Page 69 - Motor Trend (February 2020)

hat does the concept of a After it sat on the sidelines for 2019, the
Porsche Turbo mean to you? Macan Turbo returns with a new heart in
For me, it’s about nailing the the form of a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6, an
throttle and experiencing engine that also sees duty in the Cayenne
Wacceleration so mind-bending S and Panamera S. Here, it pumps out
that I can’t breathe. Turbo pins you back 434 hp, 34 more than the previous
in your seat, scrambles your synapses, 3.6-liter V-6 it replaces. Torque is down
makes you laugh while you cry. You gasp a negligible 1 lb-ft, to 405, but it’s also
for air because the intakes have removed delivered on an impressively flat curve
all oxygen from the atmosphere. Turbo from 1,800 to 5,500 rpm. Top speed has It’s missing the lusty bark of, say, the V-8
plays with your emotions so thoroughly increased 3 mph, to 167. So far, so good. from a Panamera Turbo or the frenetic
that spending $50,000 over an S trim on a Give it the ol’ Turbo test, however, and wail of a 911 Turbo’s flat-six. Probably its
911 or Cayenne seems totally justifiable. that’s when the Macan delivers the goods most un-Turbolike characteristic is that
Nobody knows this better than without rearranging your organs. Thanks it simply sounds too similar to the 348-hp
Porsche itself, which has recently to that flat torque curve, impressive 3.0-liter single-turbo V-6 in the Macan S.
defied all conventional logic by affixing shove is available practically anytime Although the accelerative drama might
this storied moniker to the decidedly you ask for it. The recalibrated seven- be missing, the Macan Turbo is still one
not-turbocharged Taycan electric vehicle. speed dual-clutch transmission and of the best-handling SUVs out there.
And in doing so, Porsche is reminding us standard all-wheel drive work seamlessly The electric power steering is nicely
that if you’re looking for no-holds-barred together in putting down the power. Yet weighted and does a commendable job
performance, go for Turbo. all that effortless punch of momentum is of transmitting just the right amount of
It’s a curious conundrum, then, that delivered with a cold, anodyne efficiency. road feel to the driver. Porsche Active
the 2020 Macan Turbo doesn’t instantly I’m left wanting for drama. Suspension Management (PASM) is now
create this level of desire. Yes, it’s quicker It’s not for lack of trying, however, standard, and its adjustable dampers
than the previous model, and a 0–60 as the 2.9-liter exhales through a new, offer three settings: Comfort, Sport, and
time of 4.1 seconds places it just a smidge standard sport exhaust, and its note Sport Plus.
behind a base 911, but somehow it fails to is further digitally amplified in the There’s a good distinction among all
deliver on the chest-bursting exhilaration cabin. But neither of these audible three, and each serves a worthy purpose
of its more expensive (and admittedly enhancements helps to overcome the depending on your driving style. But
more powerful) brother. fact that the engine, while righteously even in its firmest setting, the ride is
So what’s the discrepancy? Perhaps it’s powerful, simply fails to forge an still tolerable except on the harshest of
less a question of thrust than of character. emotional connection with the driver. pavement imperfections.

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