Porsche's Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo are being marketed across the Middle East. Image courtesy of Porsche
German automaker Porsche has kickstarted the roll-out of its all-electric Taycan in the Middle East with a glitzy light show on the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
The spindly tower which peers over the streets of Dubai is the tallest building in the world at 828 meters, or 2,718 feet, high. Porsche’s rental of it for the display symbolizes all of its aspirations for the first three Taycan models: the 4S, Turbo and Turbo S, to be sold across the Arab world and in Africa.
“It was a very special moment watching more than one million LED lights turning the facade into one big screen to celebrate the start of the Taycan introduction in our region,” said Markus Peter, marketing director at Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE, in a statement.
A closer look
The automaker has christened the car Taycan, which can be translated to “lively young horse.” In addition to referencing the equine figure in Porsche’s logo, the name intends to communicate the spirit of the car.
In a short to accompany the launch, the sparkly display of the Taycan logo on the Burj Khalifa is replayed.
"The new Taycan is Soul Electrified," said the script.
It is night in Dubai and people are out on the streets taking pictures on smartphones as the front of the tower is lit with flashing orbs of color. On its facade are listed Porsche’s key milestones from the Lohner-Porsche, which came out in 1900 to the Porsche 911 in 1963 to the Taycan of today.
“Every Porsche ever built has a soul,” are the words flashing across the Burj Khalifa.
“Get ready for the first all-electric sports car. The new Taycan. Soul Electrified,” the script continues.
The Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building. Image credit: Porsche
The Taycan’s attributes are impressive. A pair of permanent-magnet synchronous motors provide the Taycan Turbo S with up to 560kW of overboost power, which allow it and other models to go from 0 to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds.
Fully electric, the Taycan Turbo S is the most expensive in the range, retailing at $185,000, and reaching a speed of 161 mph. The Taycan-4S, meanwhile, is the most affordable at $103,800 and its speed can climb to 155 mph.
In the coming months, Porsche’s regional office will help its importers with the rollout of all three Taycan models.
“The all-new Taycan is a culmination of over 70 years of experience building sports cars, merged with incredible new driving technologies,” said Dr. Manfred Braeunl, chief executive officer at Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE, in a statement. “The upcoming months will be hugely exciting for us and our business partners, as we launch the car across the region.”
The start of the launch follows a successful period of business for Porsche’s regional office in Dubai, which recently reported year-on-year growth of 5 percent.
History
Previously known as Mission E, Porsche’s version of the electric car originally debuted as a concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2015.
Porsche built a new paint area and dedicated assembly space for the Taycan at its headquarters in Zuffenhausen, Germany. The creation of this car is estimated to have added 1,200 jobs in Zuffenhausen (see story).
As automakers continue to invest in electric mobility initiatives, the electric vehicle market is likely see a paramount jump by the year 2025.
Porsche is investing heavily in electric technology, doubling its expenditures to 6 billion euros, or about $7 billion, through 2022. About 500 million euros of this sum is going towards the Mission E and its offshoots (see story).
"The Taycan has earned legions of fans for its incredible handling and performance, its style, and its build quality," said David Undercoffler, editor in chief of Autolist, San Francisco. "Frankly, I've been pleasantly surprised with how well its been received, given its relatively high sticker price."