Porsche Taycan Turbo: Road testing the UAE's first luxury electric sports saloon


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Porsche Taycan Turbo specs

Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors

Transmission: two-speed

Power: 671hp

Torque: 1050Nm

Range: 450km

Price: Dh601,800

On sale: now

The time had arrived, after so long talking, writing and reading about electric vehicles, to actually live with one for a week. To take it home and treat it as best I could like a regular, everyday car – albeit one that costs Dh600,000 and wears a Porsche badge.

All-electric Taycan

The all-new Taycan is the first car released in the UAE that is both fully electric and a luxury sports saloon. Jaguar has the I-Pace but it’s more in the mould of other EVs as a high-riding SUV style, whereas the Porsche is a pure, low-slung Stuttgart sportster with a very real connection to the company’s sports car heritage.

Porsche claims the battery can be recharged in just over five minutes using direct current from the high-power charging network for a range of up to 100 kilometres.
Porsche claims the battery can be recharged in just over five minutes using direct current from the high-power charging network for a range of up to 100 kilometres.

Living with an EV in our region offers unique challenges, not least the fact many of us live in high-rise apartments without access to home-charging, which creates its own anxiety.

However, I collected the car fully charged and, despite regular commuting to work and the shops, I eked out four days without needing to plug in, which is not too far off what I’d do for a petrol car between fuel stops.

Turbo battery

The test car was the mid-spec Turbo above the entry-level 4S and below the flagship Turbo S. According to industry-standard WLTP tests of all three derivatives, this should return 450 kilometres of range. The most frugal is the 4S which gets 463km when fitted with the Performance Battery Plus package, while the high-performance Turbo S gets 412km.

I returned the car with just over 400km completed and no low-range warning light, which meant I was well in the safe zone. But our real-world test of the faster Turbo S through Germany last year returned a range of just over 350km, which included some 260 kilometres per hour top-speed cruising on the Autobahn, so it has the pace to match its claims.

Porsche says that in just over five minutes, the battery can be recharged using direct current (DC) from the high-power charging network for a range of up to 100km.

Owners can also charge using a regular 11kW AC charger at home, at work on a fast industrial charger or at any public charging point while running errands.

In the UAE, charging for privately owned cars at Level 2 charging units, such as those located in shopping malls, is free until the end of 2021. If it's a car used for business, the rate is 29 fils per kilowatt hour. Given the 93.4kWh battery fitted to the test vehicle, that equates to Dh27.

The Turbo uses an electric motor mounted inside each axle, effectively making it all-wheel drive in addition to a two-speed transmission, which is only available on Porsche EVs. It shifts into a more economical highway gear at 120kph for greater range and drops back down at 80kph to improve low-speed performance.

The feeling is like changing from fourth to fifth on the motorway, or from third back to second as you dive into a corner.

Conventional switches and buttons are replaced with a touchscreen operation using haptic feedback via pulses through the fingers.
Conventional switches and buttons are replaced with a touchscreen operation using haptic feedback via pulses through the fingers.

A 'garage' at your foot

One of the breakthroughs in EV design used in the Taycan is what the company calls “foot garages”, which are recesses in the rear floor for extra legroom. Initially this sounds minor, but the bigger picture is that it has allowed Porsche’s designers to give the Taycan a lower profile similar to that of a regular sports coupe rather than a four-door saloon.

The battery is still in the floor, but by dividing it into smaller compartments, engineers were able to move the cells around to maximise rear legroom and lower the roofline.

Taycan interior

The cockpit features new architecture including a free-standing instrument cluster first seen in the 918 Spyder, but has been complemented with the latest curved instrument cluster.

A central, 10.9-inch infotainment display and an optional passenger display are combined to form an integrated glass band. Conventional switches and buttons have disappeared and replaced with a touchscreen operation using haptic feedback via pulses through the fingers.

The cockpit features a free-standing curved instrument cluster and central, 10.9-inch infotainment display and an optional passenger display combined to form an integrated glass band.
The cockpit features a free-standing curved instrument cluster and central, 10.9-inch infotainment display and an optional passenger display combined to form an integrated glass band.

Taycan exterior

Wide haunches over the rear wheels, raised front guards that bookend a sloping bonnet and a full-width rear tail light are just a few of the design cues that have been carried over from the Porsche family into the new Taycan.

Getting to 100kph takes a mere 3.2 seconds, which makes this one of the fastest cars to wear a Porsche badge, while the Turbo S covers the distance in just 2.8 seconds, giving it the mantle of the fastest car in the company’s range, but it does so with zero fuss, silence and has room for four adults with mountains of storage space front and rear.

On handing it back after living with an EV on familiar home territory for a few days, my thoughts were the same as my first brief taste in Germany last year. Yes, not only could I live with an EV as an everyday car, but the Taycan has also made electric transport an aspiration, something I never thought I’d admit to as a confessed car purist.

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ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

What is Genes in Space?

Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.

It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration. 

Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

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Company profile

Date started: December 24, 2018

Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer

Based: Dubai Media City

Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)

Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech

Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year

Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020

Another way to earn air miles

In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.

An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.

“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs: Macan Turbo

Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October

The specs

BMW M8 Competition Coupe

Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8

Power 625hp at 6,000rpm

Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm

Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto

Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec

Top speed 305kph

Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km

Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)

On sale Jan/Feb 2020
 

THE SPECS

      

 

Engine: 1.5-litre

 

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

 

Power: 110 horsepower 

 

Torque: 147Nm 

 

Price: From Dh59,700 

 

On sale: now  

 
Sheer grandeur

The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.

A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.

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How to vote in the UAE

1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/

2) Take it to the US Embassy

3) Deadline is October 15

4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll

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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

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MATCH INFO

Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10

Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO

What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)

SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20101hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20135Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Six-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh79%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet

Price, base: Dh429,090

Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission Seven-speed automatic

Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km

Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas

Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa

Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong

Rating: 3/5

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs

Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors

Transmission: two-speed

Power: 671hp

Torque: 1050Nm

Range: 450km

Price: Dh601,800

On sale: now