Test drive Porsche Macan PP
The Performance Package is not a sports package in the usual sense, but an independent Macan model, as indicated by the scale of improvements. As is commonly believed, Porsche engineers did not limit themselves to just boosting the engine.
Driving the most powerful Porsche Macan Turbo with Performance Package makes you sleepy - no surprise. The sign "80" is replaced by the sign "50", and the maximum 100 km / h in Lapland is a great joy. The turns that the crossover passes beautifully, in a skid, help to cheer up a little.
A colleague helplessly fumbles with his hands in search of a button that turns off the heated steering wheel. After a long search, it turns out that it is hidden in the lower part of the rim. Going to the Arctic, we thoroughly insulated, but outside the window it was only -1 Celsius, the snowdrifts along the road swam, and the rolled snow crust under the wheels melted in places and turned into ice. The tight speed limits are understandable, but not behind the wheel of a Porsche.
I wonder how the place affects the rating of the car. A year ago, on the narrow serpentines of Tenerife, where the green board of the regular bus flew a couple of centimeters from the mirror, it seemed that the Macan GTS was almost missing sport. Now it is in abundance: the Macan Turbo PP is too powerful and fast for the Lapland winter - 440 hp. and 600 Nm of torque. Even in quiet mode, it consumes more than 12 liters of gasoline and can hardly keep within the permitted speeds. However, the restrictions do not seem to be written for the Porsche crossover. Thanks to the coordinated work of electronics and all-wheel drive, the road does not seem as slippery as it really is.
Plus 40 hp and plus 50 Nm of torque - the Performance Package makes the Macan Turbo 6 km / h faster, 0,2 seconds faster acceleration in Sport Plus mode. With a result of 4,2 seconds to "hundred", this Macan is faster than the Cayenne Turbo and the base 911 Carrera, while being inferior to them in maximum speed - 272 km per hour.
Porsche did not stop at just boosting the engine: the Performance Package implies a spring suspension lowered by 15 mm and front brake discs with an increased diameter. The basic equipment includes the Sport Chrono Package and a sports exhaust system.
A carbon fiber plaque is placed on the decorative engine cover to indicate that the vehicle is fitted with an Exclusive Rework Package. But outwardly, such a Macan is indistinguishable from a regular Turbo, except that it "sits" below. Especially the version with air suspension - with it, the ground clearance is regulated, but by default it is reduced by another centimeter.
In fact, this is not a sports package in the usual sense, but an independent model, as indicated by the scale of the improvements. The V6 engine that Porsche uses on the Macan S, GTS and Turbos is not yet exhausted, but the traditional model names are almost over. The trump card - the top version of the Turbo S - is too early to show, and the presence of the Performance Package in the future will make it even more powerful.
“If we make an SUV that meets our quality standards with our logo, it will certainly be popular,” Ferry Porsche defined the main vector of Porsche's development as a rear-engined sports car, but anticipated future demand for cars in the SUV segment. Whatever the company undertakes later, it turned out to be a sports car. In 2002, the Cayenne, the first-born in a new class for the company, was a model in many ways a compromise. In those days, cross-country ability was still important for such machines. With the change of generations, the appearance of new versions like the GTS, it became less and less off-road and more and more lightweight.
The Macan has an off-road transmission and even a diesel version, but more sporty than any other crossover. For the fastest Turbo version, it is important to emphasize the affinity with the rear-engined sports cars, which is why the Turbo package is offered for it: 21-inch wheels with 911 Turbo design, black accents and a black interior with leather, Alcantara and carbon fiber trim.
From the Audi Q5, which was used as a donor, Porsche engineers left behind the engine shield, floor panel and suspension scheme. For the sake of weight reduction, the permanent all-wheel drive was abandoned, and the body was made more rigid. For better handling, the electric power steering has been moved to the rail, and the steering ratio has been reduced.
The inner world of "Macan" is built according to the classic canons of Porsche and does not support the trend of shrinking physical buttons - there are a huge number of them on the central tunnel, around the transmission selector, as if you were in the cockpit. However, where else to place so many functions? For example, front passengers can separately change not only the temperature of the climate control, but also the direction of the airflow and its intensity.
The new Porsche Communication Management (PCM) infotainment system seamlessly blends old and new. The control unit with two round knobs and minimalistic buttons for a complete set is missing except for the cassette deck in the place where the logo is. This, along with the tall front bezel and scattering of round dials under the visor, is part of the signature styling that leads the record from 1960s sports cars. It is important for Makan and other new models to emphasize the continuity, the genetic connection with the 911.
However, even an inveterate old believer who rejects everything sensory will be shaken in his convictions. The seven-inch screen quickly and willingly reacts to the touch of the fingers, sees in advance the approach of the hand, revealing the main menu items. But if the finger rises from the bottom, from the physical buttons, then the sensors do not always notice this movement. The menu graphics are very high quality, as in most modern smartphones, but Porsche's PCM is friendly only with Apple devices, for some reason ignoring Android.
Yielding to the Cayenne in roominess, the Macan takes it out on the go. If you do not switch the chassis to combat settings and do not press hard on the gas pedal - that is, move along the upper bar of speed limits - this is a comfortable passenger car. The suspension is tighter than the Cayenne's, but it still handles ice build-up well. The cabin is quiet, the engine does not annoy with excessive volume. When you put the car into Sport + mode, it turns into a loud and harsh sports car. By default, more traction is transferred to the rear here, and the front wheels are connected by a multi-plate clutch. The stern of the car easily goes into a skid under traction. In corners, the Macan is noticeably tightened up, especially a car with a rear active differential Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus.
The stabilization system (PSM) is tuned more strictly here to catch a restive sports car. And her grip doesn't weaken as much in sport modes as it does with the Cayenne. The PSM has a special setting, activated by a separate button: in it, the electronics allow slipping, but at the same time continues to control the machine. You can turn off the stabilization completely and trust the all-wheel drive system, which flexibly distributes traction between the axles, fighting slip. Stopping on bare ice, the Macan starts off slowly, with some slippage. It is unlikely that he met the promised 4,4 s to "hundred", but the way he maintains a stable movement on a very slippery surface is impressive.
The surcharge for the Performance Package is $ 7, which is not a lot considering the prices of the Porsche options. For example, Burmester premium audio systems ask for almost $ 253. So the starting price tag for the Macan Turbo PP is $ 3. can easily become "heavier" by several million.
Sales of the Macan in the world have already exceeded the Cayenne, but in Russia the older and more status model is still more popular. But what if you look at the Macan from a slightly different angle? Not as a crossover, but as an all-weather all-wheel drive sports car: off-road mode, the ability to increase ground clearance and energy-intensive suspension in a comfortable mode. The Performance Package gives the car dynamics and qualities that neither the BMW X4 nor the Mercedes-Benz GLC offer in the mid-size segment.
| Porsche Macan Turbo Performance Package | ||
| Body type | Crossover | |
| Dimensions (length / width / height), mm | 4699 / 1923 / 1609 | |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2807 | |
| Ground clearance, mm | 165-175 | |
| Cargo space | 500-1500 | |
| Curb weight, kg | 1925 | |
| Gross vehicle weight, kg | 2550 | |
| engine's type | Turbocharged petrol V6 | |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm. | 3604 | |
| Max. power, h.p. (at rpm) | 440 / 6000 | |
| Max. cool. moment, nm (at rpm) | 600 / 1600-4500 | |
| Drive type, transmission | Full, RCP7 | |
| Max. speed km / h | 272 | |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | 4,4 | |
| Fuel consumption, l / 100 km | 9,7-9,4 | |
| Price from, $. | 87 640 |
