The Porsche GTS formula is a winner for a reason. Take all of the high-end performance goodies from the top-trim Turbos and GT-cars, apply them to something with a more reasonable power output, and sell it as an enthusiast special. Most of the goodies you want from the top-shelf stuff in a more balanced package with a slightly more accessible price tag.
There’s just one problem when you apply it to the all-electric Taycan. The “more reasonable” power output, in this case, is 690 horsepower with overboost enabled. That is still "I didn't know I was going that fast, officer" fast.
You may be short on bail money, too, with a starting price of $149,895. So the electric take on the GTS isn’t quite reasonable and isn’t quite a bargain. That doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s just not the Taycan I’d recommend to most buyers.
(Full Disclosure: Porsche covered my travel to Atlanta and lodging to drive the Taycan GTS and Carrera T, the latter of which you can read about on Motor1 soon.)
Gallery: 2025 Porsche Taycan GTS First Drive
What Is It? Range, Charging, Specs
The Taycan received a substantial refresh for 2025, with improvements enabling faster charging, better efficiency and more range. The standard Taycan with the extended-range battery is one of the best road-trip EVs on sale, and like all Taycans consistently outperforms its EPA range on the highway. Despite being rated for 318 miles of combined city-highway driving, the base 2025 Porsche Taycan went 367 miles in an Out Of Spec Range test.
But if range and efficiency are what you’re here for, you’ve climbed the wrong peak in the Taycan Range. Porsche hasn’t even announced a range figure for this model. Still, expect it to blitz from 10-80% in around 16 minutes.
Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo
The GTS is for enthusiasts, which means you get Porsche’s air suspension with active dampers and GTS-specific tuning standard. You also get an electronically controlled limited-slip differential—Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus in the official parlance—and Bose surround sound. The GTS can be had as a conventional sedan or a “Sport Turismo” wagon.
Porsche’s mind-bending Porsche Active Ride system from the Taycan Turbo GT is available as an option. The system uses dampers with a motorized pump in them, allowing them to directly counteract roll, dive and pitch forces. This means there’s no anti-roll bar. More importantly, it means that the Taycan stays almost completely flat in every corner, regardless of what you do.
That’s useful when you have 690 hp available via a 10-second overboost function. Sustained power caps at 596 hp. You’ll need that overboost power in Launch Mode to pull off a 0-60 run in 3.1 seconds, down from 3.5 seconds. These numbers are all roughly in line with the original Taycan Turbo and nip at the heels of the original Taycan Turbo S. If you think you need more power than this, you’re delusional, know a good attorney, or both.
What It’s Like To Drive
I drove the 2025 Taycan GTS in the rain. Since I’m quite attached to being alive, I wasn’t able to exploit all 596 hp. I didn’t dare reach for the overboost function on North Georgia’s wet, leaf-covered roads. But the Taycan was still charming, with direct, feelsome steering and effortless power. I’ve always found that Taycans corner quite flat, but the Active Ride system takes that to its natural conclusion. There’s no roll to notice. It’s been perfected out.
But I find it hard to advocate for the GTS on a back road. It’s too fast to reasonably explore its limits on a public road. While a 911 GT3 solves this problem by offering an engine that’s more charming and characterful than the stock car, that’s not possible with an electric motor. They’re already perfect. Porsche adds some flavor with a specific-to-GTS version of the Porsche Sports Sound, but it was loud and charmless. It was neat that I could hear the vehicle’s real two-speed transmission shift up around 50 mpg, but Hyundai’s fake shifting and “engine noise” is much more engaging. I left the Porsche’s system off.
What It’s Like To Be In
Otherwise, the GTS feels like a Taycan. It rides well. The seating position is excellent, as are the interior materials. Rear seat room remains relatively weak for those cross-shopping this with bigger, similarly priced cars. But you can certainly make it work. There’s a bit of a cargo space bump for the Sport Turismo, but it’s not cavernous (15.8 cubic feet vs. 12.9 cubes for the sedan). Go with whatever design you like better. I’ll take the sedan.
I also love Porsche’s simple gauges and the company’s very clean visual language. I continue to doubt the relevance or long-term value of a passenger-side display screen, but it’s available here. It’s certainly impressive that the driver can’t see it at all, but the functionality basically mirrors the larger display set directly to its left. But if you’re buying something that starts at $149,895, you probably won’t sweat the extra $1,490. Still, these options add up. My Taycan GTS Sport Turismo was $199,935 after options, a princely sum for the fourth-fastest Taycan, supposedly the more approachable enthusiast model.
No wonder the average Taycan buyer takes home $752,000 a year. You’d need it.
Is It Worth It?
I don’t think so. I think a Porsche Taycan is absolutely worth the money. It is great to drive, great for road trips, efficient and great looking. But a GTS adds excess on top of excess. Its benefits surely pay off when you’re at the edge of its performance envelope, but if you haven’t spent a few dozen days at a race track I promise you’ll have your hands full enough with a base Taycan, or a 536-hp Taycan 4S.
You also don’t really need the Porsche Active Ride system. It’s quite clever, but it’s also a $7,150 way to get from “corners nearly flat” to “corners flat.” I’m not sold on the Sport Sound, either. If you do want it, you can get it on a base Taycan, too. Ditto PTV Plus, which I do recommend.
The GTS, then, is an odd proposition. It’s too quick for those who prefer to feel a car’s handling limits, and not quite the solution for those seeking the max dosage of gut-punching EV acceleration. If you find yourself somewhere in the middle, it’s a charming package. Just keep in mind that the Taycan GTS you really want will cost you nearly $200,000.
Contact the author: Mack.Hogan@insideevs.com.
