I live at the end of a cul-de-sac. I took my neighbor for a drive down to the beginning of the street and hammered it. Although my test drive was in September with a GT, I'd swear I felt the same neck-snapping torque in the Touring. I had to go to the back seat and sit in it to convince myself that I didn't accidentally get a free upgrade. The article does point out that there's a drop in weight due to less battery capacity and the resulting handling difference. My only "wish" was more range, but the Touring has plenty for me driving mostly in town. I have a road trip scheduled early next month for a 280-mile drive to Palm Springs to test my range anxiety. Very happy so far with my purchase. It was worth the 2-year + 2-week wait.