What's all this about?
Porsche has renamed the 600hp Mission-E electric supercar as the Taycan. And you can stop doing the 'particular set of skills' speech made famous by Liam Neeson right now, because it's pronounced 'Tie-carn', not 'Taken'. It means 'lively young horse', roughly speaking, in an Oriental language Porsche isn't keen to specify.
You're having me on, surely?! Lively young horse?
Yes. It's to reflect the rearing steed that has been on Porsche's crest since 1952, no less.
How does the Taycan fit in with Porsche's other badge names?
Oh, there's a reason for everything. Boxster is a portmanteau of 'boxer' and 'roadster', which highlights the car's horizontally opposed cylinders and its soft-top status. Cayman harks to the caiman, a small crocodile, and references 'incisive and agile', like the coupe. Cayenne is named after a pepper, which is handy because that denotes fieriness. Macan is the Indonesian word for 'tiger' and we're guessing Taycan comes from the same lingo, given the second syllable of each word is pronounced the same. And the Panamera is 'more than a standard Gran Turismo', a bit like the old Carrera Panamericana road race from which it takes its name was more than just a long-distance saunter across the Americas. And, er... 911 means, er...
When will the Porsche Taycan go on sale?
Production will start in 2019 and it retains all the details that made it so delectable as the Mission-E concept. So, we're talking in excess of 600hp, able to run 0-100mph and 0-200mph in 'less than' 3.5 and 12 seconds respectively and with a range of around 312 miles on a charge. Porsche has also chucked a considerable amount of cash at its EV project and production of the Taycan is said to lead to the creation of 1,200 jobs within the company.
Anything else to add?
"Our new electric sports car is strong and dependable; it's a vehicle that can consistently cover long distances and that epitomises freedom," said Oliver Blume, chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, explaining the car's name.
Matt Robinson - 12 Jun 2018
