Project Purple - MY2026 Taycan CT4

[JackSparrow]

Well thought out spec, all performance options except the brakes, which avoids some potential high cost maintenance, although the probability of depreciation makes it hard to avoid the reality that a Taycan at this moment will likely just cost a lot to own.
I’m kind of conflicted about 20’s vs 21’s, I’d like the additional grip and nicer look from with marginally wider rims and wider tires, but don’t want to impact ride quality, and a bit of range. I don’t like the tiny sidewalls and additional harshness, the 20’s feel fine with good compliance, and experience extremely rare crash-through on broken pavement.
Same with the 18 way Sport seats, it looks nicer but functionally affects egress, and the comfort seats held me in fine on a short track run (1.13 g according to my g-meter).
I’m interested in how you like the active ride/rear steer combination.
If I trade out my Original recipe Cross turismo 4 for a used 1.2 I would be extremely happy to come across your exact spec.

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[prj]

Are the bright window frames manufacturing protections ?

Yes, they are.

Not sure in his case but for general awareness, you can choose to have silver (default) trims around the window frames or black (optioned).

Slight correction. The default is just normal rubber color black. The silver and the gloss black are options. With the CT you really want the gloss black trim because the rear spoiler is gloss black and it just looks off if you don't do it.

Well thought out spec, all performance options except the brakes, which avoids some potential high cost maintenance, although the probability of depreciation makes it hard to avoid the reality that a Taycan at this moment will likely just cost a lot to own.

Planning to keep it for a long time, so no problem. I'm cool if it is worth $0 after 8 years.
The depreciation is pretty run of the mill for a 4 door German luxury sedan, my S8 depreciated at about the same rate, the only other option is buying used.
I did try to find a MY25 CT/ST with AR and Insulated glass (the only two options I could not compromise on) , but because the Taycan 4 is such a good value, it all came out about the same price or more expensive - hence buying new.
In the end, the CT4 is going to depreciate the least because the starting price is the lowest. I think it'll still be worth over 40k in 6-7 years with that spec. And then of course because I am legit using the car for business (MapEV development) there's massive tax implications for where I am from - between payroll taxes and VAT it's significantly less expensive than when buying the car privately, as a significant part is a tax writeoff.

I’m kind of conflicted about 20’s vs 21’s, I’d like the additional grip and nicer look from with marginally wider rims and wider tires, but don’t want to impact ride quality, and a bit of range. I don’t like the tiny sidewalls and additional harshness, the 20’s feel fine with good compliance, and experience extremely rare crash-through on broken pavement.

The grip is mostly dependent on tyres - fit some really sticky tyres on the 20" and they're going to outgrip the 21". Most of the better look is not because of the width of the rims/tyres but because the 20" tyre sits 10mm more inward and the wheel sits 6mm more inward. Something these are going to fix:

Same with the 18 way Sport seats, it looks nicer but functionally affects egress, and the comfort seats held me in fine on a short track run (1.13 g according to my g-meter).

I think looks are pretty irrelevant regarding the seats. You're not spending any time looking at them. Same with the Porsche crests on the head restraints - you see them on build pics or photos, but in day to day life you don't notice nor look at them whatsoever.
You can also get the massage function on the comfort seats, and if you're like me and leave the sport seats always in their widest setting anyway then you're really getting no benefit whatsoever from them.

I’m interested in how you like the active ride/rear steer combination.

Will see once I drive it.

If I trade out my Original recipe Cross turismo 4 for a used 1.2 I would be extremely happy to come across your exact spec.

I think it's going to be nearly impossible to find a such spec. I'm taking full advantage of the fact that the car can be tuned. You'd have to be mad to put this spec on the entry level CT trim unless you're doing what I do.

 

[jk981]

purchase or lease?

probably pointless to ask since it's europe vs USA market, but was there much of a discount?

 

[W1NGE]

You can't fit them after the fact. I did spec the bike carrier preparation though.
I don't like roof bars, I will never put anything on the roof anyway.


On the CT/ST the rear passenger space is bigger. I did have the option in my Turbo S CT and my kids loved it, so I got it on this also. You can just connect an Amazon Fire Stick to it permanently and ziptie it behind the monitor, and you have a full android tv experience with a remote control. The tablet has a USB slot so you can get the power for the fire stick in the same place.
It's still much safer IMO than having a loose iPad in the back.
And in any case you can also remove the monitors after the fact.

The only thing that is inconvenient with the monitors is dropping the rear seat (they get in the way), but with having child seats in all the time anyway, then it's not any serious extra hassle for me.

Only rear head space is marginally improved (I've had both the saloon and ST).

 

[prj]

Only rear head space is marginally improved (I've had both the saloon and ST).

Yep, so you don't feel as claustrophobic with the screens in the CT/ST.

 

[prj]

purchase or lease?

probably pointless to ask since it's europe vs USA market, but was there much of a discount?

I am buying it cash and then likely doing a leaseback agreement with a bank because you get an annual interest rate of just 3.65% on EV's, which is about what our mortgage rate is. As the inflation here has been higher, then I think I'll take the free money and invest it - there are fairly safe ways to earn more than that.

I got a discount of ~8%. There were better offers discount wise (10%), but then I did not get a good offer on the trade in.
I got 95000 for my Turbo S on the spot basically, so I took it.

 

[W1NGE]

Yep, so you don't feel as claustrophobic with the screens in the CT/ST.

Um, you would but not as a small child.

The rear is cramped and there is no getting away from that not to mention it is really a 2+2 for obvious reasons.

Enjoy nonetheless.

 

[prj]

Um, you would but not as a small child.

Yeah, but for a small child they love the screens

The rear is cramped and there is no getting away from that not to mention it is really a 2+2 for obvious reasons.

On the CT the middle seat is actually useful because the roof is so much higher that even an adult can actually sit there.
On the Sedan I wouldn't option that middle seat, rather have the storage, as any adult will hit their head.

But sure, it's quite cramped in the rear. I'm tall also and the room is fairly pathetic behind me. Really only good for kids.

 

[Mr.Smith]

CT, ST and Sedan all have the same suspension part number?

 

[W1NGE]

Yep, so you don't feel as claustrophobic with the screens in the CT/ST.

36mm of headroom difference is not a material difference. Clutching at straws.

 

[prj]

36mm of headroom difference is not a material difference. Clutching at straws.

I am not sure how you measured 36mm or why you think that is the only difference. On the CT the entire back portion is open. On the Sedan it stops right behind the seats. Of course the CT feels less claustrophobic.
How much do you think the screens protrude from the seat backs? 1 meter? Anyway, this discussion is going nowhere.

It's my car and I install as many screens as I want to.

CT, ST and Sedan all have the same suspension part number?

No, CT has different part numbers for the air suspension dampers/struts. I have not checked how it is with active ride though.

 

[W1NGE]

I am not sure how you measured 36mm or why you think that is the only difference. On the CT the entire back portion is open. On the Sedan it stops right behind the seats. Of course the CT feels less claustrophobic.
How much do you think the screens protrude from the seat backs? 1 meter? Anyway, this discussion is going nowhere.

It's my car and I install as many screens as I want to.


No, CT has different part numbers for the air suspension dampers/struts. I have not checked how it is with active ride though.

I read the spec sheet for each and that's the rear headroom differential. I've also owned both body styles so have first hand knowledge. You missed that point too but hey ho.

Pano roof or not will also make a difference.

The key difference will be cargo space - obvious but I thought i should point that out.

CT sits 20mm higher.

Like I said, enjoy.

 

[prj]

I read the spec sheet for each and that's the rear headroom differential. I've also owned both body styles so have first hand knowledge. You missed that point too but hey ho.

And you think someone who developed the tune for every variant of J1.1 and J1.2 has not been in every possible configuration?
Since this seems to be important to you, I've been in all of them (including variants with and without pano roof, as well as the e-tron GT's), and my previous car already had RSE (unlike either of your cars), this was mentioned in the opening post.

The only thing the RSE affects room wise realistically is the ingress and egress, which is different for CT/ST and Sedan in the rear, as you have to have your head significantly more forward (for an adult) when getting into the Sedan.

CT/ST with/without RSE feels significantly less cramped and more airy for an adult, and it's a massive difference in lifting children into the seat as well due to the roof shape.

Here's a reminder, of just how big of a difference there is during entry:

Comparing CT/ST vs Sedan your head is still farther away from an obstacle in the front when getting into the CT/ST compared to the Sedan even if the CT/ST has RSE installed, and it's still much easier to put a child into a child seat regardless if it has RSE installed - I might know a thing or two about that. Pano room makes no difference in that regard, since it's the C pillar that is in the way.

CT sits 20mm higher.

Nah - between 19mm to 33mm depending on trim level and current suspension setting. Since we like to be particular.
Pretty much irrelevant in case of the J1.2 with Active Ride though.

 

[prj]

CT, ST and Sedan all have the same suspension part number?

Did some more checking. For the facelift there's 4 different types air suspension struts:
1) Sedan & ST without AR
2) CT without AR
3) Sedan & ST with AR
4) CT with AR

Here are examples of Sedan & ST vs CT with AR in the front:

Same story without the AR and also in the rear.

To be more exact the air springs are different between AR/non-AR (they include a hydraulic reservoir in case of the AR and just have a single air chamber).
And the shock absorbers are different between Sedan & ST vs CT. This is visible in the rear part numbers. Since the front has them as one unit, you have to have 4 variants for the front struts. In the rear the shock absorbers and air springs are separate, so there are 2 variants of the air springs and 2 variants of the shock absorbers.

This makes sense, because when you have a different ride height you also should always have a differently tuned shock absorber. Not something that usually is done aftermarket slamming the cars, but the OEM does that because they can do it right.

 

[Mr.Smith]

Did some more checking. For the facelift there's 4 different types air suspension struts:
1) Sedan & ST without AR
2) CT without AR
3) Sedan & ST with AR
4) CT with AR

Here are examples of Sedan & ST vs CT with AR in the front:

Same story without the AR and also in the rear.

To be more exact the air springs are different between AR/non-AR (they include a hydraulic reservoir in case of the AR and just have a single air chamber).
And the shock absorbers are different between Sedan & ST vs CT. This is visible in the rear part numbers. Since the front has them as one unit, you have to have 4 variants for the front struts. In the rear the shock absorbers and air springs are separate, so there are 2 variants of the air springs and 2 variants of the shock absorbers.

This makes sense, because when you have a different ride height you also should always have a differently tuned shock absorber. Not something that usually is done aftermarket slamming the cars, but the OEM does that because they can do it right.

All makes sense about the different suspension specs

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