For me, the launch of a performance car from a standing start has always been one of the most satisfying and fun experiences of driving. Back in 1979, I can remember learning the art of a proper “burnout” when I took ownership of my 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A. My muscle car was loaded up with a 340 CID V8 topped with 3 carburetors, a hurst-shifted 4-speed transmission, and plenty of horsepower. I can still recall dropping the clutch and melting those bias-belted tires as they attempted to grab for traction and the resulting smoke show it produced. If you added some bleach to the ground the show was even grander. The result for me was a huge smile on my teenage face.

Fast forward to the nineties when my first Porsche 944 Turbo arrived in my driveway. Again, my memory takes me back to that first launch experience. There was no more smoke-filled tire spinning show like the previous muscle car. Now I was rowing through the gears while being accompanied by the sound of the rising engine RPMs. As I climbed through each of the gears the sound and feeling were just as sweet and resulted in yet another big smile.

And just when I thought I was done with new launch experiences, 2018 brought yet another. Sadly, when new car shopping I found that new manual transmission daily-drivers were drying up. I ended up settling for a new Vegas Yellow Audi S3 with a dual-clutch automatic transmission. When I went to take delivery of the car the dealer took me out for a test drive. We made our way to a quiet street and he turned to me and asked, “would you like to check out the launch control?”. “Sure” I replied and he walked me through the preparation steps. As the 300hp engine revved up, the S3 held like a rocket waiting for the final countdown. When I lifted my left foot from the brake pedal the big Turbo was let loose and the car took off like a bat out of hell. And yet again, that big smile was on my face.

Now here I am in 2021, at the bottom of the entrance ramp to I-91 south. Today I’m sitting in the new, fully electric Porsche Taycan and I’m again in that “all too familiar” launch position. I floored it and the car took off but the visceral experience couldn’t have been more different. There were no theatrics at all. No tire screech, no engine RPM noise, just pure torque accompanied by a distant “woosh”. If not for noting the quickening pace of the passing scenery I would not have known I was going as fast as I was and how quickly I had gotten there.  

That same launch experience was repeated again and again as my wife Sheryl and I were fortunate to test drive this amazing new vehicle courtesy of Porsche of Wallingford. It is certainly impressive. It looks, handles, feels, and performs just like you would expect a new Porsche to perform. It has a striking shape that is unmistakable Porsche. It is very comfortable inside and driver-oriented, again, just as you would expect. The wonderful round gauges of ole are gone but smooth black screens present you with all the needed information. I was very impressed with the suspension. It handled like a dream but I was most impressed with the feeling of solidity. The Taycan was never spooked by any road imperfections and seemed to absorb them all translating very little back to the driver and passengers. The combination of the solid torque and handling resulted in an impressive driving experience.

Still, the quiet took some getting used to and I’m not there yet. Call me old school but I like the sound of my cars when they are doing their thing. Just revving an engine on a performance car while it is standing still can bring joy to the owner. No such experience with the Taycan but that said, it was an impressive car and is certainly a fine-enough vehicle worthy of wearing its cherished Porsche badge on its hood. Will I own a Taycan or another electric vehicle someday? Who knows, but this technology is coming at us fast and the 77MPGe on the window sticker is most impressive. Driving the car was indeed a fun experience and I have to admit that it wouldn’t be so bad to find one in my garage someday. As a matter a fact, the one thing I haven’t confessed to you yet, when I was speeding up that entrance ramp to I-91 in the Taycan, there was a big smile on my face.  – Jeff Coe