
2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach Is the Quickest of the Mega EVs
The 2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT sheds 288 pounds with the Weissach pack, adding aero bits and stickier tires, but the extra drag reduces range by 7 miles.
The Weissach car hits 60 mph in the same 1.9 seconds as the regular Turbo GT, but it's one-tenth quicker to 70 mph, and 160 mph arrives 0.5 second sooner.
Lateral grip also improves, as the Weissach package pulls 1.11 g's on the skidpad, up from the regular Turbo GT's 1.08 g's on the same Trofeo RS tires.
Welcome to Car and Driver's Testing Hub, where we zoom in on the test numbers. We've been pushing vehicles to their limits since 1956 to provide objective data to bolster our subjective impressions (you can see how we test here).
Bewinged and slathered in Purple Sky paint, our 2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach edition looks like it means business. Open either rear door and you'll also see how far Porsche has gone in its efforts to reduce weight, because this four-door sedan only seats two. The rear seat has been stripped out. A carbon-fiber thingamabob in its place is emblazoned with "no step" iconography that warns you that this space is for cargo only. Other changes include deleting the Taycan's signature dual fender-mounted charge ports, so you'll always have to charge only on one side, like with almost every other EV. You'll look out through a thinner windshield and live without rear speakers. But that rear seat is gone for a reason: So that weight can be added back in the form of downforce without exceeding the tire's limitations. The aero changes include front and rear splitters and a sizeable stand-up wing that combine for 175 pounds of front and 310 pounds of rear downforce.
But Aero 101 tells us that any amount of downforce comes at the expense of some amount of drag. Frankly, we didn't know if this 1019-hp machine would be quicker in a straight line than the last Taycan Turbo GT we tested—the first car to hit 60 mph in under two seconds—because the Weissach car weighed 288 pounds less on our scales or if it'd be slower because of the extra drag that comes with the aerodynamic add-ons, particularly at higher speeds. There was only one way to find out.
Michael Simari
|
Car and Driver
Turns Out, It Was Both
Our first stop was acceleration, because we wanted to make sure the battery was at peak performance. It's no use depleting the battery on some cornering or braking exercise, although we did gently slalom our way there to put some heat in the tires. The first launch was a monster, with more noise than we expected, along with some slight nagging wheelspin. On the return run, the launch hit just as hard, but it was less of a shock because we knew what was coming this time. We ran it again and again, laying down more rubber each time. This isn't a huge deal, as this is normal asphalt. Mostly, it was a case of blowing off the dust. Still, turns out runs four and seven (upwind and downwind) were the quickest, which is unusual for an EV, so those are the two we averaged together.
The Weissach car was fractionally better at the 60-mph mark than our regular 2025 Turbo GT, 1.887 to 1.904, but it rounds to the same 1.9 seconds. After that, however, the Weissach has the clear edge. At 70 mph, the difference is 2.3 versus 2.4. The difference creeps up from 5.0 to 4.8 seconds at 110 mph. It's an advantage of 0.3 second at 140 mph, 0.4 second at 150 mph, and 0.5 second (a.k.a. 10.5 vs 11.0 seconds) at 160 mph. In there somewhere, the Weissach passed the quarter-mile at 9.2 seconds and 152 mph, which is one-tenth and 2 mph better and beats both the Lucid Air Sapphire (by a tenth) and Tesla Model S Plaid (by two tenths). So much for the 'negative' effects of aerodynamic drag. Also, we verified the Weissach's 190-mph top speed, which betters the Turbo GT's top speed of 180 mph.
Michael Simari
|
Car and Driver
Next up, we did braking, and this was a mixed bag. The purple people eater and the normal Turbo GT traded blows, as the Weissach did one foot better in the 70-mph stop (140 versus 141 feet), while the regular Turbo GT pipped it in the 100-mph realm: 274 to 275 feet. Still, it must be said that this was just for single-stop honors. If you average the lot, the Weissach wins both contests with a tighter grouping, although by a very narrow margin: 141 to 145 feet, and 275 to 277 feet. Orbiting the skidpad comes last, and this was a clear win for the purple one, 1.11 versus 1.08 g.
There Is Always a Catch
Now, don't all go rushing out and buy one, even though there is zero upcharge for the Weissach package. There are a few intangibles you've got to think about. For one, you'll miss out on the chance to sample Porsche's glorious option list, because most of them are not available on the Weissach. No doubt this is why the weight difference here is 288 pounds instead of the 165 pounds that Porsche says it should be, as our previous Turbo GT test car had the optional glass roof.
Michael Simari
|
Car and Driver
Another thing to consider is that the weight loss comes from that thinner windshield, which means less sound deadening. You hear a bit more noise from the motors, and stone-pecking from the tires is ever-present. It doesn't show up on the interior-sound-level meters, which are a virtual tie on smooth asphalt, but since when is your road system free of wee stones? Part of this is the vacuuming effect of the Trofeo RS tires, which come standard with the Weissach package; they're optional on the regular Turbo GT.
Hmm. Wait a minute. The optional nature of the P Zero Trofeo RS tires on the Turbo GT is another reason you will pay more for a car that goes nearly as fast as a Weissach yet somehow doesn't stick as well.
Specifications
Specifications
2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package
Vehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $231,995/$233,395
Options: GT silver interior accents and seatbelts, $940; illuminated rear Porsche logo, $460
POWERTRAIN
Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC
Rear Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC
Combined Power: 1019 hp
Combined Torque: 914 lb-ft
Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 97 kWh
Onboard Charger: 11.0 kW
Peak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 320 kW
Transmissions, F/R: direct-drive/2-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 16.5-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc/16.1-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc
Tires: Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS Elect
F: 265/35ZR-21 (101Y) NF0
R: 305/30ZR-21 (104Y) NF0
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 114.2 in
Length: 195.6 in
Width: 78.7 in
Height: 54.3 in
Cargo Volume, F/R: 3/13 ft3
Curb Weight: 4915 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 1.9 sec
100 mph: 4.1 sec
130 mph: 6.6 sec
150 mph: 8.9 sec
1/4-Mile: 9.2 sec @ 152 mph
170 mph: 12.7 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 2.3 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 1.1 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 1.3 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 190 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 140 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 275 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 1.11 g
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 81/84/79 MPGe
Range: 269 mi
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
Dan Edmunds
Technical Editor
Dan Edmunds was born into the world of automobiles, but not how you might think. His father was a retired racing driver who opened Autoresearch, a race-car-building shop, where Dan cut his teeth as a metal fabricator. Engineering school followed, then SCCA Showroom Stock racing, and that combination landed him suspension development jobs at two different automakers. His writing career began when he was picked up by Edmunds.com (no relation) to build a testing department.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Car and Driver
an hour ago
- Car and Driver
View Exterior Photos of the 2025 Toyota 4Runner Limited
Although more powerful hybrid models are available, our 4Runner had the base turbo 2.4-liter four, making 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque.


Car and Driver
an hour ago
- Car and Driver
View Interior Photos of the 2025 Toyota 4Runner Limited
There are many real-deal buttons scattered about, covering both the steering wheel and parts of the center stack.


Car and Driver
an hour ago
- Car and Driver
2025 Toyota 4Runner Limited Test: New Dog, Some New Tricks
The existence of the Toyota 4Runner is up there with other universal constants, like the speed of light in a vacuum. It exists beyond time and space. When we all become dust in the wind, the 4Runner will still be there, offering up its anachronistic blend of truck-adjacent versatility for whatever buyers still wander about the wasteland. After an impressive 15-year run, the sun has set on the fifth-gen model. The new 2025 4Runner brings some much-needed improvements to the table, but the general formula remains the same—not always to positive effect. That's particularly true in a trim like this Limited that presumably will spend most of its days on pavement. Exterior and Interior The fifth-generation 4Runner's design wasn't bad by any stretch, but looking at it for so long got a little tiring. Since everybody likes their SUVs as macho as humanly possible, the new 4Runner's style leans heavy on the chunk. Even in our test example's mall-crawler Limited spec, the 4Runner has an imposing silhouette. The edges are a little more rounded off than on its Land Cruiser sibling, but it's clear the two are cut from the same rectilinear cloth. View Interior Photos Andi Hedrick | Car and Driver Inside, the 4Runner finally gets a cabin that was designed with modern tech in mind. The Limited sports a honkin' 14.0-inch touchscreen that dominates the dashboard, but there remains a healthy assortment of physical switchgear to manipulate. The controls are big and chunky enough to be used with gloves on. In fact, everything in here has a kind of low-polygon vibe to it, something Toyota has been relying on in recently revised models to good effect. The 4Runner is a little tall, but our model came wearing power running boards, a $1005 option that made ingress and egress a little easier, even if deployment isn't very quick. Ours also had the $1330 optional third row; these jump seats are best left to children, but they will hold adults in a pinch, both literally and figuratively. Things feeling a little cramped in the back? Don't worry, the rear window still rolls down, giving the wayback some much needed breeze. Andi Hedrick | Car and Driver View Interior Photos Andi Hedrick | Car and Driver New Powertrain The 4Runner's powertrain was also modernized, though it doesn't always feel that way. Toyota's 4.0-liter V-6 is finally free to cash its Social Security checks on a Fort Lauderdale beach. In its place is a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder producing 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, and an available hybrid boosts output even further but can't be combined with the third row of seats. Our three-row Limited was thus equipped with the base engine, which produces a note that lands somewhere between "coarse" and "unpalatable," though its pronounced turbo whistle is kinda fun. The eight-speed automatic may have more gears than its predecessor, but it feels no smoother. HIGHS: Modern interior, beefy looks and the capability to match, roll-down rear glass still rocks. With the base engine, motivation is ho-hum. At the test track, this 5111-pound SUV needs an unimpressive 7.5 seconds to reach 60 mph; from a 5-mph roll, it takes 8.2 seconds. Breaking into triple digit club requires 20.2 seconds. The brakes are decent, taking 170 feet to stop from 70 mph, but the pedal is squishy and builds little confidence in around-town driving. It feels like the first couple inches of pedal movement are for display purposes only. After that, you need to apply so much pressure that you might wonder if you forgot to option power brakes. View Exterior Photos Andi Hedrick | Car and Driver On-Road Driving We've taken the 4Runner off-road alongside its fancier Land Cruiser relative, and while it remains eminently capable in the dirt, the new 4Runner also remains a task to daily drive. It is large, it is heavy, and it is ponderous. While the new model does steer better than its predecessor, the steering still feels a smidge lazy. Ride quality over pockmarked pavement is mediocre at best. Even though our test example has adaptive dampers, it still suffered pronounced body-on-frame jiggle; its softest Comfort mode doesn't quell the jiggling but does allow it to wallow more. There are also two different Sport modes, both of which are uncomfortable and make precisely zero sense on a truck-based SUV. Real-deal pickup trucks with empty beds and passive dampers handle better than this thing. Unsurprisingly, the 4Runner doesn't exhibit a lot of grip, orbiting around our skidpad with 0.74 g of stick. The 20-inch Dunlop Grandtrek PT5A all-season tires might not produce a ton of grip, but they do loudly clomp over expansion joints and potholes. When the wind picks up, it slaps against the 4Runner's many flat surfaces, also contributing to the in-cabin din that seems noisier than the 69 decibels we recorded inside at 70 mph. LOWS: Uncomfortable ride, ungainly handling, rough-around-the-edges powertrain. During the fifth-gen 4Runner's extremely long life, it enjoyed a spot all to itself in the lineup. But now that the Land Cruiser has been redesigned as a smaller but no less versatile unit, there's some overlap. The $58,850 Limited is the fanciest nonhybrid 4Runner trim on offer, and our test truck tacked on a few options, bringing its total to $62,875. Its pre-options price is in line with the $58,150 base Land Cruiser 1958, and our as-tested price isn't far from the fancier Land Cruiser's $62,920 window sticker. View Exterior Photos Andi Hedrick | Car and Driver If you're willing to throw a few more dollars at your monthly car note, you do get a bit more from the Land Cruiser. A hybrid is standard there, whereas it's an extra-cost option on the 4Runner Limited and other trims. The LC might be a bit less capable off-road in certain aspects, given it can't be had in the 4Runner's available TRD Pro and Trailhunter setups, but that trade-off results in a bit more on-road placidity. Neither would be considered a bargain, though. As has been the case in the past, attempts to tame the Toyota 4Runner's rough-and-tumble nature with on-road-oriented trims like the Limited have done little to make this body-on-frame SUV feel less out of place in the Target parking lot. In that sense, the 2025 model is much like its forebears. But at least you know what you're getting into. VERDICT: A truck-based SUV that doesn't stray far from its past. Specifications Specifications 2025 Toyota 4Runner Limited 4WD Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear/4-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon PRICE Base/As Tested: $58,850/$62,875 Options: third-row seating, $1330; power running boards, $1005; gloss-black roof-rail cross bars, $420; Tow Tech package (trailer reverse assist, interior rearview mirror display), $400; LED liftgate light, $200; accessory-ready LED lantern, $160; retractable black cargo cover, $135; 4Runner carpeted cargo mat, $130; TRD panel air filter, $90; bright-chrome wheel locks, $90; towing-ball mount, $65 ENGINE turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port and direct fuel injection Displacement: 146 in3, 2393 cm3 Power: 278 hp @ 6000 rpm Torque: 317 lb-ft @ 1700 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: control arms/live axle Brakes, F/R: 13.4-in vented disc/13.2-in vented disc Tires: Dunlop Grandtrek PT5A 265/55R-20 113V M+S DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 112.2 in Length: 194.9 in Width: 77.9 in Height: 73.1 in Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 56/44/36 ft3 Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 84/45/12 ft3 Curb Weight: 5111 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 7.5 sec 1/4-Mile: 15.7 sec @ 90 mph 100 mph: 20.2 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.2 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.9 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.2 sec Top Speed (gov ltd): 115 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 170 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.74 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY Observed: 18 mpg EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/City/Highway: 21/20/24 mpg C/D TESTING EXPLAINED Reviewed by Andrew Krok Managing Editor, Reviews Cars are Andrew Krok's jam, along with boysenberry. After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew cut his teeth writing freelance magazine features, and now he has a decade of full-time review experience under his belt. A Chicagoan by birth, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Maybe one day he'll do something about that half-finished engineering degree.