Porsche’s Gran Turismo Sport lineup has an interesting lineage, starting with the mid-engined Carrera GTS of 1964. However, the first modern GTS was an extra-sporty version of the Cayenne SUV, arriving in 2008. Since then, those three letters have gone on to grace the rear deck of every Porsche product line – except one. That changes with the 2022 Taycan GTS, the final piece of the company’s fast-touring puzzle.
Slotting between the 4S and the Turbo, the Taycan GTS represents the “sweet spot” of the model range – according to Porsche, at least – bundling performance, everyday usability, and a few trim-signature design elements. Adding to the appeal, the Taycan GTS is also Porsche’s longest-legged EV, with a WLTP-estimated range of 504 kilometers – about 4 percent more than the Taycan 4S. Using that math, we could perhaps expect an EPA-rated range of 240 miles from the GTS.
But is the newest Taycan variant distinct enough from its siblings to warrant the badge? Well, we won’t bury the lede too much: The Taycan GTS’ tweener nature isn’t readily obvious from behind the wheel, but that doesn’t mean we don’t absolutely love it. After all, it’s a member of the same family as the Motor1.com Star Award–winning Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, and the GTS is just as relentlessly charming and polished as any other Porsche EV.
| Quick Stats | 2022 Porsche Taycan GTS |
| Motor: | Dual Permanent-Magnet Synchronous |
| Battery: | 93.4-Kilowatt-Hour Lithium-Ion |
| 0-60 MPH: | 3.5 Seconds |
| Top Speed: | 155 Miles Per Hour |
| EV Range: | 240 Miles (est.) |
While we endeavor to rate every new vehicle we test, we can't provide a rating on the 2022 Porsche Taycan GTS until official an EPA range estimate is available. We'll update this space once we have a final score.
Gallery: 2022 Porsche Taycan GTS: First Drive
Speak Softly...
The 2022 Porsche Taycan GTS will be available in the traditional five-door “sedan” and a long-and-low Sport Turismo variant – distinct from the lifted, crossover-ized Cross Turismo wagon available on other Taycan trims. Whatever body you get, every GTS comes standard with gloss black accents on the mirrors, window surrounds, and side skirts, with black badging on the rear deck. The front and rear bumpers wear a more aggressive design as part of the Sport Design package that’s optional on other trims, which also includes little horizontal winglets on the rocker panels.
Inside, extensive Race-Tex faux suede upholstery appears on the steering wheel, seats, door panels, and headliner. Compared to the Taycan 4S’ partial leather interior, the Race-Tex feels softer, richer, and more distinct – though high touch points like the steering wheel and seat centers were already a bit natty even though our tester had just 2,500 miles on the odometer. Distracting us from that was the extra-cost GTS Interior package, which added contrast stitching everywhere we looked, including model logos embroidered into the headrests. And if you’re a traditionalist, Porsche will offer leather upholstery as an option.
The sedan we drove was painted Chalk, coordinating with the interior stitching and giving the Taycan an understatedly aggressive mien. However, the special color is quite pricey at $3,150 – it costs to be cool. And while gloss black body jewelry isn’t your author’s personal taste, there’s no denying it adds a slick glower when taken in sum with the rest of the EV. The Taycan GTS looks and feels special right out of the box, cosseting you out on the open road while still treating you to some parking lot fierceness when you look back over your shoulder.
...And Carry A Big Stick
All subtlety goes out the window when it’s time to introduce the GTS to a winding road. Porsche provided us with just such an opportunity, sending us through the Angeles National Forest on our way to a date at Willow Springs International Raceway. Over the undulating, elevation-happy Spunky Canyon Road, the Taycan never lacked for grip, with perfectly neutral handling balance even at license-endangering speeds. The Taycan 4S’ air suspension ports over mostly unchanged, although there are some GTS-specific tuning differences that firm up the suspension in sporty driving.
Porsche claims the Taycan GTS will hit 60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds, 0.3 seconds faster than the 4S and half a tick off the Turbo. While it’s noticeably less athletic than the top-dog Taycan, the GTS is plenty fast for most people, with a trim-specific Electric Sport Sound accompanying the acceleration. Porsche says the tone, which is synthesized from the actual noise coming from the rear-axle motor, is deeper and richer on the GTS, providing both a cool soundtrack and useful feedback when under acceleration or brake regen.
On the road, we drove GTS testers equipped with both the base steel brakes and the optional Porsche ceramic composite stoppers, and to be honest, neither felt more or less capable. Even straining against the Taycan’s 5,059-pound curb weight, the standard brakes exhibited zero fade over 35 minutes of reasonably high-speed, hilly driving, making us wonder if the ceramics aren’t a status symbol more than anything else. Regardless, the GTS’ steering – unaltered from other models – is nearly perfect, with abundant feedback from the front tires. Slip angles, limits of adhesion, and road surface info arrive at the driver’s hands almost unfiltered.
Porsche claims the Taycan GTS will hit 60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds, 0.3 seconds faster than the 4S and half a tick off the Turbo.
But admittedly, the GTS doesn't’ feel dramatically different from any other member of the Taycan family (apart from its bolder “exhaust” note). After all, the 93.4-kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery under the floor is identical to the one that’s standard in the Turbo and optional in the 4S, and the GTS and Turbo have the same front and rear motors. The hardware gives the GTS a total of 509 horsepower (or 590 for short bursts with launch control) and 626 pound-feet – the same amount of torque as the Taycan Turbo, with power closer to the 4S’ 482 than the Turbo’s 616.
Still, that didn’t stop our hearts from palpitating once we took the Rosamond exit toward Willow Springs, knowing that a full two hours of hot-lapping the GTS were awaiting us.
Emissions-Free Track Rat
Porsche is known for imbuing every one of its vehicles – from the base-model Macan SUV to the outrageous 911 GT3 – with impressive road manners, handling prowess, and track performance. The Taycan GTS is no different. Our drive to Willow Springs involved a stretch of lonely freeway, some heavy city traffic, and scenic back roads, and the EV obliged with comfort and poise in every situation.
Given Porsche’s ability to make big, heavy things go really, really fast, we shouldn’t have been surprised at the Taycan GTS’ ability to create huge Gs.
However, we were endlessly curious how it would fare when descending Big Willow’s fearsome Budweiser corner or facing down the high-speed, decreasing-radius sweeper through Turns 8 and 9. And that long front straight could spell disaster for the Taycan GTS, since the 90-degree Castrol Corner at the end has the tendency to cook brakes and put bad drivers in the gravel. It’s not a great recipe for confidence, especially since the German-spec Taycan we drove on the circuit had an equivalent US price of more than $160,000.
Still, given Porsche’s ability to make big, heavy things go really, really fast, we shouldn’t have been surprised at the Taycan GTS’ ability to create huge Gs (both lateral and longitudinal). That first 90-degree left-hander, for example, is a great test of those optional carbon-ceramic brakes, which provided lap after lap of consistent, repeatable deceleration. Unfortunately, we didn’t test the standard brakes on the track, but we suspect they probably would have gone a bit squishy after awhile.
With full faith in the stoppers, we began to push the suspension, steering, and tires closer to their limits. An experienced racing instructor drove ahead of us in a Taycan Turbo, calling out instructions on the two-way radio, and with his guidance, we became more and more confident with every passing lap. The Taycan responded to trail braking with aplomb, keeping its full two-and-a-half-ton mass in check via easily controllable four-wheel drifts and gentle oversteer.
The GTS also dispatches missed apexes and late braking, which would yield lap-ruining understeer in lesser cars, with mild front-end push that’s easy to recover from. It could be down to our test car’s optional torque-vectoring rear axle, but the Taycan GTS seemed totally unfazed by the occasional slip-up from the driver. We had Porsche’s Track Precision smartphone app running during our time on Big Willow, making it easy to see how little mistakes affected our overall pace, but also how quickly the Taycan can recover and get back on track for a fast lap time.
So, Who’s It For?
Including $1,350 for destination, the $132,750 Taycan GTS slots right between the $105,150 4S and the $152,250 Turbo in Porsche’s pricing structure. It’s possible to build the 4S with many of the GTS’ features, but similarly equipped, the less powerful vehicle is only a few thousand dollars cheaper, as well as a bit slower and less stylish. As such, it’s not hard to understand why Porsche claims the Taycan GTS is the perfect variant for the enthusiastic daily driver.
And again, it’s all a matter of personal taste. For those who love a darkened aesthetic and racy interior, the Taycan GTS doesn’t require a trip to Porsche’s byzantine option sheet to build the perfect vehicle. Those who prefer standard leather upholstery and bright trim would maybe be happier with a highly optioned 4S. That said, the GTS does have one ace up its sleeve – it’s the only Taycan to offer a hunkered-down Sport Turismo wagon form. And for as fantastic as the traditional sedan is, that wagon is the P-car we're most enthused about right now.
Taycan Competitor Reviews:
2022 Porsche Taycan GTS