Porsche showcases all-new Taycan interior
All-electric model is said to use original 911 dash as its inspiration
There's not long to go now until Porsche officially unveils the Taycan - the all-electric model tasked with the job of taking the brand into a zero-emission future. The teasing has been fairly relentless, and that's understandable; this week we've arrived at the car's interior, where "classic design features have been reinterpreted and brought into the digital age". Which is appropriate.
It's a sign of the Taycan's importance that Porsche is keen to reference royalty: the dash is said to have been influenced by the 911 from 1963 - genesis, in other words. Really though, the manufacturer is trying to communicate its minimalist instincts, because the layout is as 'ultra modern' as it gets.
For a start, there are four screens. Four. The driver sits facing a 16.8-inch digital instrument cluster - the first fully digital one in a Porsche - with curved glass and no hood, shaming even the very latest Audi Virtual Cockpit by some margin. Either side of the display are touch sensitive buttons that in other Porsches would be located on the transmission tunnel (such as the damper switch), a move that designers said makes better use of space.
Interestingly, the gear selector is said to be located in the same position as the 918's - an obvious nod to what was previously Porsche's most famous electrified model. But for most occupants the most notable feature will be a 10.9-inch centre console display, which runs Porsche's most advanced infotainment tech yet, including a sat nav system that works much like Google Maps. While the cabin air flow settings are also accessed here, with the vent angles controlled by dragging the airflow lines around the screen. Want more air on your face? Drag the air flow lines to where your head is and the cabin's airflow will be automatically directed there, but without you actually feeling any air flow - so no more dry eyes...
The transmission tunnel screen is 8.4 inches and it features haptic touch, controlling climate control temps. It's a bit like the Range Rover Velar's system, only with Porsche graphics - although there is also a handwriting section that can be used to control the main infotainment system or write addresses for the sat nav. We're told it's extremely clever and learns its user's habits, so messy writers need not be discouraged.
The final screen is a 10.9-inch passenger display. This is optional, but Porsche expects the majority of buyers to spec it because they'll likely be a tech savvy bunch. The screen is combined with the centre display in a continuous cabin-wide black panel, and will only turn on when there's a passenger in front of it. When on, it allows access to almost all of the cabin's functions, with the exclusion, of course, of anything related to the car's powertrain or drive settings.
A likely useful feature will be the passenger control of the sat nav, so they can make alterations to the destination etc without removing the directions from the main screen. The same is true for the music menus. If that weren't enough, rear passengers will also get a small display which allows the control of the local zone climate settings.
Elsewhere the scope for personalisation will be substantial. There are several different options as far as leather is concerned - or, if you prefer your leather with less cow in it, a 'vegan' trim material will be offered which swaps animal hide for more sustainable materials, including one made from recycled fishing nets.
Of course if fussing about with swatches isn't really your thing, Porsche has also been at pains this week to reiterate the lengths it has gone to with the rest of the car. The manufacturer released a video on Monday showing a pre-production test car undergoing hot weather testing at Nardo, which included 24 hours of continuous running on the high-speed track (or as near to continuous as you can get with a car that needs periodic recharging). The Taycan's maker reports that it kept this up without complaint at average speeds of between 195 and 215km/h.
My mother has a Macan and I already s
t myself every time she has to change a setting on the move, add in a touch screen and its going to be a white knuckle ride.To adjust your temperature is going to mean one hand on the wheel and looking at your passengers shoes, hope it has good level of autonomous drive!
My mother has a Macan and I already s
t myself every time she has to change a setting on the move, add in a touch screen and its going to be a white knuckle ride.To adjust your temperature is going to mean one hand on the wheel and looking at your passengers shoes, hope it has good level of autonomous drive!
And no hood on the screen that contains your main instruments. That ought to be fun when the sun shines on it if you're not wearing polarised glasses, you can play speed camera roulette. I wonder if they've put the battery charge level in there too, so you can have no idea how fast you're going and whether you're going to reach your destination.
I hope someone in government legislates this kind of stupidity out of existence quickly. Car makers clearly need saving from themselves.
Shame I am a deadbeat so can’t afford it one
There’s not much left of this car to unveil lol
I think the interior looks very much the modern interpretation of a Porsche interior but will reserve judgement on whether it really works or is just tech for tech's sake. The Cayman R had no hud on the dials and no one moaned about that, so maybe this will work too.
I know that I should embrace it but boy do I struggle with it. I was sat outside a cafe last week on holiday and a Tesla drove by in complete silence...and I felt flat and I just thought where is the emotion with it.
Sad times for the car/engine enthusiast for sure.
A car from the future it seems.
Tech is leading edge, for now, but such is the pace of advance, that won't be the case for long.
A car from the future it seems.
I may be accused of "living in the past" but plenty of used cars out there to serve me for the rest of my days so I don't really care.
Saying that, if anyone can convert me to the future, it's Porsche...
I know that I should embrace it but boy do I struggle with it. I was sat outside a cafe last week on holiday and a Tesla drove by in complete silence...and I felt flat and I just thought where is the emotion with it.
Sad times for the car/engine enthusiast for sure.
An electric motor will silently deliver massive torque across its whole speed range with 80-85% efficiency, and zero maintenance over its lifetime. An IC engine, using a series of noisy explosions, is less than half as efficient, makes a racket, and needs regular filter and fluid changes to stay healthy.
I respect electric cars. The Model S is an amazing bit of kit, IMO. Appeals to the gadget nerd in me, and I do appreciate the engineering that's gone into them. But an old Alfa GTV6 fired up next to me in a supermarket car park the other day and I stopped what I was doing, wound the window down, and just listened with a daft grin on my face. The two propositions appeal to completely different parts of the brain.
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