Close your eyes, don your imaginary Nomex suit, and pretend for a moment that you’re lined up on the grid at Le Mans . . . Okay, McQueen, was that car you imagined in this little dream shaped like the 2015 Porsche Macan? Likely not, but this is, of course, the cynical direction from which to approach Porsche’s second SUV. No, it’s not a 911, but given how good the Cayenne is to drive, its new little brother should be engaging as well. Also, like the Cayenne, the Macan is being born with a shovel in hand and ready to chuck cash into Porsche’s coffers, which should play like music to any Porschephile’s ears. You’re welcome, now revel in the mind-spinning gaggle of 911 variants and special editions the Macan and Cayenne pay for.
The Macan, as we’ve previously reported, is based on Audi’s clean-cut Q5, but you’d be hard pressed to tell just looking at it. In de-Audi-ing the Q5 into something a bit sportier, Porsche apparently looked only to the curvaceous Cayenne, doodled a smaller equivalent, and shut off the lights. Simple? You bet, but we think the Cayenne’s lines work even better on this smaller body. Up front the headlight design is borrowed from the 918 hypercar, while out back there are echoes of the 911’s saucy hips in the taffy-pulled rear wheel arches. The cabin draws cues from the rest of Porsche’s arsenal, and thus features a tall and button-riddled center console, a sporty three-spoke steering wheel, and body-hugging sport seats.
Turbo 2
At launch, two Macan models will be offered: S and Turbo. Each one is powered by a twin-turbocharged V-6 engine, with the S utilizing a 3.0-liter unit and the Turbo getting a burlier 3.6. Even the S is sufficiently powerful, churning out 340 horsepower, but the Turbo’s the car to get if you’re in a real hurry, since it packs a solid 400 ponies. All-wheel drive is standard across the board, as is a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission, and a torque-vectoring function for the rear axle is available. Porsche’s early performance estimates peg the S reaching 60 mph from a standstill in 5.2 seconds and the Turbo doing the deed in 4.6. The optional Sport Chrono package lops two tenths of a second off both of those times, thanks to its built-in launch-control functionality. Top speed is an impressive 156 mph for the S and 164 for the Turbo.
This performance comes in a package that, compared to the Q5, is 2.1 inches longer in length, sits 0.2 inch lower, and stretches a negligible 0.2 inch between its axles. In keeping with the Porsche’s sportier tone, it is an inch wider than the Audi. The Macan does retain the Q5’s five-link front and trapezoidal-link rear suspension, but adds a variety of spring and damper choices. A steel-sprung setup is standard on the S, but Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), which incorporates steel springs with adjustable dampers, is optional; it’s standard on the Turbo. Finally, both the S and the Turbo can be had with an air suspension that offers three ground clearances: Normal, High 1, and Low. Selecting Low or pushing the Sport Plus drive-mode button lowers the suspension 0.4 inch from Normal; pick High 1, and the suspension rises 1.6 inches. A trunk-mounted Load button lowers the Macan two inches below Normal to ease cargo loading. Staggered-width 19-inch tires, which measure 235/55 up front and 255/50 out back, as well as an optional rear-axle torque-vectoring function further help handling.
