Porsche Introduces Taycan Turbo GT with a Record-Setting Lap at Laguna Seca
After claiming a Nürburgring lap record with a prototype Turbo GT, Porsche unveiled the production car at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.
Driver Lars Kern set a new lap record of 1:27.87, beating the previous record of 1.30.3.
The 2025 Turbo GT can reach 60 mph in 2.1 seconds, boasts a top speed of up to 190 mph, and, with the Weissach package, drops 157 pounds compared to the Turbo S model.
One rarely thinks of time in measurements of a minute and a half, unless maybe you're holding a plank at the gym, or microwaving popcorn. For Porsche development driver Lars Kern, 1.30.3 was filling his waking hours and haunting his dreams, because it was the time to beat for Porsche to nab the electric production-car lap record for WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The 1.30.3 record was set in a Tesla Model S Plaid at Laguna Seca in 2020, and while electric cars have gone faster around the track since then, nobody has done a quicker lap in an unmodified production car on production tires. That was Kern's and Porsche's goal with the new Taycan Turbo GT.
Video: Join us as we go for a ride in the Taycan Turbo GT with Porsche development driver Lars Kern
Porsche has been teasing us with the Turbo GT ever since an unnamed, pre-production Taycan variant set a new lap record at the Nürburgring in Germany. That car, also driven by Kern, ran a 7:07.55 on the Nordschleife, flaunting a big wing and beating the Taycan Turbo S's time by a whopping 26 seconds. As Kern's team warmed tires and his track-prepped car sat on a mobile charger in the pits, Porsche model line vice president for Taycan Kevin Giek ran through the details that make the Turbo GT lighter and more powerful than the 750-hp Turbo S.
The new top-dog Taycan is the Turbo GT, or if you need things even top-doggier, the Turbo GT with Weissach package. Would-be record setters can place their orders now, with prices for the 2025 Taycan Turbo GT starting at $231,995. Both versions offer a range of around 340 miles and make a continuous 777 horsepower from combining the output of a front motor (the same unit used in the Turbo and Turbo S) with a new, more powerful rear motor featuring a pulse inverter with a max current of 900 amps, as opposed to the 600-amp inverter used for the Turbo S. Following a launch-control start, peak power climbs briefly to 1019 hp. Both GT variants use the same 96.0-kWh battery as the Turbo S and also use the same two-speed gearbox, but with a new gear ratio and modifications to support up to 988 pound-feet of torque. The additional power will send the Turbo GT to 60 mph in 2.2 seconds, and if you opt for the Weissach add-ons, just 2.1 seconds.
The Weissach package is a mix of add-ons and subtractions, as its focus is aerodynamic efficiency and weight savings—the package drops 157 pounds compared to the Turbo S. Weissach cars get a different front diffuser, deflectors beneath the body, and the big wing that caught everyone's attention on the 'Ring run combines with the other aero components to create 485 pounds of downforce while at speed.
Slimmed Way Down
At the same time as Porsche adds downforce, it strips weight in the form of luxuries from the interior. There's no rear seat, just a carbon-fiber close-off behind the front seats. If you want to know the time, wear a watch, because the Sport Chrono package no longer offers an on-dash clock, and there's less in the way of insulation and floor mats. But that won't affect your stereo enjoyment, since you'll also lose rear speakers and the Bose Surround sound. B-pillar trims, mirror shells, and doorsills are all lightweight carbon fiber. Even the luggage compartment drops some grams by opting out of the soft-close function. Outside, Porsche eliminated the driver's side charge port, leaving only a manually operated door on the passenger's side, and changed out the window glass for a lighter variant.
If you aren't quite ready to sacrifice all your comfort in pursuit of performance, you'll still get 21-inch lightweight forged wheels, Pirelli Trofeo RS summer tires, lighter ceramic brakes, and a specially tuned active suspension on the Turbo GT even without the Weissach package. You won't get the wing, but you will have a cute little carbon Gurney flap off the decklid. Inside you'll get to keep your clock and enjoy 18-way sports seats with a Turbo GT logo in the headrest. Paddle shifters control brake regeneration on one side and offer "Attack mode," a push-to-pass boost of 160 horsepower for extra oomph on the straightaways.
The easy-access boost button was a request from Kern, who found it easier to use while crossed up at speed than the previous location in the mode switch. "You can use it while wearing gloves," he explained as he prepared for his first record run.
The car Kern was driving was a production model but with modifications made for safety including a roll cage, a safety seat, and a partly stripped interior to try to make up for the added weight. Kern just snuck in under the 1.30.3 time with his initial laps, looking less than proud as he came into the pits.
"I screwed up the last corner," he said. "I feel angry about that corner, I'd like to try it again." He climbed into the Nürburgring record setter, an old friend, and went back out, now with the biffed corner in mind. The car slid around the corners with just the whoosh of the air and the scuff of tires on the edge of grip. The timer clicked off thousands of a second.
The Porsche team held their breath, and then, as Kern whipped past on the straightway, they let out a ferocious cheer. 1:27.87, the new time to beat.
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