The Unstoppable Evolution of Porsche

In 2003 Porsche shocked the motoring world with its move from being purely focused on manufacturing high-performance two-door sports supercars with the introduction of the Cayenne, the company’s 4-door high-performance SUV – that went on to become a huge commercial success. Much later came the Panamera, a luxury four-door high-performance sedan, and more recently Porsche announced the launch of the brand’s first-ever fully electric car – the Taycan.

Taycan, a word I’d never heard of before until this car was first announced in 2019, is a Turkish-derived name which apparently roughly translates to ‘spirited young horse’ and is pronounced (as it is spelt) tay-can.

Fast forward to 2023 and Porsche is here with the Porsche Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo, quite a mouthful compared to other models of the brand such as the ‘911’ or ‘Macan’. This latest model is the long-roof station wagon alternative to the Taycan sedan.

During one of my regular business trips to Dubai, this was the car Porsche Middle East kindly provided me with to scoot around the Emirate in. I had it for 3 nights and enjoyed every minute.

I’ve driven numerous EVs from different brands, so you could say I’ve adjusted to them and I have gone from not liking EVs, to now truly loving and appreciating them for the new and exciting technology they offer.

The Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo looks sexier than the Coupe (in my humble opinion). I’ve had a bit of a ‘thing’ for the station wagon design since being introduced to Audi’s blisteringly fast RS6 Avante, and lately with BMW’s recently launched M3 touring. 

Back to Porsche, the Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo might be fully electric but there is no shortage of power. Quite frankly, it has an insane amount of power, far more than I was able to use on the roads of Dubai. 562 horsepower and 0-100 kph in just 3.3 seconds. This thing drives like a Porsche and leaves you grinning ear to ear with sweat on your forehead. When flooring it from zero it feels like you’re operating from the inside of an almost silent missile. Unlike the 911 it doesn’t give the roar of the flat-6. Instead, there’s a strangely calming electronic humming sound.

It looks as good as it drives. One morning at the lobby of the Palazzo Versace hotel where I was staying, I handed my valet ticket over and waited for the vehicle to arrive. When it did, it attracted far more attention from people than any of the arrays of Italian and British supercars parked outside the hotel. Whether this was because of the car’s gorgeous look or because of the new-found fascination with electric cars, I don’t know. 

It has a very futuristic design. I wasn’t overly keen on the front design when I first saw it on social media, however, it is one of those things that you can only really like and understand when you see it in person. It’s stunning.

Inside the car, it is comfortable and clearly a Porsche. Everything is premium, solid and feels expensive with all sorts of luxuries and personalization options. Oh, in case you hadn’t already guessed – it IS an expensive piece of kit with a starting price of BHD 42,686 (incl. VAT).

There’s a standard four-seat configuration or an optional five-seat setup, achieved by adding a small centre seat in the back row. Compared to the sedan there’s slightly more headroom in the front and lots more in the back. There’s also much more cargo space.

To conclude, it’s the most powerful EV I have driven to date. I was impressed from the moment I first saw it upon collection. Beautifully designed, it attracted a lot of attention and questions from friends. As a sports car, exceptional handling (as expected from Porsche), is frighteningly fast and comfortable. Despite its sportiness, I would happily drive this as a daily.

To arrange a test drive in Bahrain, contact Porsche Bahrain at +973 1745 9911

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