Taycan sets a new lap record for electric cars at Interlagos

Felipe Nasr, three-time IMSA champion and three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona, set a time of 1:42.1 minutes on the 4.3-kilometre Interlagos circuit on 5 February 2025. The new lap time not only shaved almost eight seconds off the record set by the Taycan Turbo S in 2022 (1:49.8 minutes) but was also just under a second inside an earlier outright production-car lap record set by the 911 Turbo S (1:43.087 minutes). With both high-speed and technical sections, as well as plenty of elevation change, the circuit in the Interlagos district of the Brazilian metropolis offers a number of challenges.

"Coming to Interlagos and getting behind the wheel of the Taycan Turbo GT right after winning the 24 Hours of Daytona was an incredible experience. I expected the strong acceleration and brutal torque but, ultimately, it was the overall performance that really impressed me," says Porsche works driver Nasr.

"On the uphill climb before 'Curva do Café', just before the main straight, I used Attack Mode and the car reached 272 km/h by the end of the corner. On the exit of 'Curva do Sol', I was already reaching more than 200 km/h coming onto the back straight. It's amazing how brutally the car accelerates and delivers its power," continues the Porsche Penske Motorsport team driver. "The steering of the Taycan Turbo GT was very precise in the slow corners and remained stable even under heavy braking. The balance, the grip – a real performance machine."

"Our goal was to set a new record to show the strengths of the new Taycan model series – just in time for its debut on the Brazilian market," says Peter Vogel, CEO of Porsche Brazil. "The outstanding performance of the Taycan Turbo GT is truly impressive."

Officially known as the Autodrome José Carlos Pace, Brazil's home of Formula 1 and the FIA Endurance Championship (WEC), the circuit is known globally for the successes of national hero Ayrton Senna in the races of the early 1990s.

The Taycan Turbo GT has also proven its motorsport credentials as a Formula E safety car since May 2024, when it took over the role from the Taycan Turbo S. Driven by Bruno Correia (Portugal), it is the most powerful safety car in an FIA World Championship. There are always two Taycan Turbo GT safety cars at each Formula E race. One is equipped with the Weissach Package and the other one is without. Fitted with safety equipment and a high-tech communication system, they alternate between duties as the main car and as the backup vehicle.

Further Taycan records on other continents

The lap record in São Paulo follows on from three other records for the Taycan Turbo GT, set by Porsche development driver Lars Kern on very different circuits around the globe. Most recently, in October 2024, he set the then fastest time of 2:11.28 minutes round the Shanghai International Circuit, the first lap record officially recognised by the circuit.

In spring 2024, Kern made a successful visit to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in California. With a time of 1:27.87 minutes, he set a lap faster than any other achieved by a driver in a road-legal electric car. Shortly before that, a pre-production version of this model had achieved a new fastest time in class at the Nürburgring. Kern was also at the wheel on this occasion, lapping the Nordschleife in just 7:07.55 minutes. With this official lap time, he was a full 26 seconds faster than his previous record drive in August 2022 in a Taycan Turbo S Sport Sedan with Performance Package.

About the Taycan Turbo GT and Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package

Porsche has rounded off the top end of its lineup of all-electric sports sedans with the Taycan Turbo GT and the Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package. A more powerful and more efficient pulse inverter with silicon carbide as the semiconductor material is used on the rear axle. Both cars achieve a limited-time peak power output of more than 1,100 PS.  At the push of a button, Attack Mode provides a power increase of up to 120 kW for up to 10 seconds. The system has been optimised for use on track and is similar in function to that of the 99X racing cars that Porsche uses in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The boost is indicated by a countdown timer in the instrument cluster and dynamically represented by animated rings on the speedometer.

With intelligent lightweight construction measures, Porsche has reduced the weight of the Taycan Turbo GT by up to 75 kilograms compared to the Taycan Turbo S. A number of carbon-fibre components contribute to this saving. The Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package is specially designed for the racetrack and dispenses with the rear bench seat in favour of an even greater power-to-weight ratio.

Both models are equipped as standard with Porsche Active Ride suspension with GT-specific tuning. In dynamic driving situations, this suspension setup ensures an almost perfect connection to the road thanks to balanced distribution of the wheel loads.