This is Devon -- Porsche won't let the media drive its Macan, but Matt Kimberley was one of the first to experience what the car can do in the hands of a test driver The location is the ADAC Fahrsicherheitszentrum test facility a short motorway drive from Dusseldorf's international airport. The cars have been warmed, our technological briefings have come and gone, and the time has come for a first taste of the Macan (in the passenger seat). First up is some off-roading, for which I climb into the Macan Diesel alongside a long, curly-haired German engineer who's quite keen to tell the 'assembled' journalists all about how the four-wheel drive system works. It electronically shuffles power to the wheels that can best use it, while simultaneously killing wheelspin at those that can't, absolutely maximising the potential traction and dragging the compact but rather tubby (at nearly two tonnes) Macan up challenging slopes with gusto. The diesel engine, a familiar single-turbo unit with 254bhp, will eventually be put in the shade by the Bi-Turbo lump, which packs more than 300bhp. But now, the 3.0-litre V6 does an impressive all-round job. But now it's time for the track. I make a bee-line for the Macan Turbo, the fastest and most expensive model in the range. A newly-developed 3.6-litre V6 provides the grunt, while turbocharging helps boost power up to 400 metric horses.That's enough to push you back into your seat, hard, as our new not-so-long-haired German driver kindly demonstrates to the sound of a muted woofle from the exhausts, turning into a muffled bark at high revs. Its brakes are devastatingly effective too, hauling the German beefcake down to corner-appropriate speeds as though someone has thrown an anchor out of the window. The jury is out as to the dynamic merits of the Macan's gargantuan Cayenne big brother, so as the driver launches the smaller car over a corner-exit crest, the chassis snaking sideways across the Tarmac as much of the weight leaves the wheels, I realise I don't know how it will end. Very well, as it turns out. When the car's bulk lands on its adaptive air springs it settles itself with a hint of electronic intervention at the back end, and carries on. As a passenger, it feels astonishingly capable. Helpfully, Herr Driver senses my positive leanings and demonstrate how well the Macan can power-slide. I can't help but notice that, actually, this big, heavy Macan has a mighty balance and stability about it. Even when sideways. The electronics make a big difference to the overall experience. Softly-sprung suspension gets much firmer at the push of a button, and the gearbox can be set up to hang onto each ratio for as long as it can. Arguably most fun, though, are the parps and gargles that come from the exhaust. Porsche calls its non-sports cars, the Panamera and Cayenne, the sports cars within their sectors. The truth of that is, subjective, but after this preview it looks like the Macan might put the Sports into SUV.
Reported by This is 16 hours ago.
This is Devon -- Porsche won't let the media drive its Macan, but Matt Kimberley was one of the first to experience what the car can do in the hands of a test driver The location is the ADAC Fahrsicherheitszentrum test facility a short motorway drive from Dusseldorf's international airport. The cars have been warmed, our technological briefings have come and gone, and the time has come for a first taste of the Macan (in the passenger seat). First up is some off-roading, for which I climb into the Macan Diesel alongside a long, curly-haired German engineer who's quite keen to tell the 'assembled' journalists all about how the four-wheel drive system works. It electronically shuffles power to the wheels that can best use it, while simultaneously killing wheelspin at those that can't, absolutely maximising the potential traction and dragging the compact but rather tubby (at nearly two tonnes) Macan up challenging slopes with gusto. The diesel engine, a familiar single-turbo unit with 254bhp, will eventually be put in the shade by the Bi-Turbo lump, which packs more than 300bhp. But now, the 3.0-litre V6 does an impressive all-round job. But now it's time for the track. I make a bee-line for the Macan Turbo, the fastest and most expensive model in the range. A newly-developed 3.6-litre V6 provides the grunt, while turbocharging helps boost power up to 400 metric horses.That's enough to push you back into your seat, hard, as our new not-so-long-haired German driver kindly demonstrates to the sound of a muted woofle from the exhausts, turning into a muffled bark at high revs. Its brakes are devastatingly effective too, hauling the German beefcake down to corner-appropriate speeds as though someone has thrown an anchor out of the window. The jury is out as to the dynamic merits of the Macan's gargantuan Cayenne big brother, so as the driver launches the smaller car over a corner-exit crest, the chassis snaking sideways across the Tarmac as much of the weight leaves the wheels, I realise I don't know how it will end. Very well, as it turns out. When the car's bulk lands on its adaptive air springs it settles itself with a hint of electronic intervention at the back end, and carries on. As a passenger, it feels astonishingly capable. Helpfully, Herr Driver senses my positive leanings and demonstrate how well the Macan can power-slide. I can't help but notice that, actually, this big, heavy Macan has a mighty balance and stability about it. Even when sideways. The electronics make a big difference to the overall experience. Softly-sprung suspension gets much firmer at the push of a button, and the gearbox can be set up to hang onto each ratio for as long as it can. Arguably most fun, though, are the parps and gargles that come from the exhaust. Porsche calls its non-sports cars, the Panamera and Cayenne, the sports cars within their sectors. The truth of that is, subjective, but after this preview it looks like the Macan might put the Sports into SUV.
Reported by This is 16 hours ago.