Porsche Taycan goes sporty with GTS variants

LOS ANGELES — Porsche's first attempt at a battery-powered sports car has gotten off to a rollicking start since it launched on the eve of the coronavirus pandemic.

Globally, the Porsche Taycan outsold the brand's flagship 911 sports car in the first nine months of the year. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Porsche delivered 7,228 Taycans through September, exceeding deliveries in all of 2020.

Now, Porsche is serving up Americans more of what they want.

The automaker introduced two sportier variants — the Taycan GTS sedan and Taycan GTS Sport Turismo — on the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show here.

The GTS sedan starts at $132,750, while the long-roof Sport Turismo version starts at $134,650. Both prices include a $1,350 shipping charge. U.S. deliveries will begin in the second quarter next year.

"In the middle of the Taycan lineup lies a place for those who want more handling and braking than the standard model without the extreme price and asphalt-melting acceleration of the Turbo S," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of Global Vehicle Forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions.

The GTS models feature the same permanent magnet single-speed front motor, larger permanent magnet rear motor and two-speed rear transmission. This setup delivers up to 590 hp, slotting the GTS models in between the Taycan 4S (462 hp) and Taycan Turbo (670 hp).

The standard braking system on the GTS models shares the same red six-piston front caliper and four-piston rear caliper as the Taycan 4S but is equipped with larger 390 mm front rotors.

Unlike the off-road Taycan Cross Turismo, the GTS Sport Turismo is intended to stay on pavement.

With the same interior dimensions as the Taycan Cross Turismo, the GTS Sport Turismo maintains the 15.7 cubic feet of cargo volume in the rear. The GTS Sport Turismo also features a 2.9-cubic-foot front trunk.

The Sport Turismo offers the optional Panoramic Roof with Variable Light Control feature. The system allows the driver to adjust the amount of light let into the cabin by activating nine liquid crystal film segments in the roof. The setting can be adjusted via the touch screen.

When the vehicle is switched off, the roof automatically switches to matte, and once restarted, the system will remember the previous roof setting.