Mark Webber powers up with all-electric Porsche Taycan at Goodwood
Australian racing car driver Mark Webber has delivered an emphatic verdict on Porsche’s first electric sportscar, tackling the Goodwood Festival of Speed’s legendary hillclimb in a prototype Taycan on Monday (UK time).
Porsche’s first electric car to take part in the racing event, the nine-time Formula One race winner took to the wheel of the Taycan – which means “lively horse” – and which visited the UK with a stylised Union Jack on the roof.
Webber, who also won the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2015 behind a Porsche Le Mans prototype alongside Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley, was suitably impressed by the Taycan’s electric-powered torque and traction.
“The Taycan’s power delivery is awesome,” said Webber.
With a 90kWh battery, 800 volt architecture for super-fast charging times and 600 horsepower, the Taycan is certainly nothing to sniff at.
“I took part in this event in a Porsche 911 GT2 RS two years ago, so I already knew that it all comes down to power and traction,” said Webber.
“But, even for a thoroughbred racing driver like me, it is amazing how the Taycan – even though it’s still a prototype – accelerates off the start and out of the corners.”
The Porsche Taycan prototype did not take part in the competition, but was a part of the Porsche Triple Demo Run, with the run making up one stop in a global debut as Porsche gears up for the Taycan’s release in September 2019.
While in Shanghai, Chinese racing driver Li Chao demonstrated the vehicle in a series of demo laps at the German carmaker’s challenging handling track at its Porsche Experience Centre (PEC) in Shanghai.
This Saturday, Swiss-born works driver Neel Jani will take the driver’s seat in the Taycan at the final event for this season’s ABB FIA Formula E in New York, completing the electric sportscar’s journey across three key Porsche markets.
instead of the British Union Jack.
(20min delay)