Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo

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60 degrees of separation

One hundred kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, Johnny Schaer – aka Johnny FPV (First Person View) – stands with both feet firmly planted on frozen ground. One of the world’s best drone pilots, he wears black video glasses and holds his controller in gloved hands to keep warm in the icy air as the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo races around a purpose-built ice track. Johnny is filming Drive2Extremes, set in the Lapland town of Levi and on the Liwa Oasis at the northern edge of the Rub’ al Khali desert in the United Arab Emirates. Footage from both will be woven into one magical short film that seamlessly transitions from a hot dusty landscape to a white frosty winter land. First, a hot-air balloon glides over Nordic pine forests. The Taycan is drifting in the snow, then Johnny’s drone slices through the air, sweeping down to strikingly capture the car’s breakneck speed. In less than a split second, the course transforms from white to ochre as the red and blue Taycan in the hands of racing driver Jukka Honkavuori expertly sets into a long, controlled slide on the sandy surface of the Rub’ al Khali desert. We are now 5,000 kilometres away from icy Lapland in the world’s largest continuous sand desert, with recorded temperatures of up to 56°C. Another blink of an eye and the car is on the same-shaped course, but again in the frozen north where temperatures can plunge to -50°C. Today, the temperatures are close to -30°C in the snow and 30°C in the desert, hence the car’s split-down-the-middle colour scheme as well as the numbers – -30° on the blue, +30° on the red. Johnny FPV is working with director Nicholas Schrunk who won an Emmy for his documentary Blood Road. A master of transferring emotion into film, Schrunk uses the Taycan to extend his artistry to perfection. In one memorable scene, the Taycan is racing alongside a sled pulled by a team of 10 Huskies, a vision which transforms into two wild dogs in the desert, running in the tracks of the Taycan.

Johnny be good

Johnny Schaer bought his first drone at the age of 15, followed days later by a second, and shortly thereafter by a third. He practised relentlessly. He got good. Then he became a pro. Now at the age of 25, the Chicagoborn pilot is known for his exceptionally dexterous manoeuvres. Few can match his skill in making the viewer part of the action. He opens up new horizons, offering surprising dimensions in technical perfection.

‘It’s important to fly in a unique way, to establish a trademark style. My videos bear my signature. They’re not jerky; they’re precise, and they’re very fluid.

‘Hand-eye coordination is crucial to being a good pilot. Otherwise, it’s just a mix of hard work, good ideas, and talent,’ Johnny explains. ‘It’s indescribable to see and feel how strongly the Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo performs on different surfaces. I knew that electric cars accelerate very quickly, but the fact that the power can be called up like that on ice and sand is something I find incredible.’

For Johnny, electric cars are the future. ‘I’m quite sure I’ll own one too,’ he confirms.

One impressive moment follows another in his film, punctuated by breathtakingly beautiful slow-motion sequences amid spectacular scenery. The Cross Turismo and its guiding filmmaker – masters in two worlds.

The three-minute video can be viewed at: https://newstv.porsche.com/en/ (search Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo)

Put your own spin on a Taycan Turbo Cross Turism o

Late in 2021 (Q3) the Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo will hit Australian roads ... and perhaps off-road as well, as this versatile crossover all-terrain Taycan is equally at home in both worlds.

Visually, the Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo will stand out in any crowd with its long roofline and sloped rear setting it apart, along with its 20-inch alloy wheels (with optional 21-inch available) and black trim which has been added to the sills, wheel arches and bumpers with silver highlights. Inside is equally stylish with pin-sharp digital screens and the use of the highest-grade materials. A GT multifunction sports steering wheel and the deep sporty seats allow you to find your optimum driving position, while the 16.8-inch curved display and an additional 8.4-inch centre console display provides access to navigation, media, telephone, settings, and Apple CarPlay via a menu bar. The Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo exhibits a stunning 460kW of power with electricity consumption at a combined 286.9Wh/km . When using overboost with launch control, 500kW of power translates to an acceleration of 0-100 km/h in 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h, with a range of 395 – 425km. This highly practical driving range makes the car ideally suited for Australian drivers, and when a charge-up is needed, this model includes the most up-to-date public charging hardware consisting of a 150kW on-board DC-Charger for use at 400volt charging points, a 22kW on-board AC-charger and a Mode 3 public charging cable compatible with the majority of AC charging networks already established in Australia. All Taycan owners receive a complimentary three-year subscription to the Chargefox Ultra-Rapid DC charging network (up to 350 kW), and complimentary charging at selected Chargefox-managed Fast DC charging sites. Chargefox stations can be found across Australia enabling long-distance travel from Melbourne to Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane and even Tasmania, making the process just as easy when compared with a petrol or diesel vehicle. Western Australian sites are currently being activated. Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo is now available to order and starts at $279,000. •