As the grand finale of Porsche’s Triple Demo Run, Formula 1 Driver Neel Jani drove a 2020 Porsche Taycan on the 2019 New York City E-Prix race track in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York City. Previously, the international series of Taycan exhibitions featured showcases at the Porsche Experience Center (PEC) in Shanghai, China, and the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England.
Though it will not be officially released until September 2019 at the Frankfurt International Motor Show, Porsche has been working hard to get buyers interested in the all-new Taycan. The brand’s first modern all-electric vehicle release, the Taycan is a bold step forward for a German brand with a long and storied history. According to Porsche, there are currently more than 20,000 interested buyers who have affirmed their support for purchasing a Taycan.
Showing a bit of Patriotic Flair
Each of Porsche’s Triplee Demo Events with the Taycan featured unique roof graphics paying homage to the countries hosting the events.
Li Chao, a competitive driver and participant in Porsche’s Asian Carrera Cup Series kicked things off in Shanghai, China. Chao thrilled a sold out crowd by driving a Taycan featuring a custom Chinese Dragon design on its roof.
Next up, Australian race car driver Marc Webber unveiled a Union Jack’d Taycan at the extremely popular U.K. hill climb race event, the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Finally, Neel Jani’s All-American Taycan featured the red, white and blue of the U.S. flag during his speed runs in New York City last weekend.
Neel Jani Tests the 2020 Porsche Taycan
Swiss Porsche Works driver Neel Jani was the perfect choice to drive the Taycan at the 2019 New York City E-Prix event. Driving a Porsche 919 Hybrid, he achieved the top result in both the Le Mans and was also named the FIA World Endurance Champion in 2016. Between 2014 and 2017, he managed four wins, nine pole positions and four fastest race laps with the Porsche 919.
In 2018, Jani set a lap record with the 919 Hybrid Evo during the Spa-Francorchamps. That result was good enough to beat a previously well-established Formula 1 record. Neel started his career in Formula racing before graduating to Formula 1.
“In Formula E, recuperation plays an important part in the race strategy. In a production car, intelligent energy recovery can make it possible to achieve significant benefits in terms of range,” said Porsche driver Neel Jani about his experience testing the all-electric Taycan. “I was surprised by the long range of the new Taycan even when driven spiritedly round a race track. That is due to its performance-oriented battery and the sophisticated energy management system.”
Jani found similarity between the production 2020 Porsche Taycan and the ABB FIA Formula E race car he was selected to drive: “Like our Formula E car, it has a Porsche drivetrain that is designed for performance and reliability. No matter whether it is a racing car or a series-production model, it is extremely important to drive many miles in the test phase and to gain experience with the vehicle.”
Celebrating the ABB FIA Formula E Championship
Legend has it, the ABB FIA Formula E Championship concept was created on March 3rd, 2011 during a late-night meal in Paris, France between FIA President Jean Todt and Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag. The idea was simple: to create the world’s first all-electric street racing series.
Since its debut at Olympic Park in Beijing, China back in 2014, the Formula E Championship has grown to today include 11 drivers and 22 of the world’s most well-known competitive racing teams. This year’s ABB FIA Formula E Championship featured 13 races in 12 cities on 5 continents around the world.
Source: Porsche Newsroom