Porsche Taycan Turbo GT breaks Nurburgring EV record

The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT was already absurdly fast by electric car standards, but Porsche has apparently decided absurd is no longer enough. Equipped with a new Manthey Kit developed alongside Porsche Motorsport specialists, the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT has now reset the Nürburgring EV record with a lap time of 6:55.553 around the Nordschleife, comfortably beating the previous benchmark in the luxury electric category. More impressively, the new setup allowed Porsche development driver Lars Kern to beat his own previous Nürburgring EV record in the standard Taycan Turbo GT by more than 12 seconds. For a four-door electric car weighing well over two tonnes, that sort of improvement is faintly ridiculous.

Porsche Taycan Turbo GT gets track-focused Manthey Kit

The Manthey Kit represents the most aggressive factory-supported upgrade package Porsche has yet developed for an electric car. Built specifically for the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package, the setup combines aerodynamic changes, chassis tuning, wheel and tyre upgrades, braking revisions and software recalibrations designed purely around circuit performance.

Aerodynamics play the biggest role in the transformation because the Manthey Kit increases total downforce by more than three times compared to the standard car. At 124mph, the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT now produces 683lbs of downforce, while at top speed the figure climbs to around 1,631lbs.

That additional stability comes from an entirely revised aero package including a larger rear wing, optimized front diffuser, redesigned rear diffuser and additional underbody aerodynamic elements. Porsche has also fitted carbon aerodiscs to the rear wheels to improve airflow efficiency at higher speeds.

Interestingly, this is also the first Manthey Kit to directly alter an electric Porsche powertrain. Porsche increased maximum discharge current from 1,100 to 1,300 amps, allowing the Electric car to produce up to 978HP temporarily when Attack Mode is activated.

Standard system output also rises from 777HP to 804HP, while maximum torque increases to 936lb-ft during Launch Control operation. Those are deeply unnecessary figures for any public road, which is precisely why they make so much sense for a Nürburgring EV record attempt.

The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT also gains newly developed forged aluminium wheels paired with specially developed Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tyres. Wider track-focused tyre sizes increase grip significantly, while titanium wheel bolts help reduce unsprung weight.

Porsche Nürburgring EV record highlights growing electric arms race

The bigger story surrounding this Nürburgring EV record is what it says about the direction performance electric cars are heading generally. Manufacturers are no longer treating EVs simply as efficient daily transport because the battle for electric performance credibility is escalating remarkably quickly.

Porsche clearly understands that circuit capability still matters heavily for brand identity, especially when dealing with enthusiast buyers skeptical about electric performance cars. The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT exists largely to prove that an Electric car can still deliver the sort of precision and consistency traditionally associated with Porsche GT products.

According to Lars Kern, the Manthey Kit transformed the way the car behaved during high-speed sections and heavy braking zones around the Nordschleife. He specifically highlighted increased stability and improved confidence during fast directional changes.

That makes sense given Porsche also reworked suspension tuning, rear-wheel steering calibration and Porsche Active Ride settings for the Manthey-equipped setup. Larger brake discs and upgraded pads further improve heat resistance and stopping performance during repeated hard laps.

What remains slightly surreal is the idea of a nearly 1,000HP electric sedan now producing enough aerodynamic downforce to rival serious GT race machinery. The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT may technically still be a four-door luxury EV, but the Manthey Kit pushes it much closer toward full track weapon territory.

Porsche also deserves credit for avoiding the temptation to rely purely on brute-force acceleration numbers. Instead, the Nürburgring EV record was achieved through a much broader engineering effort focused on stability, braking, grip and aerodynamic efficiency.

That approach feels far more aligned with Porsche’s traditional philosophy than simply chasing bigger horsepower figures. It also explains why the company continues dominating conversations around high-performance electric cars while several rivals still struggle to make their EVs feel emotionally engaging.

The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT probably will not convince every enthusiast that electric cars are the future of performance driving. Still, when a two-tonne Electric car can lap the Nürburgring quicker than many dedicated supercars while producing race-car levels of downforce, dismissing it entirely starts becoming increasingly difficult.