One of the keys to that talent is the
optional Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus system. Available for $1,490 on both the
Macan S and Macan Turbo, it includes an electronically controlled,
variable-locking rear differential and software that will brake the inside rear
wheel in turns. Trust us, you want it, as it’s essentially an understeer
eliminator. Pile the truck into a corner, and you can feel the initial front
slide evaporate as the rear end wiggles under full throttle.
The Macan also shares Audi’s electric
powersteering hardware, but it uses a quicker ratio. The rack feels much more
precise here, but sadly—and out of step with other electric-steer
Porsches—little information makes its way up through the wheel. Unusually for
an SUV, the Macan’s rear wheels and tires are wider than those in front. The
staggered setup aids rear grip and adds gravitas to the Macan’s stance.
The
Macan's cabin is matches its premium price; there's plenty of space, too
And gravitas is what a Porsche cute-ute
needs in order to keep the faithful from storming Weissach with pitchforks.
Which is why the truck has a Nürburgring time—according to one engineer, the fastest
Macan clocks a lap in 8 minutes, 20 seconds, or about as quick as a second-gen
Boxster S. That’s amazing for an SUV that weighs two tons, less amazing when
you consider that nine out of ten people at this magazine would rather have
that old Boxster, slower lap time and reduced practicality or not.
There will initially be two Macan models
offered in America. Both have twin-turbocharged engines, but only the
more-potent Turbo model wears a badge saying so. (Again, if you want to write
letters… —Ed.) The other is just called Macan S. Both models use Porsche’s new
dry-sump V-6. The $50,895 Macan S gets a 340-hp 3.0-liter, and the $73,295
Macan Turbo receives a 3.6 with another 60 hp and 67 lb-ft.
The
LED rear light cluster is a rare nod not to the 911 but to another
high-performance sports Porsche: the 918 Spyder
The latter model is harder to make sense
of. Turbocharged Porsches have historically been equal parts exhilaration and
fright, but the 164-mph Macan Turbo isn’t scary. It’s not even a little hair-raising.
Porsche claims the hatch hits 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, but at no point does the
personality match the Turbo badge or heritage. You’re accelerating only a few
ticks slower than you would in the current 911 Turbo S, but at no point are you
bowled over by the Macan’s capability. You’re better off choosing the Macan S
and using the $22,400 saved to pay for the torque-vectoring system and track
days. Or you could just admit that you’re never going to track an SUV, and just
buy next year’s 258-hp, 428-lb-ft diesel Macan, the most sensible choice of the
three.
With
the 3.6-litre V6 engine under the bonnet, performance is rarely an issue
Or maybe, as with most Porsches, it’s
better to eschew sense. While the Macan delivers performance, it can’t
transport much stuff—that sloping rear window cuts the Q5’s cargo space nearly
in half. If you do end up at a track, you can bring friends or an extra set of
wheels, but not both. Just like a sports car.
