When Porsche rolled out its fast version of the Taycan EV, some people were completely upset about the name: Turbo. While it clearly conveys what the fastest Taycan was all about, some people insisted the name only belong to cars with a turbocharger. Well, they’re going to have to book anger management classes, because Porsche has confirmed that it will continue to call electric vehicles “Turbo” as it wishes.
Talking to Australians MotivationPorsche’s spokesman for the Panamera and Taycan, Mayk Wienkoetter, explained that for Porsche, “Turbo” is more of an abstract idea. More of a moodif you want. People understand what it means and it’s easy to recognize, it’s the kind of brand image that automakers have spent decades building. That value shouldn’t be pushed aside as powertrains change, especially with many automakers still struggling to find good names for their electric vehicles.
“For us, Turbo is a soft brand,” Wienkoetter said Motivation. “It’s been around for 50 years and people know immediately what kind of car they have in front of them, regardless of the technology. It just gives you a positioning: if it’s a 4S or a Turbo and it’s on the back, then you know exactly what you have. And customers know what they’re dealing with. I don’t think we’re going to get rid of that nameplate any time soon.”
Introduced on the 1975 911 Turbo, the name has since spread to nearly all of Porsche’s modern models to denote some of its top-of-the-line models. That’s not just true for internal combustion models like the 911 and Cayenne, but also for its EVs, like the new Macan EV. The Turbo version produces up to 630 horsepower, 833 lb-ft of torque, and can boogie through corners with all-wheel steering. If the lack of a turbine-driven supercharger on board still seems off-putting to you, that’s a You Problem.
Besides I bet Porsche will be willing to listen to you if you have a better idea. Let’s hear it in the comments, okay?
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