Porsche's 2027 Taycan fakes gear shifts and rev sounds in pricey EV theater

The new 2027 Porsche Taycan performance EV edition now comes with a larger battery and longer range on a charge of up to 700 km WLTP (about 390 miles in EPA estimate).

It is also $6,000 more expensive than the 2026 model, but, hey, it comes with Porsche's new E-Shift feature that simulates gear shifts and gas-powered motor sounds.

2027 Porsche Taycan E-Shift sounds

Staying true to its sound legacy of naturally aspirated boxer engines, Porsche decided to provide 2027 Taycan buyers with the real deal. During one factory interview not long ago, a Porsche employee said that the company wouldn't fake combustion engine sounds and feel since it is still putting those in real cars. Some managers apparently drove a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, though, and loved the faux gas-powered engine sounds, so they decided to go several steps further.

In the newest flagship Taycan, they installed a dedicated blue E-Shift button on the steering wheel and a set of paddles that offer no less than eight simulated gears to go through. There is even a virtual rev counter in the instrument cluster that redlines around 7,300 rpm. Ironically, buyers would be paying more to use an optional feature that makes their car a tad slower, as E-Shift, by design, interrupts torque delivery to mimic the pause between gears "with noticeable shift jerks," as Porsche puts it.

The dog and pony show even simulates engine braking when lifting off at high "revs," tugging like a real downshift would. The engine sounds piping through the internal and external speakers apparently vary by trim level, simulating different engine types. All of this is rather ceremonial, and the 2027 Taycan is faster without it, just beating the Nürburgring’s lap record in the executive electric car category. It is plenty fast with the E-Shift simulations, too, so the feature could appeal to longtime Porsche fans who were hesitant to make the EV jump.