Porsche has released more photos of the Taycan
Porsche has released more photos of the Taycan
Today, Porsche shared a few new sketches to shed a little extra light on what the upcoming all-electric Taycan is going to look like. The model is scheduled to make its debut in September, but for now all we have to go off of are these new sketches and the spy shots that keep popping up.
Michael Mauer, Head of Style Porsche, said that the Taycan represented represented a new challenge for the Porsche design team because there was no basis for it in Porsche’s history – they’ve never attempted an all-electric model before. He did also say that the new car has to maintain what he calls Porsche’s “brand identity.“ That means it has to be new and fresh and recognizably Porsche, even at a glance.
The design process
“With the Taycan, we continue to consistently pursue the strategy of offering the sportiest vehicle in every segment in which we are represented,” Mauer said. “In terms of design, this is initially expressed in the proportions. Sports cars have a more dramatic width-to-height ratio than other vehicles. And I would go so far as to say that we have redefined the architecture of purely electric vehicles to a certain extent.”
Mauer also mentioned that, because there wasn't the traditional automobile architecture to work around – that is, no engine, transmission, etc. – the designers had more freedom with the Taycan. One of the ways this manifested was the new headlight design.
“However, we are going one step further within the context of product identity: aerodynamics and air flow quality are especially important for all-electric models because they greatly influence the range. For this reason, we did away with traditional headlights here and used a light source located in the air intake instead. The air enters laterally from the front and exits again behind the wheel housings. The air flow at the wheels is therefore calmer, bringing about significant aerodynamic benefits,“ he added.
The Taycan will be one of the first cars – after the McLaren 720S – to intentionally make the headlights a part of the airflow. The Porsche takes it one step further though, as they guide air through the wheel arch and out behind the front fender to reduce pressure in the wheel arch and make the car more aerodynamic.
You can check out there rest of the interview here, but it’s safe to say the Taycan will be one of Porsche’s most interesting products in a long time.
By Nicholas Yekikian
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