Former Bathurst 1000 winner and Porsche track Experience Chief Driving Instructor Luke Youlden was at the wheel of the Porsche Taycan Turbo S when it established a new electric vehicle lap record at The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend, South Australia.
Youlden clocked in at 3:30.344 on the 7.7 kilometer GT circuit layout, which is also the second-longest permanent racing circuit in the world behind the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
“The lap time of the Taycan just absolutely blew me away,” said Youlden in a statement issued by Porsche. “You drive it in a similar way to any other Porsche sportscar. The turn-in, handling and acceleration were outstanding. The power out of the corners is definitely where it makes up a lot of time.“
For comparison, Youlden also set a time of 3:22.066 in the new 911 Turbo around the 35 corner circuit on the same day, a time that set a new production car lap record for the GT Circuit.
The difference was attributed to the extra weight carried by the electric Taycan, and despite its superior acceleration, although a loss of one second per kilometre was seen as reasonable.
The all-electric Taycan was released in Australia earlier this year with a starting price tag of $190,000 before on roads, and more than 320 have already been sold. You can read our review of the Taycan here.
Watch the full lap onboard video below.
