I’ve driven the most dynamic Porsche Macan ever made – and it also packs some very clever parking tech
To many Porsche purists, the GTS badge represents the pinnacle of performance. It’s never reserved for the most banzai cars (Turbo or GT does that) but it fine-tunes the experience to make it the most focussed and, dare we say it, ‘Porsche-like’ of the range.
Early Carrera GTS models were a testament to this, including the 911, 924 and 928, while more recent iterations of the Boxster and 911 GTS were standalone cars in their own right, with unique engine set-ups designed to give them a character like no other.
This brings us neatly onto the latest Macan GTS, which I recently took for a test-drive. While it possible to argue until sunrise about the legitimacy of electrified SUVs sporting Turbo and GTS badges in the first place, it is the most “dynamic” and “emotional” Macan model in the range, according to its maker.
There’s also the same 95kWh battery pack that is good for 362 miles of range, while drivers get the same 800V electrical architecture that’s found on the upcoming Cayenne and Taycan – one that is capable of brimming batteries from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes
So why spend £97,500 (around $133,000 / AU$187,000) on the Turbo when the £89,000 (around $133,000 / AU$170,000) GTS will do much of the same thing and then some This was exactly the question I was left mulling after driving the new car in France recently.
Specs appeal
While the Macan GTS doesn’t exactly get a completely bespoke list of additional niceties, it does get arguably the best selection of specifications that Porsche offers.
There’s the option of the unmistakable Carmine Red paints for a start, flared wheel arches, bespoke side skirts, 22-inch RS Spyder wheels and tinted LED taillights. The interior packs blacked-out Race-Tex elements, while all cars receive Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus), air suspension and the marque’s excellent suspension management. There’s also rear-wheel steering.
This feels like the Macan to have if driving dynamics are still important to you.
Granted, many of these options can be ticked when specifying lesser Macans, such as the 4S model, but Porsche has done all of the hard work for you here and tuned it with these systems in mind.
The result is a 2,395kg electric SUV that handles and behaves like a much lighter sports car. Acceleration is understandably brisk, but not offensively so, while the steering is direct and offers plenty of feedback.
Hurling this monster through some of the tight mountain roads outside Nice was made all the easier by rear-wheel steering, which magically disguises the size, and the enormous brakes effortlessly scrub off speed. It’s possible to cover ground very quickly in this car.
Cleverly, Porsche has also designed some signature synthesized engine notes for the GTS, which changes its tone depending on the mode. In Normal, it’s switched off for a more relaxed feel, but Sport introduces some thrum, while Sport Plus brings in a bassy burble that gets louder as the revs pile on.
Although not quite the Jekyll & Hyde difference that’s experienced when cycling through the various modes in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, it does a magnificent job of completely altering the Macan’s characteristics.
A parking pro
Porsche is introducing a number of technological firsts in this GTS model, including the ability to now pair Bluetooth accessories to the various digital displays inside the car.
This is particularly important for those that specify the optional 10.9-inch passenger display, which can now be combined with a PlayStation or Xbox controller to make the most of blockbuster games, such as Asphalt 9.
Hurling this monster through some of the tight mountain roads outside Nice was made all the easier by rear-wheel steering.
There is also a plethora of new parking technology, which will hunt out an appropriate space and then parks up automatically. It can also be ‘trained’ to execute tricky maneuvers. Once programmed, the vehicle will recognize the surroundings and offer to take over driving duties next time.
Similarly, there’s also a new reversing assistant that logs the last 50m of any trip and will then autonomously reverse that route. It is a similar system to that first debuted by BMW, but it makes navigating tight European roads a doddle. All you have to do is cover the brakes.
While these factors are likely at the bottom of a wishlist when purchasing a performance Porsche, it is further proof of the Macan’s immense bandwidth. This is a car that can be abused around a race track, taken off-road and then remote-parked in the parking lot later that day.
A sweet spot
The Porsche Macan GTS doesn’t exactly represent a fantastic saving over its Turbo counterpart (£8,500 /$11,500 / AU$16,000, if you’d like to know), but those numbers feel considerable when you realize the additional horsepower offered by the range-topper isn’t really missed here.
Instead, Porsche engineers have managed to create a sort of Goldilocks model from the seemingly endless trim and specification options that the brand offers, one that rides beautifully, delivers plenty of dynamism on the right roads, consistently performs on the race circuit and then settles back into a quiet and comfortable cruiser at the weekends.
This Macan likely won’t go down in Porsche history as one of the most iconic GTS models ever made, but it applies the brand’s race-derived knowhow to its electric range with tangible results.
Immensely fun on any road but still able to do the EV stuff with ease, this feels like the Macan to have if driving dynamics are still important to you.
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