Porsche debuted the Mission E concept more than two years ago, but when the electric sports car goes into production, it will feature a different name. Today, Porsche revealed that name is Taycan, pronounced “tie-con.”
Taycan translates roughly to “lively young horse,” referencing the leaping steed in the Porsche crest. Explaining the new moniker, Porsche Chairman Oliver Blume said in a statement, “Our new electric sports car is strong and dependable; it’s a vehicle that can consistently cover long distances and that epitomizes freedom.”
As we previously reported, Porsche’s first electric car will feature two motors contributing to a system output of more than 600 horsepower. Porsche claims a 0-60 time of “well under 3.5 seconds” and a range of more than 300 miles based on the New European Driving Cycle. Expect the Tesla-fighter to launch in 2019, followed by a Cross Turismo variant not long afterward.
If you’re wondering how Porsche came up with the names for its other cars, here’s a quick rundown. The Boxster takes its name from Porsche’s boxer engine and its roadster design, while Cayman is derived from the South American reptile related to the alligator. Macan is taken from the Indonesian word for tiger, while Cayenne denotes fieriness. Porsche named the Panamera after the Carrera Panamericana long-distance race. Finally, Porsche looked at Volkswagen’s range of spare part numbers when naming the 911.
