One way that car manufacturers are asserting their dominance over their rivals is by setting times at some of the world’s most iconic racetracks. Porsche is no stranger to such activity, having done it with and without the use of dinosaur juice. To show the world that its new Taycan Turbo GT is a force to be reckoned with, it had the car smash the EV lap record at Laguna Seca Raceway in California.

But before we get to that, let’s discuss what makes this vehicle tick. The Taycan Turbo GT is the new alpha male of Porsche’s performance-EV range. The “Turbo” moniker is misleading since this is an electric car, but the numbers tell a different story. Standard output is pegged at 778hp, which is instantly available when the go-pedal is stabbed.

Power can even be momentarily boosted to 1,093hp. At full gallop, the Turbo GT gets to 100km/h in 2.3 seconds. Keep it going in a straight line and it will reach 200km/h over a second faster than the less powerful Turbo S. Keep the momentum going and the Turbo GT will run out of ideas at 290km/h. Be gentle with the accelerator and the fully charged battery will be good for 555km.

Aside from the increased power, the Turbo GT’s weight-loss program sees it tipping the scales at 75kg less than the Turbo S. This is thanks to the extensive use of carbon fiber in the exterior trim, and the carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic seats. The 21-inch wheels are milled in a certain way to make them lighter. Additionally, certain creature comforts such as soft-close doors have been removed.

Keeping all four wheels sticking to the ground is Porsche’s adaptive suspension system tuned specifically for the Turbo GT. Its standard ceramic brakes can handle track abuse for extended periods. Finally, an aero package—consisting of a redesigned front splitter and a movable rear spoiler with a Gurney flap—provides extra stability at high speeds.

If the Taycan Turbo GT is still a little tame, have a look at the optional Weissach package. This is immediately recognizable by the raised rear wing. While horsepower figures remain unchanged, the souped-up Turbo GT gets to the century mark a little sooner than the standard car. Top speed is also higher at 305km/h.

This is possible due to even more aggressive weight-reduction measures that shave a further 70kg over the already lightened Turbo GT. The back seats and the floor mats are removed. Thinner windows and insulation material are used. And just to drive home the point of trimming off excess fat, even the Sport Chrono package’s analog timer is taken out.

It is a Turbo GT with the Weissach package that broke the lap record for EVs at Laguna Seca at 1:27.87 minutes. Along with the equally blistering time around the Nurburgring set by a pre-production unit not too long ago, this clearly shows how the Taycan platform has responded to performance enhancements and raised the benchmark for other EVs.