The rear-wheel-driven Porsche Taycan comes to join the likes of Taycan Turbo S, Turbo, and 4S. It's also the entry-level Taycan and the fourth variant on sale. Customers can opt for one of the two available battery sizes and Porsche says we should see the new variant in showrooms by the middle of March 2021.

Since it's the powertrain that dictates the new RWD Taycan's personality, we're going to deal with that first. As mentioned above, Porsche is offering two battery packs. The standard pick is the Performance Battery (79.2 kWh ) and a rear permanent-magnet synchronous e-motor good for 402 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque.

If that's too mild, prospective buyers can choose the Performance Battery Plus (93.4 kWh ) which helps the electric motor produce 469 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of twist.

Power is sent to the rear wheels via the same two-speed transaxle found inside other Taycans. Regardless of battery choice, the rear-wheel-drive Taycan needs 5.1 seconds to clear the zero-60 mph sprint and can keep going towards a top speed of 143 mph.

There's not word on range, though. Of course, we know that the Taycan 4S fitted with the same Performance Battery pack can go for 199 miles on a single charge, so the RWD Taycan looks set to surpass the psychological 200-mile threshold. We'll find out later on by how much. At the same time, the Performance Battery Plus option is good for a range of 227 miles, so in the base Taycan, we might get around 260-270 miles of range on a single full charge.

Porsche also says that the two batteries need just over 22 minutes to charge from 5- to 80-percent at a fast-charging DC outlet, so that's definitely a plus when traveling for longer distances.

Obviously, performance is still there, although not as brutally delivered as in the Turbo and Turbo S version of the Taycan. Speaking of performance, you can bet that this base Taycan variant is no slouch.

With its front end weighing some 215 pounds less than its all-wheel-drive brothers as Porsche deleted the e-motor on that axle, the "entry-level" Taycan might even deliver stronger thrills when driven on proper roads.

Other than the weight and nimbleness advantage, the base Taycan is also cheaper. With a starting sticker of $81,250, it'll set one back $23,900 less than the $105,150 all-wheel-drive (and more powerful) Taycan 4S.

Elsewhere, the new base Taycan gets regen braking, 19-inch Taycan Aero wheels, LED headlights, and six-piston front brake calipers (painted black) and four-piston units in the rear. Apple CarPlay compatibility is included, as are over-the-air updates, Plug and Charge auto payments, and three years of free Electrify America charging.

Porsche Taycan RWD specifications