W
hat does the concept of a
Porsche Turbo mean to you?
For me, it’s about nailing the
throttle and experiencing
acceleration so mind-bending
that I can’t breathe. Turbo pins you back
in your seat, scrambles your synapses,
makes you laugh while you cry. You gasp
for air because the intakes have removed
all oxygen from the atmosphere. Turbo
plays with your emotions so thoroughly
that spending $50,000 over an S trim on a
911 or Cayenne seems totally justifiable.
Nobody knows this better than
Porsche itself, which has recently
defied all conventional logic by affixing
this storied moniker to the decidedly
not-turbocharged Taycan electric vehicle.
And in doing so, Porsche is reminding us
that if you’re looking for no-holds-barred
performance, go for Turbo.
It’s a curious conundrum, then, that
the 2020 Macan Turbo doesn’t instantly
create this level of desire. Yes, it’s quicker
than the previous model, and a 0–60
time of 4.1 seconds places it just a smidge
behind a base 911, but somehow it fails to
deliver on the chest-bursting exhilaration
of its more expensive (and admittedly
more powerful) brother.
So what’s the discrepancy? Perhaps it’s
less a question of thrust than of character.After it sat on the sidelines for 2019, the
Macan Turbo returns with a new heart in
the form of a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6, an
engine that also sees duty in the Cayenne
S and Panamera S. Here, it pumps out
434 hp, 34 more than the previous
3.6-liter V-6 it replaces. Torque is down
a negligible 1 lb-ft, to 405, but it’s also
delivered on an impressively flat curve
from 1,800 to 5,500 rpm. Top speed has
increased 3 mph, to 167. So far, so good.
Give it the ol’ Turbo test, however, and
that’s when the Macan delivers the goods
without rearranging your organs. Thanks
to that flat torque curve, impressive
shove is available practically anytime
you ask for it. The recalibrated seven-
speed dual-clutch transmission and
standard all-wheel drive work seamlessly
together in putting down the power. Yet
all that effortless punch of momentum is
delivered with a cold, anodyne efficiency.
I’m left wanting for drama.
It’s not for lack of trying, however,
as the 2.9-liter exhales through a new,
standard sport exhaust, and its note
is further digitally amplified in the
cabin. But neither of these audible
enhancements helps to overcome the
fact that the engine, while righteously
powerful, simply fails to forge an
emotional connection with the driver.It’s missing the lusty bark of, say, the V-8
from a Panamera Turbo or the frenetic
wail of a 911 Turbo’s flat-six. Probably its
most un-Turbolike characteristic is that
it simply sounds too similar to the 348-hp
3.0-liter single-turbo V-6 in the Macan S.
Although the accelerative drama might
be missing, the Macan Turbo is still one
of the best-handling SUVs out there.
The electric power steering is nicely
weighted and does a commendable job
of transmitting just the right amount of
road feel to the driver. Porsche Active
Suspension Management (PASM) is now
standard, and its adjustable dampers
offer three settings: Comfort, Sport, and
Sport Plus.
There’s a good distinction among all
three, and each serves a worthy purpose
depending on your driving style. But
even in its firmest setting, the ride is
still tolerable except on the harshest of
pavement imperfections.FEBRUARY 2020 MOTORTREND.COM 69