© Motor1.com UK2021 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo
A base all-wheel-drive Taycan 4 sedan could also happen.
Ever since the Mission E Cross Turismo debuted at the Geneva Motor Show three years ago, many people have been asking Porsche to do a low-slung Sport Turismo version as well. New intel suggests it might just happen as product boss Stefan Weckbach told Autocar additional Taycan derivatives are being considered to follow the saloon and high-riding estate.
While he stopped short of confirming a Taycan Sport Turismo, he admitted the J1 dedicated electric platform shared with the Audi E-Tron GT is "perfect for future additional product ideas, and we are thinking in different directions." Don't be too surprised if it will happen considering the transformation from Cross to Sport wouldn't be that hard. After all, Porsche would only have to take off the body cladding and lower the suspension back to the saloon's levels.
Weckbach went on to mention the architecture has been developed to support a Taycan convertible, but Porsche is not sure whether such a derivative has a solid business case. Demand for cabriolets has taken a major hit in the last couple of decades, and an electric one would be an even tougher sell due to the hefty premium EVs still command over cars equipped with combustion engines. Delayed multiple times, the second-generation Tesla Roadster is a sign the market might not be ready yet for a mass-produced electric convertible.
Another possible member of the expanding Taycan family is a coupe. Porsche has been toying around with the idea of doing a two-door Panamera as a modern-day 928 for years, but it hasn't materialised. An electric coupe would be nice to see, especially if it would be smaller and lighter than the saloon and estate. Don't get your hopes up too high just yet as Autocar reports it's less likely a two-door Taycan with a fixed roof will happen.
When the jacked-up estate premiered this week, we noticed the availability of a Taycan Cross Turismo 4. Porsche isn't currently selling a non-S 4 version of the saloon, but Weckbach is aware some are interested in a cheaper all-wheel-drive Taycan saloon.
Before a possible expansion of the Taycan lineup, Porsche is putting the finishing touches on the next-generation Macan, which will be offered as an EV. It won't ride on the J1 platform as it will use the PPE platform the peeps from Zuffenhausen are developing together with Audi. It's scheduled to go on sale in 2022 along with a Q5 E-Tron and Weckbach says "there will be a day when we talk about an electric Cayenne."
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Fully electric versions of the Boxster/Cayman and 911 aren't happening anytime soon, but the latter has already been confirmed to get a hybrid powertrain sooner or later. Porsche previously revealed the electrified 911 will prioritise power and performance over efficiency but admitted the extra weight brought by the batteries represents a major challenge during the development phase.
Source: Autocar