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Porsche Taycan Turbo specs: 96 kWh battery, 600+ hp, air suspension, and repeatable peak performance
The Porsche Taycan is arguably one of the most highly-anticipated electric cars this year, and for good reason. The Taycan is Porsche’s first modern all-electric car, bred with racing DNA and technology honed in the track from hybrids like the 918 Spyder and the 919 Hybrid Evo. It is then incredibly pertinent for Porsche to ensure that the Taycan, particularly its top-tier “Turbo” variant, will not disappoint in any way.
A recent review of a Taycan Turbo pre-production prototype suggests that the top-tier variant of Porsche’s electric car could live up to its name, and then some. During a ride-along, Car Magazine European editor Georg Kacher was able to get up close with the upcoming vehicle as it tore through the streets with Porsche’s chief engineer Stefan Weckbach.
Equipped with a 96 kWh lithium-ion battery that weighs 650 kg (1,433 lbs), a 215 bhp/221 lb-ft powerplant on the front axle, and a 402 bhp/406 lb-ft motor at the rear, the Taycan boasts 649 lb-ft of peak torque. That’s enough to propel the car from a dead stop to 60 mph in just over 3 seconds and into 124 mph in less than 10 seconds. It’s not just acceleration, too, as the vehicle is capable of cruising at 162 mph for miles without its battery overheating. Couple that with standard air suspension and a regenerative braking system that is controlled through the steering wheel, and the Taycan becomes an EV that is made from the ground up like every other Porsche: a car that is simply fun to drive.
Porsche notes that the Taycan can perform ten full-throttle 0-62 mph and four 0-124 mph launches without seeing a decrease in performance. The vehicle does enter a “limp mode,” but only when the distance to empty reads zero. With a 96 kWh battery and a claimed 320 miles of range per charge, Taycan drivers would likely enjoy a lot of spirited driving before they need to recharge their vehicles. Porsche admits that the Taycan is not as quick off the line as a Tesla Model S Performance with Ludicrous Mode, but the company noted that the repeatability of peak performance would be the difference-maker.
It is then interesting to note that the Taycan, which is designed from the ground up to be a high-performance electric car, will likely be competing mostly with the Model 3 Performance, Tesla’s track-capable electric sedan. In a way, this would be fitting as the Taycan’s 2910 mm wheelbase is closer to the Model 3’s 2,875 mm than the Model S’ 2,959 mm wheelbase. This is the same for the interior of the vehicles as well, as shown in a review of a Taycan prototype which revealed that the Porsche’s back seats are notably less spacious than a Model S.
From its wide tires to its low profile and its sports car seating, the Porsche Taycan seems intent to capture the crown of the auto industry’s best track-capable EV. This would put it in direct competition with the Tesla Model 3 Performance, a vehicle that has been developing a reputation for competing and winning against the world’s best track-capable sedans like the BMW M3. As shown in Top Gear‘s test, the Model 3 Performance could do quick work of the BMW M3; but with the Taycan as a rival, Tesla’s track competitor would likely be facing a completely different animal.
What is rather interesting is that the Model 3 Performance and the Taycan share some similarities. When the Taycan gets released later this year, for example, the vehicle will be capable of charging up to 250 kW at an 800-volt charging point. The car is compatible with 350 kW charging, but that would come by 2021 at the latest. The Model 3 Performance also charges at rates of up to 250 kW using Tesla’s Supercharger V3 network.
If there is one thing that the Taycan and the Model 3 Performance share no middle ground in, it would be their price. The Taycan is a Porsche, and it is priced like one. The base Taycan will be RWD only, and it will come with an 80 kWh battery pack and a choice of 322 bhp or 376 bhp motors, as well as a low ~$90,000 starting price. The mid-range Taycan Carerra 4S, estimated to be priced in the high ~$90,000 range, will be fitted with a 96 kWh battery pack and offer 429 bhp or 483 bhp.
The Taycan Turbo, which is also equipped with a 96 kWh battery, is expected to cost around £120,000 ($149,000. That’s almost 50% more expensive than a Tesla Model S Performance with Ludicrous Mode, which currently costs just below $100,000. An even more potent Taycan Turbo S with 724 bhp and an RWD Taycan GTS are also in the works. In comparison, the Model 3 Performance is currently priced at less than $55,000 with basic Autopilot as standard.
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Tesla counters Norway’s VAT hike with dedicated consumer bonus
The move follows Tesla Norway’s stunning finish in 2025, where the company saw substantial sales during the final weeks of the year.
Tesla has rolled out a price incentive in Norway, effectively offsetting a notable VAT increase that hit electric vehicle buyers at the start of 2026.
The move follows Tesla Norway’s stunning finish in 2025, where the company saw substantial sales during the final weeks of the year.
A “Tesla bonus”
Once the VAT increase kicked in at the start of 2026, Tesla Norway’s sales cooled almost immediately, as noted in a CarUp report. Tesla’s response was swift, with the electric vehicle maker rolling out what it calls a “Tesla bonus.”
This bonus effectively cuts prices by up to 50,000 kronor across eight model variants. All versions of the Tesla Model Y qualify for the incentive, along with most Tesla Model 3 trims, save for the base entry-level model.
This means that for Tesla Norway’s best-selling vehicles, the bonus effectively restores pricing to pre-VAT levels. This blunts the impact of the new tax and makes Tesla’s vehicle offerings competitive again in Europe’s most EV-saturated market.
Stabilizing demand
In addition to the “Tesla bonus,” the electric car maker is also offering a promotional interest rate for up to three years, with terms varying by model. The incentive applies to orders placed between January 9 and March 31, 2026, with delivery required by the end of the first quarter.
The stakes are high in Norway, where electric vehicles dominate new-car registrations. From the vehicles that were sold in 2025, 96% of new cars sold were fully electric. And from this number, Tesla and its Model Y made their dominance felt. This was highlighted by Geir Inge Stokke, director of OFV, who noted that Tesla was able to achieve its stellar results despite its small vehicle lineup.
“Taking almost 20% market share during a year with record-high new car sales is remarkable in itself. When a brand also achieves such volumes with so few models, it says a lot about both demand and Tesla’s impact on the Norwegian market,” Stokke stated.
Elon Musk
SpaceX gains favor as Pentagon embraces Musk-style defense reform
The remarks highlighted Musk’s improving relationship with the White House, as well as SpaceX’s growing role in U.S. defense.
SpaceX emerged as a clear beneficiary of the Trump administration’s renewed push to accelerate military innovation, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth openly praised Elon Musk’s private space enterprise during a visit to the company’s Starbase launch site in Texas.
The remarks highlighted Musk’s improving relationship with the White House, as well as SpaceX’s growing role in U.S. defense.
Hegseth embraces Elon Musk’s pace
Speaking at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Brownsville, Texas, Hegseth criticized what he described as a “risk-averse culture” among traditional defense contractors and called for faster innovation modeled after Musk’s approach. He confirmed that the Department of Defense plans to integrate Musk’s Grok AI platform into Pentagon systems, which is part of the administration’s efforts to make the U.S. military an “AI-first warfighting force.”
Hegseth stated that the Pentagon intends to deploy AI models across both classified and unclassified networks, signaling a willingness to push past earlier efforts to limit military use of artificial intelligence. His comments aligned closely with President Donald Trump’s recent call for a $500 billion increase in defense spending, Bloomberg News noted. Trump has also warned major contractors that slower production and shareholder-focused practices could put future contracts at risk.
While Hegseth criticized legacy defense firms, SpaceX was held up as an example of how aggressive timelines, vertical integration, and iterative development could reshape defense strategies. “We need to be blunt here; we can no longer afford to wait a decade for our legacy prime contractors to deliver a perfect system. Winning requires a new playbook. Elon wrote it with his algorithm: question every requirement, delete the dumb ones and accelerate like hell,” Hegseth said.
SpaceX’s expanding defense role comes into focus
SpaceX has become one of the U.S. government’s most important aerospace partners. The company holds roughly $4 billion in NASA contracts to develop Starship into a lunar lander, while also serving as a key launch provider for sensitive national security payloads using its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.
During the visit, Musk highlighted that his ambitions extend beyond defense contracts, reiterating long-term goals of interplanetary travel and eventual exploration beyond the solar system. Still, the optics of the event reinforced how closely SpaceX’s capabilities now align with U.S. strategic priorities.
The appearance also marked another step in Musk’s political rehabilitation after a public falling-out with the White House last year. Since leaving his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk has gradually reengaged with the administration, reconnecting with U.S. President Donald Trump during slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s tribute and attending events at the White House. Trump’s also recently suggested that Starlink could help restore internet access in Iran.
Tesla has launched a new Model Y configuration in the “Premium” trim, and it comes with three highly requested features that have launched in markets outside of the U.S. and in other trims.
Tesla announced on Monday night that it has officially launched the Model Y Premium in a seven-seat configuration, which also comes standard with a 16″ touchscreen and black headliner, both of which are featured in the Model Y Performance trim.
The seven-seat configuration is highly requested by consumers and helps fill out the more spacious SUV offering that the lineup has missed outside of the Model X, which prices out many consumers. This new upgrade only costs $2,500 extra for all three features, bringing the cash price to $48,990.
This also comes with the larger 16” touchscreen! pic.twitter.com/aiAxWUTKZa
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 13, 2026
The move to add the seven-seat configuration with the black headliner and additional screen size is a welcome addition, as many Tesla fans have asked the company to come out with an SUV with more seating capacity. Although it is not a full-size SUV, the additional seating will certainly attract some buyers with bigger families.
It appears the third row is slightly more spacious than the past iteration of the seven-seat Model Y, which was available in the previous design pre-Juniper:
Credit: Tesla
However, it definitely still appears to be pretty cramped in terms of legroom. It will definitely be a seating arrangement for smaller passengers, mostly reserved for children.
The other two upgrades are the black headliner, which was launched in other markets and in the Model Y Performance. Many owners have wanted this change, and Tesla listened, but is only offering it with the seven-seat configuration. It also has a larger 16″ touchscreen, also present in the Model Y Performance exclusively:
Credit: Tesla
It is a nice touch to add these highly requested features to the all-electric crossover, which was the best-selling vehicle in the world for the third consecutive year.
Tesla counters Norway’s VAT hike with dedicated consumer bonus
SpaceX gains favor as Pentagon embraces Musk-style defense reform
