IN the race for the ultimate luxury electric vehicle, Porsche’s Taycan (pronounced tie-kan) 4S is arguably the front-runner. The four-door sports car is everything and more on wheels — exceptional performance, dynamic handling paired with high-end comfort, styling, and cutting-edge technology.

Jamaica Observer’s Auto magazine had the privilege of test-driving Porsche’s flagship EV in the sunny city of Miami, Florida, recently, courtesy of Porsche Latin America, and the experience was priceless.

Drawing its inspiration from the iconic 911, the Taycan 4S — with its noticeably emphasised fenders — is a show-stopper based on the fixed stares as well as the ‘oohs and ahhhs’.

The Taycan 4S also evoked a lot of queries too: Is it fully electric? What’s under the hood? Is it fast? How long does it take to charge? What’s the price?

The Porsche Taycan 4S carries the design language of the Porsche throughout. The vehicle’s crouching stance, sloping front, and continuous rear light strip are all distinct stylings. The 4S also boasts a four-point LED daytime running light.

Charge ports are located on both the driver and front passenger sides for convenience. The latter accommodates universal charging while the former is exclusively for Porsche’s ports. Charging time for the Taycan is roughly eight hours from empty to full, but, most of the time, a top-up overnight is all that is required which can yield a range of about 253 miles.

On pressing the key to the open door its handles gently raise to make access effortless. Seats are comfy and hug drivers and passengers alike. Did I say keys? No keys are needed to get the Porsche Taycan 4S up and running. Just close the doors, buckle up, and the car is ready. No need to press the power button — a flick of a toggle switch to ‘D’, press the accelerator, and off you go.

Driving modes vary from Normal, Individual, Range, Sport, and Sport+. The Taycan 4S is capable of going from 0-60 mph in just 3.8 seconds in a whisper, and it has a top speed of 155 mph.

The 4S has single-speed transmission on the front axle and two speed transmission on the rear axle produced 482-horsepower (562 hp with launch control).

The Taycan 4S’s handling is unrivalled. Its steering and braking is responsive, coupled with an other worldly air suspension that makes the driving experience — including the toughest corners — almost negligible.

The Taycan 4S comes with a 16.8-inch gauge cluster; a 10.9-inch central touchscreen, and an 8.4-inch heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning touchscreen. There is also an optional 5.9-inch passenger display (you decide).

Under the hood, there is 2.9 cubic feet of cargo space while the back has 17.2 cubic feet to hold your large suitcases to and from the airport.

The Porsche Taycan 4S is also big on safety. Brake Assist, Automatic Headlights with Auto-Levelling, Daytime Running Lights, Automatic Highbeams, Traction Control, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Child Safety Locks, Stability Control, and Front Collision Mitigation are a plus. And, air bags are everywhere.

In short, the Porsche Taycan 4S makes a statement that being fully electric doesn’t mean you have to comprise on anything. It is all you ever hoped for in a car and more. I hear whispers that it’ll be at ATL Automotive in June 2022. Prepare to be amazed.