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The Drive
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
Spied: Porsche Taycan Turbo Weissach Running Aero Wheels and GT3 Fender Vents
The latest car news, reviews, and features. This week, our spy photo contact in Germany sent us an album of a Porsche Taycan Turbo prototype running extremely wild-looking aero. From the asymmetrical wheels and GT3 RS-style fender vents we can see here, it seems clear that Porsche is not done tuning its already mind-meltingly fast electric super sedan. The top of the Taycan food chain right now is the 2026 Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package. Ringing up at about a quarter-million bucks, it claims up to 1,019 horsepower and can do 0 to 60 in an unsettling 2.1 seconds with launch control. Meanwhile, a couple of weeks ago, I drove the relatively pedestrian Taycan Cross Turismo with less than half as much power … and thought that felt insanely fast. I suppose aero tweaks don't necessarily mean Porsche's planning for more speed per se; the brand's tinkerers might simply be looking for more stability and range. Aerodynamic adjustments can, of course, play a big part in both. The spy who sent us these images indicated that longtime Porsche collaborator Manthey was working on this particular Taycan setup, and that Porsche race driver Lars Kern was at the wheel. Kern has driven Porsche cars, including the Taycan, in quite a few instances of important development driving and record-chasing. Close study of the images, as best as we can see beyond the camo and tape, reveal wheel arch extensions on the front and rear that are more extreme than even what's on the current Weissach car. And the rear-wheel aero covers and front fender vents are hard to miss. 'As on the 911 GT3 RS, the wheel arch ends at the top and a completely new air deflector guides the air from the wheel arch past the side of the vehicle,' photographer Stefan Baldauf noted in an email. 'The diffuser under the car is also very striking. This is also more reminiscent of a GT3 RS than a Taycan. A completely new lip and additional flaps can be seen at the front. The prototype was fitted with Pirelli tyres.' It looks spectacular. And while I'm kind of neutral about electric cars in general, the Taycan in particular is one of my favorite things on the road right now. It's cool to see that Porsche is still pushing the platform. This clip will give you a sense of what the mighty Taycan Turbo is already capable of: Got a tip? Send us a note at tips@
Motor 1
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
The Electric Porsche Cayenne Will Have Fake V-8 Noises
Porsche is not the type of manufacturer to rely on its past to develop future cars. The 911 might look the same as it did 62 years ago, but the company is typically very forward-facing when it comes to tech. That's why we're surprised to hear the upcoming Cayenne EV will use fake V-8 noises. British publication Autocar confirmed the inclusion of the sounds pumped through the speakers, said to be from "a genuine Porsche V-8 engine," during a ride-along in the car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It's a shift in ideals from Porsche's current EVs, the Taycan and Macan , which both use their own specially developed sounds, neither of which reminds us of internal combustion engines. Photo by: Porsche Notably absent from Autocar's recollection of the ride-along were any mentions of a synthesized transmission, as you'd find on the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N or the Kia EV6 GT . Which means while a V-8 noise blared from the speakers, it likely didn't have the fake gears to make it sound natural. If we had to guess, the Cayenne likely sounds similar to the Dodge Charger Daytona, which uses a synthesized V-8 growl that revs up as you accelerate, as if it only had one gear. In practice, it's not pleasant . But that's just an assumption, and things can change before the car enters production in 2026. Not that it's likely to. Porsche development driver Lars Kern confirmed to Australian media in 2024 that Porsche would not pursue the development of fake gear shifts in the company's EVs, saying "the electric engine is better than an ICE [internal combustion engine], so we figured there's no reason to simulate what has been in the past." That last part has us questioning whether Porsche is starting to change its mind on how it approaches EVs. If internal combustion noises are on the table, then synthetic gearboxes could be as well. That's the only way I see the upcoming electric 718 succeeding . Let's hope the company has a change of heart. Personally, I'd love to hear the wail of a Carrera GT while behind the wheel of a new 718. More Fake Engine Noises The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Is the First True Enthusiast EV Tesla Model 3 Performance Has Many Mods And Fake Engine Noise Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Goes Even Harder With Aggressive Manthey Racing Upgrades
Our spies are always camped at the Nürburgring Nordschleife during industry testing days, and their latest sighting is of a Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with several additions that appear to come straight out of the Manthey Racing playbook. For the record, the $230,000+ Taycan Turbo GT with the no-cost Weissach Package is already an exceptionally hardcore electric sedan with 1,019 horsepower and no rear seats, and independent testing has seen 0-60 mph sprints completed in as little as 1.89 seconds. Porsche set a Nürburgring time of 7:07.55 with its most hardcore Taycan last year, breaking records as the fastest series-production electric car and the fastest four-door of any kind on the track, but then the Chinese rained on Porsche's parade, hard, and this new prototype, expected to cost around $300k in production form, seems like Germany's retort. Launched earlier this year with a starting price approximate to just $73,000, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra offers 1,527 hp and similar 0-60 times. A more powerful, quicker accelerating, cheaper EV might not seem like a big deal, but ever-improving Chinese cars have been hurting Porsche's market share in the region, and with the SU7 Ultra beating the Taycan Turbo GT's time by lapping the Green Hell in just 7:04.95 last month proves that Xiaomi's lower asking price is not necessarily evidence of a lesser product. With Manthey Racing upgrades, Porsche will surely take a crack at reclaiming the record. We doubt there's much weight that can be shed here, but Manthey's focus is predominantly on aerodynamic enhancements, and these photos show several elements that are similar to those seen on the Porsche-owned tuner's GT3 RS kit. At the front, the lower side intake scoops have lost their grilles, and the middle of the front fascia is no longer a closed panel. However, the side intakes just below the headlights, which cool the brakes, have been closed up. The outer extremities of the front fascia have gained canards for additional downforce, while the lower splitter seems sharper and is no longer connected to the winglets that form air curtains over the wheels. This is because the Manthey kit will widen the car with bulging arches, which, at the front, are vented and feature a floating air guide to smooth turbulent air from behind the front tires. Also noteworthy is that the hood has vents aligned with the center of the arches. The side skirts don't appear to have changed much, if at all, as is the case with the rear wing. The rear wheels, though, have gained Manthey's trademark aero covers with another floating air guide, and the lower half of the rear fascia is far more aggressive, with a simply massive diffuser that wouldn't look out of place on the Le Mans grid. All in all, this looks mighty, and our spies report that racing driver Lars Kern was at the helm. He's the man who has set numerous Nürburgring Nordschleife lap records for Porsche, so it's quite possible that he and the automaker are preparing to go for gold again. But the Chinese won't be easy to beat, even after all this. Last month, a modified version of the SU7 Ultra lapped the almost-13-mile course in just 6:46.87, some 8 seconds quicker than a GT2 RS with the Manthey Racing kit, and not far behind the outright record-holder, the Mercedes-AMG ONE (6:29). Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
