Although the Tesla Model S Plaid reigns as one of the fastest EV sedans, Porsche is in no mood to let Elon Musk’s EV brand hold on to the title for long. The team at Stuttgart has revised its popular Taycan range with more power, better cosmetic upgrades, improved infotainment UI and an active chassis system. This new spec sheet suggests that the 2025 Taycan is now the fastest production vehicle leaving Porsche’s factory and as automobile enthusiasts, we had to examine the claims.
And what better way to do so than by pitting Porsche’s greatest against Tesla’s premier sedan? Hence, in our 2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo S vs Tesla Model S Plaid comparison, we go over the key details and find out if Porsche has made enough changes to give the new Taycan a fighting chance against the Model S Plaid.
To keep it fair, we will be considering the Porsche Taycan Turbo S in its sedan body style instead of the more off-road-friendly Taycan Cross Turismo. Without waiting any further, let us get started with our EV showdown.
Porsche Taycan Turbo S 2025 vs Tesla Model S Plaid
Design
Despite design being a highly subjective aspect, we cannot ignore the core styling trends that Tesla and Porsche bring to the table.
While the Tesla goes for a sedate and elegant design with its decade-old three-box architecture flaunting those slim headlights and the coupe-like roofline that leads to a large rear hatch, the Porsche Taycan Turbo S stays true to the design ethos established by the Porsche 911 coupe. The timeless sloping roofline design along with the raised LED Matrix HD headlights, the sports coupe rear highlighted by the connected 3D tail lamps and those gorgeous allow wheels make the Porsche a stunning vehicle to behold.
For this comparison, our vote goes to the exquisitely designed Porsche Taycan Turbo S.
Winner: Porsche Taycan Turbo S
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Interiors
Both the Tesla Model S Plaid and the Porsche Taycan Turbo S are poles apart in their interior design DNA. The Model S Plaid, like all Tesla vehicles, focuses on minimalism with its dashboard design with plain surfaces and contrasting panel colours. The large 17-inch infotainment system houses a majority of the vehicle controls, including the transmission selector and the performance modes.
The driver gets a separate all-digital instrument cluster that shows the Self Driving Virtualisation graphics along with maps, road details, speed and basic vehicle warnings. The rear passengers also get a smaller touchscreen for managing rear seat controls and accessing entertainment on the move. Tesla’s Enhanced Auto Pilot self-driving needs no introduction and with the latest camera-based system, it can now adapt better to the congested city traffic environments.
The Porsche Taycan Turbo S has more of a screen-dominated interior but without letting go of the traditional Porsche flair. Features like Lane Change Assist, heated steering wheel, Ambient lighting, electrically folding exterior mirrors with surround lighting, Porsche Intelligent Range Manager (PIRM), a new cooling system, smartphone tray for wireless charging, electric charging ports for the front passengers and Drive Mode switch are now standard features on the Taycan.
Additionally, the revamped user interface makes it easier for passengers and drivers to fiddle through settings. Apple CarPlay has better integration with the system and the In-Car Video feature allows passengers to stream content on the central as well as secondary displays of the vehicle.
Winner: Porsche Taycan Turbo S
Performance
Tesla claims that the Model S Plaid is one of the quickest accelerating production cars today and a quick look at its spec sheet seems to confirm it. This sedan can accelerate from o to 60 mph in 1.99 seconds and when the driver puts the pedal to the metal, this luxury sedan can attain a top speed of 200 mph.
The triple motor setup can deliver a combined power output of 1,020 hp and with advanced features like torque vectoring and high thermal brake pads, it can corner decently as well. No wonder the Model S Plaid is known to be a threat at drag strips across the world.
On the other hand, the Taycan claims to be Porsche’s fastest production vehicle ever created but despite all the advancements, it loses out to the Tesla Model S Plaid in the straight line. The Taycan Turbo S can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds and flat out, it will do 161 mph.
However, unlike the Model S Plaid, the Taycan Turbo S is more of a corner carver and that shows with the recent upgrades. The dual-motor setup delivers a power output of 938 hp with the push-to-pass function of the Sports Chrono Package added. Combined with the Taycan’s Porsche Active Ride suspension system that adapts the car in anticipation of the road conditions ahead, you have an EV sedan that’s fun to drive around the corners.
The Tesla Model S Plaid would struggle around corners and is best suited for highway cruises. However, on paper, it is the Tesla that offers superior performance and hence, wins this category.
Winner: Tesla Model S Plaid
Range and charging
Despite being a performance-focused model, the Tesla Model S Plaid promises to deliver a WLTP-certified range of 359 miles. Once the battery depletes, Model S Plaid drivers have access to Tesla’s vast Supercharger network and if the 250kW DC charger is accessible, it can fill up the 100kWh battery from 10 to 80 per cent in around 30 minutes. That reduces the waiting time at the charging stations and assigns more time for on-road/track driving.
The Porsche Taycan Turbo S has a slightly larger 104.9kWh battery pack that can deliver a maximum claimed range of 389 miles. For charging, Porsche has opted for a much faster 320kWh DC fast charging solution that can fill up the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in under 33 minutes. This gives Porsche a huge advantage.
Winner: Porsche Taycan Turbo S
Price
The Tesla Model S Plaid starts at USD 89,990 (approximately HKD 703,754) without the Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving pack, both of which add USD 18,000 to the final price.
The Porsche Taycan Turbo S starts at USD 210,995 (approximately HKD 1.6 million) without any of the additional bells and whistles, which makes it exorbitantly more expensive than the Tesla. Note that Porsche offers a vast array of customisation options for the Taycan, ranging from exterior colours to wheels, seat covers, technological upgrades and performance packages.
Winner: Tesla Model S Plaid
Porsche Taycan Turbo S 2025 vs Tesla Model S Plaid: Our verdict
Winner: Porsche Taycan Turbo S
With all the recent upgrades, it is not surprising to see the Porsche Taycan Turbo S win this comparison with the Tesla Model S. Porsche’s mid-life update for the Taycan is more than skin-deep and even for those wanting to stick to the standard configuration, there are enough new improvements to make this a more practical yet fun choice for those with a heavy right foot. The Taycan aces the Tesla Model S with superior vehicle dynamics, better range, faster charging and an overall attractive exterior.
That said, we don’t recommend counting out the Tesla Model S Plaid. Its American DNA of going fast in a straight line still makes it the quickest accelerating car in a straight line. You lose out on range, better handling and faster charging like the Porsche but Tesla’s technological advancements in self-driving are leaps and bounds ahead of any other vehicle on the planet. Not to forget, Tesla’s minimalist approach to designing vehicles makes it more appealing to those who prefer understated designs. And beyond all that, it has a price that makes it seem like a bargain for sports car enthusiasts.
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(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Porsche and Tesla)
