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Porsche’s Taycan has carved a name for itself as one of the top-performing electric sedans on the market. In this Porsche Taycan hoist review, the experts at Munro & Associates took a close look at its underbody engineering and design choices — offering valuable teardown insights into where Porsche hits the mark, and where there’s room to evolve.
With the Taycan hoisted for review, Munro’s team explored the thermal systems, chassis construction, structural strategies, and component packaging of this first-generation EV. What they found is a fascinating blend of performance-driven choices and opportunities for future lean design.
A Porsche Built for Performance First
The Taycan reviewed was a relatively base 2022 model — rear-wheel drive, smaller battery, and absent the front drive module. Despite lacking the top-end options like the 10-piston brakes or active roll bars, this version still showcased Porsche’s commitment to performance.
From the outset, one notable design choice is the lack of explicit SORB (small overlap rigid barrier) countermeasures. This is not unusual for low-volume luxury models that perform well in Euro NCAP testing but aren’t necessarily optimized for U.S. small overlap standards.
Instead, Porsche uses a mix of materials to deliver occupant protection. The structure combines aluminum extrusions with crush cans and high-strength steels. These materials are concentrated within the passenger cell. Together, they form the core of the vehicle’s safety strategy.
The “Bowl of Spaghetti” Thermal System
One of the most visually striking elements revealed under the Taycan is its dense array of coolant lines, valves, and pumps — prompting the “bowl of spaghetti” nickname.
This intricate setup, while functional, appears ripe for future integration. The Munro team noted that portions of the base substrate already resemble a proto-manifold and anticipate that Porsche may further streamline this system in future iterations.
Such a move would improve assembly efficiency. In addition, it would reduce component complexity and potential failure points. These are key principles of lean manufacturing. By adopting them, Porsche could further refine its processes as it scales its EV offerings.
Chassis Design: A Study in Mixed Strategies
The front cradle of the Taycan demonstrates a balance between commonality and customization. Compared to the all-wheel drive versions, the base RWD model uses more extrusions with fewer castings. Components like the stacked extrusions supporting the steering rack show Porsche’s adaptive use of structural elements to differentiate models while managing tooling investment.
Munro also highlighted that the extrusion market is seeing increased demand, which may pose challenges for Porsche and others seeking competitive pricing for these lightweight, high-stiffness elements.
Attention to Brake Cooling and Suspension
Even in this base model, Porsche dedicates significant engineering to brake cooling. Carefully routed ducts feed airflow to the brake package — a feature uncommon in many mass-market EVs.
Suspension elements also reflect Porsche DNA. The Taycan uses forged links in the front and hollow, sand-cast knuckles — achieving impressive stiffness and weight efficiency. While these parts are less suited to high-volume production due to their manufacturing complexity, they underscore Porsche’s performance-first philosophy.
The wheel package offers another glimpse at Porsche’s profit strategy: the 21-inch wheels, a $5,000 option, likely cost about $500 to manufacture — delivering a 10x margin on a single line item.
Rear Architecture and Battery Integration
Moving rearward, Munro’s team explored the Taycan’s battery integration and rear drive module design.
An interesting feature is the retained “transmission tunnel” space, housing charging electronics. This design may contribute to body stiffness and driving dynamics — though the team questioned whether further integration could be achieved. The tunnel’s presence also echoes legacy vehicle architectures, perhaps more a function of platform flexibility than pure EV optimization.
Packaging remains extremely tight throughout the Taycan’s underbody, with expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam insulating the rear drive module — a novel use of the material in this area.
Most fascinating is how the battery structure actively supports the rear drive module. A bent extrusion links cast mounts from the rear EDM to the battery itself, emphasizing the battery’s role as an integral part of the vehicle’s stiffness strategy. This tight, deliberate design reflects Porsche’s emphasis on chassis dynamics, even if it introduces assembly challenges.
The Curious Case of the Rear Anti-Roll Bar
In the rear, Munro noted the presence of an anti-roll bar that appears visually complete but functionally inactive — ending without a connected link.
The team speculated this could be a crash-energy management element rather than a handling component — perhaps a late-stage addition to meet internal crash targets. Such decisions offer a glimpse into the complexity of tuning low-volume performance EVs while balancing cost, safety, and assembly.
The Only EV with a Two-Speed Gearbox
The Taycan remains unique among EVs with its two-speed rear gearbox. Combined with Porsche’s high-density motors and performance-oriented winding strategies, this setup enables the Taycan to deliver both brutal off-the-line acceleration and high-speed efficiency.
However, the power electronics remain disassociated — with inverters not integrated into the drive modules. This is common for first-generation EVs, particularly from legacy OEMs transitioning to electric platforms. Future designs may consolidate these components, reducing mass, wiring complexity, and assembly time.
Lessons for Future Porsche EVs
Overall, Munro’s teardown underscores that the Porsche Taycan represents a first-generation performance EV, rich with brand DNA but also early in its lean design journey.
Key takeaways include:
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Opportunities for Integration: The complex thermal system and disassociated electronics could benefit from streamlined, modular designs.
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Structural Excellence: Porsche’s use of battery elements as structural components and its attention to brake and chassis tuning are standout strengths.
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Legacy Constraints: Some packaging choices — like the transmission tunnel — reflect adaptation from ICE-era architectures. A clean-sheet EV design could offer further gains.
As Porsche evolves its EV lineup — including future Taycan generations and upcoming Macan EV variants — applying these insights could yield even more efficient, cost-effective, and high-performing vehicles.
Conclusion
The Porsche Taycan hoist review highlights how even world-class performance EVs like this one can evolve. Through lean design, integration, and continued focus on dynamic excellence, Porsche is well positioned to lead in the growing electric performance segment.
To explore more teardown insights and cutting-edge automotive engineering, visit Munro & Associates and subscribe to Munro Live for exclusive breakdowns and expert reviews.