Jay Leno learns all about the Porsche Taycan

Hours apart, two of the biggest names in automotive television posted videos with Porsche’s new electric, the Taycan Turbo S. Jay Leno of Jay Leno’s Garage dropped his 38-minute experience with the car, while Top Gear released two Chris Harris clips and a Stig clip. All three offer slightly different perspectives at the battery-powered sports sedan.

In typical fashion, Leno ventures out around the greater Los Angeles area with the Taycan, in this case with Porsche product spokesman Calvin Kim in the front passenger seat. Leno punches the pedal a couple times, but for the most part, the driving is at normal commuter speeds, so the available 750 horsepower and 774 lb-ft of torque are kept at bay. 

During their discussion, Leno asks the questions most everybody has had about the Taycan: What’s up with the range? Why’d they slap the Turbo designation on an electric car? Is the sound manufactured? How did Porsche make this feel like a Porsche? They also dive into some of the finer details such as how the transmission functions, energy recuperation and charging times, the pros and cons of the heavy battery in the floor. Leno and Kim also talk about the car’s place in the market, as well as the state of electric vehicles in general. 

For those looking to see the more than 5,000-pound Taycan in action, the Chris Harris teaser and Stig lap videos might be of more interest. Harris does multiple launches of the Taycan before finally getting the smoke show going on track. He gives his full impressions about the car, including what the Taycan has that any Tesla is missing, in a separate video, also posted below. 

For more direct driving impressions, visit Autoblog’s recent range test.