Porsche Tests Tesla's Plaid-Topping Taycan

Porsche was spotted testing a prototype of the Taycan with elements normally found on Porsche's GT sports cars.

Just recently, we brought you spy shots of a prototype of the updated Taycan, which will be introduced next year at the midpoint of the electric sedan and wagon's life cycle. The latest prototype, however, is something entirely different.

New aerodynamic elements like the extended front splitter, chunky side skirts, rear diffuser, and rear wing are hard to miss. The front air curtains are also sealed, suggesting that the prototype may feature new air channels hidden behind the front mask. Also, a makeshift sensor is mounted on the roof, but its purpose remains a mystery.

It is also worth noting that Lars Kern drove the prototype. He was the Porsche hot shoe responsible for many of Porsche's official lap times at the Nürburgring and was also the driver of the Taycan Turbo S, which set a lap time of 7:33.35 on the German race track in the summer. The time was more than two seconds faster than the time set by the more powerful Tesla Model S Plaid and is the current record for a production EV at the Nürburgring. [But it's not just the Tesla Plaid, there are rumors of a more powerful three-motor model designed to rival Lucid's Air Sapphire and other EVs with four-digit horsepower. Such a variant could be badged the Taycan Turbo GT, similar to the Cayenne Turbo GT grade.