Porsche Taycan safety car to pace Formula E grid

MANILA: The Taycan —Porsche's first all-electric sports car — is the new safety car for the 2022 season of Formula E. The Taycan safety car will debut for the Formula E season opener in Saudi Arabia on January 28. 

Wearing a colorful livery, the Taycan safety car represents "the colors of all 11 teams competing in (Formula E)," the racing of electric single-seaters, and the sport's governing body, the  Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), Porsche said. 

At the same time, the Taycan safety car's colors symbolize "the commitment of everyone involved in Formula E and the common path towards the future of all-electric motor racing." The car will wear the number 22 as a reference to the 22 drivers in this year's Formula E grid. 

To make the Taycan Turbo S qualify as a Formula E safety car,  a roll cage, racing bucket seats with six-point seatbelts, as well as wire harnesses for the safety car lighting, and the Marelli Logger System have been installed. Flashing lights were integrated into the bumpers.

The Taycan safety car will be driven by Portuguese Formula E safety car driver Bruno Correia. To keep the driver safe, the car has been equipped with a fire extinguisher and a high-tech communication system.

The electric powertrain of the Taycan Turbo S produces 750hp, which propels the car from a standstill to 100kph in just 2.8 seconds, with launch control enabled. Top speed is rated at 260kph. 

The Formula E will race in the heart of iconic world cities including London, Mexico City, New York City, Berlin, Monaco, and Seoul. 

“With the Taycan Turbo S as the official safety car, we’re making an important contribution to track safety and also underlining the importance of Formula E for Porsche Motorsport," Vice President of Porsche Motorsport Thomas Laundenbach said. 

"The distinctive design illustrates our commitment to the successful future of this innovative racing series... What’s more, we hope that this also enables us to appeal to a younger target audience who are not yet motorsport fans," he concluded. 

Photos from Porsche

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