The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has selected the all-electric Porsche Taycan as its official Safety Car for season 8. The new SC is set to make its formal debut at the opening round of the Formula E season later this month in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.
2021 was a big year for the Porsche Taycan. As the first-ever all-electric Porsche, expectations were high, of course – but even the most optimistic product planners within Porsche couldn’t have predicted the e-mobility revolution’s acceleration under COVID. As a result, Taycan sales have outpaced every other Porsche model for growth, outselling the iconic 911 globally, and with no indication that its sales will be slowing down soon.
“Formula E is delighted the Porsche Taycan Turbo S will serve as the championship’s Safety Car from Season 8,” says Jamie Reigle, CEO of Formula E. “The Porsche Taycan Turbo S is the pinnacle of high performance electrified vehicles and will light up Formula E city racetracks around the world.”
About that Taycan
The Taycan’s Safety Car livery is meant to both enhance visibility and evoke the colors of the series’ eleven teams (Maserati joins next year), as well as those of the FIA and Formula E. The goal is that the car can act as a symbol of everyone’s common path towards a future of all-electric motor racing.
Beyond the aesthetic changes, the Porsche Taycan SCs are fitted with highly visible light bars and the necessary toggles and switches in the cabin to operate them properly.
Mechanically, however, the Formula E Porsche Taycan seems to be almost stock, with the official release citing the car’s 560 kW output (750 hp), 2.8 second 0-60 mph sprint, and excellent handling/braking as some of the reasons the Taycan was chosen in the first place.
“We’re proud that Formula E has entrusted a Porsche with this task – one that is important for the safety of its drivers,” says Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “With the Taycan Turbo S as the official safety car, we’re making an important contribution to track safety and also underlining the importance of Formula E for Porsche Motorsport.”
Electrek’s Take
Car companies like Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, and Aston Martin have a long history of putting their high-performance road-going models in that Safety Car role in series like Formula 1 or DTM. For those in the know, it’s an endorsement from the FIA – even if it is a paid one – that the car can stay close enough to the pack on a start to be able to help (as seen in Romain Grosjean’s 2020 horror crash), and corner hard enough to keep the cars behind from stalling and/or losing too much heat in the tires and brakes.
That’s not nothing, and if there was any doubt that the Porsche Taycan would be up to the task, it’s safe to say that it’s been removed.
Source | Images: Porsche, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.