The Porsche Taycan is shaping up to be a true Tesla Model S fighter and more. Recently, the German carmaker unleashed the Porsche Taycan on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, the historic USS Hornet. With a flight deck measuring 869 feet in length, the goal is to demonstrate the outstanding stability, grip, and overall performance of Porsche’s newest Taycan EV.
We’ve already seen how the Taycan conquered the Nurbugring Nordschleife not too long ago. It set the lap record for four-door electric cars by completing the 12.8-mile run in seven minutes and 42 seconds.
We also know how the Porsche Taycan consistently delivers blistering performance after running the car from 0 to 124-mph 26 times in succession.
But if that’s not enough, Porsche engineers came up with something extra special to further whet our appetites prior to the Taycan’s September 4 unveil.
Porsche ran the Taycan on the decks of an Essex-class aircraft carrier
The USS Hornet is an Essex-class aircraft carrier. It was built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. The USS Hornet was decommissioned in 1970 and was designated a California State Historic Landmark in 1999. But now, Porsche is trying to create a new chapter in automotive history with the Taycan EV.
However, instead of the usual zero to 60 mph run, Porsche is upping the ante by coming up with a new metric: 0-90-0. And they did it on the decks of the USS Hornet. “While this isn’t a usual metric we use to benchmark the performance of the Taycan and rather some kind of fun testing than a completely serious one, it’s quite a fitting way to demonstrate the power of the car as it nears the end of its development,” said Stefan Weckbach, Vice President Product Line of the Taycan. “On a tough, changeable surface the Taycan’s composure, its incredible acceleration and stopping power were absolutely impressive – though we decided not to take it to the max, just to reach the 0-100 mph margin.”
The Taycan was piloted by Shea Holbrook
Porsche relied on the services of professional racing driver and entrepreneur Shea Holbrook to perform the courageous feat. Holbrook is no stranger to speed runs. She’s the first woman to win the Long Beach Grand Prix at the 2011 Pirelli World Challenge and is currently competing in the 2019 W Series.
“The deck is a long, long way up and despite appearances it’s actually quite bumpy. Deliberately accelerating towards thin air and the ocean is a new experience for me, but the Taycan gave me a huge amount of confidence,” said Holbrook.
And they made it, but just barely
Holbrook and the prototype Taycan completed the run in 10.17-seconds. Mind you, the car pushed from zero to 90 mph and back to zero again in ten seconds.
The car rushed to 90.58 mph in just 422 feet and came to a total halt about 100 feet before running out of runway. “The Taycan was really stable but under acceleration and, more importantly, under braking. I built up to the final run, slowly increasing the speed each time until I felt confident and each time the car felt completely comfortable in what it was being asked to do,” exclaimed Holbrook. “What a rush!”
“While I was completely sure both Shea and the car could achieve something special, I’m really relieved no one went for a swim,” jokingly said Weckbach.
The 2020 Porsche Taycan EV will be revealed simultaneously on three continents on September 4. It may not totally obliterate the Tesla Model S in a 60-mph sprint, but it’s turning out to be one hell of a performance EV. We’ll find out soon enough.