to create cars that people will buy if you want to continue making your niche sports cars.
when the Cayenne was introduced, Porsche was ridiculed for making such a big, ugly car compared to their 911s but look how popular they are now.
Manufacturers don't make cars just for the hell of it. They make cars that the market demands, even if it's to the disgust of car enthusiasts.
I'm kinda bummed they're going with the trend of "touchscreen all the things" for the interior. They even have an option for an addition touchscreen above the glove box.
The UI itself looks fine and I understand that a touchscreens make it easier to iterate the interface. I just wish that they had physical controls for certain things like the AC. Using the voice control to say "Hey Porsche, increase the driver side temperature by 2 degrees" is just awkward.
It doesn't help that automotive latency for touch screens is incredibly bad. It it had smartphone level response maybe it would be a better starting point for comparison.
It would be great if they can sell 25k/year in the US like the Model S. No chance of that until they introduce the lower priced variants presumably next year. I'm skeptical of their commitment to actually sell EVs though so I hope this isn't a case of 'Porsche doesn't see enough demand, so we aren't going to make a cheaper EV'.
Five of their brands (VW, Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Porsche) either have EVs out now or will have soon. Their other high-end brands (Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti) will have EVs eventually. I'm not sure what the plans are with Ducati but I imagine they will release electric motorbikes soon enough.
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[ 2.2 ms ] story [ 63.4 ms ] thread"Taycan" - whats that supposed mean?!!?
Is industry running out of suitable names?
It's how you say "toucan" in Scots.
Really, I'm only surprised Porsche is letting their brand be diluted even further, when they could have had a car like this sold under the Audi label instead. That would also have allowed for a much more reasonable cost comparison between this and the Tesla S, since you can get one of those for well under 100k, and the Audi brand has a much wider price spread than the Porsche lineup.
It's a slippery slope. Now the Italians with SUVs manufactured from Maserati and Lambo and soon Ferrari(purosangue)!
Nothing is sacred.
when the Cayenne was introduced, Porsche was ridiculed for making such a big, ugly car compared to their 911s but look how popular they are now.
Manufacturers don't make cars just for the hell of it. They make cars that the market demands, even if it's to the disgust of car enthusiasts.
The UI itself looks fine and I understand that a touchscreens make it easier to iterate the interface. I just wish that they had physical controls for certain things like the AC. Using the voice control to say "Hey Porsche, increase the driver side temperature by 2 degrees" is just awkward.
In my view touchscreens SUCK for automotive use.
But don't take my word for it. Read up on Mazda's pivot back to tactile and the research to back it. Good move!
https://thenewswheel.com/mazda-eliminates-touch-screens/
I'd love to see something like this, even in a Tesla. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVbuk3jizGM
It would be great if they can sell 25k/year in the US like the Model S. No chance of that until they introduce the lower priced variants presumably next year. I'm skeptical of their commitment to actually sell EVs though so I hope this isn't a case of 'Porsche doesn't see enough demand, so we aren't going to make a cheaper EV'.
https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/vws-91b-spend-evs-out...
Five of their brands (VW, Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Porsche) either have EVs out now or will have soon. Their other high-end brands (Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti) will have EVs eventually. I'm not sure what the plans are with Ducati but I imagine they will release electric motorbikes soon enough.