We know that Porsche is keenly aware of its history, and has been evolving the design of each new generation of the 911 for decades. But how will Porsche make the new all-electric Taycan, due to be officially revealed worldwide in September, link to the marque’s heritage? Can it even do that?
Porsche says it has gone to great lengths to ensure that customers sitting behind the wheel for the first time will feel at home in the Taycan; the design is said to echo the minimalist yet functional layouts found in the earliest models while still being at the cutting-edge of what is possible in the digital age. Has it worked? These first pictures will help you decide.
“Less is more applies here, too,” explains Ivo van Hulten, director of Interior Design Style Porsche at Porsche AG. “The Taycan interior combines design elements typical for the brand with a new type of user experience, and impresses with its simple elegance.”
The inspiration for the Taycan’s interior is said to come from the original 1963 911’s clear and purposeful layout, and the driver-focused curved instrument cluster and placement of many controls will be familiar to existing Porsche owners. The Taycan’s cluster uses a 16.8-inch curved screen, which can be configured in four distinct modes. Classic mode mimics the typical Porsche layout with a centrally-mounted power meter replacing the revcounter. Two map modes offer a partial or full navigational view while the Pure mode is a minimalist layout with just essential information such as speed and traffic signs being presented to the driver.
A nod to tradition is all well and good but not if it comes at the expense of modern usability and all of the Taycan’s user interfaces have been redesigned to give the driver quick access to the onboard systems. A central 10.9-inch screen and optional passenger display can be configured in a number of different ways and there are apps such as telephone, media, navigation as well as optimized voice controls.
A lack of a traditional gearbox means that the Taycan has a transmission shift position selector switch in the instrument panel instead of the usual central console-mounted shift selector lever or manual gearlever, which creates a cleaner look, and while it does retain what looks like traditional air vents, they too are fully automatic.
The power button, however, is still located on the left behind the steering wheel, exactly where the ignition lock has been on 911s for over 50 years. Customers can also specify their Taycan interiors in a variety of traditional or modern styles and there are also a range of Taycan-exclusive interior colors like Black-Lime Beige, Blackberry, Atacama Beige and Meranti Brown. Doors and center consoles can be trimmed in wood, carbon, aluminum or even fabric finishes. The future of the Porsche brand may be heading out into uncharted waters but we hope its new products continue to pay homage to its history.
Images courtesy of Porsche
