the numbers
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-
drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
Base ....................................... $72,650
Engine: twin-turbocharged and
intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6,
aluminum block and heads, direct fuel
injection
Displacement ............... 177 in^3 , 2894 cm^3
Power ........................... 375 hp @ 6700 rpm
Torque ....................... 383 lb-ft @ 1750 rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch
automatic
Dimensions- Wheelbase ...................................... 110.5 in
- L/W/H .......................... 184.5/76.2/63.0 in
- Curb Weight .................................. 4400 lb
Performance (C/D est) - 60 mph ............................................ 4.3 sec
- 100 mph ......................................... 12.3 sec
- 1/4-Mile .......................................... 13.0 sec
- Top Speed ..................................... 162 mph
EPA Fuel Economy (C/D est) - Comb/City/Hwy ................ 19/17/22 mpg
2020 PORSCHE MACAN GTS ~ BY MIKE DUFFASYMMETRIC WARFARE
By the standards of the ludicrous 500-plus-hp arms race being
waged elsewhere in the segment, the entire Macan lineup looks
undergunned. Yet opting out of the numbers war has allowed
Porsche’s engineers to concentrate on a tougher task. Adding
enough power will make anything go fast. Making an SUV handle
like a capable car is a considerably bigger ask.
On hilly roads near Lisbon, the GTS’s chassis proved capable
of gripping hard while also surrendering adhesion in the progres-
sive fashion that encourages a driver to explore a car’s limits.
Squeezed into the lineup between the 348-hp Macan S and the
434-hp Turbo, the 375-hp
GTS punches hard enough
to allow exploring the limits
but not enough to turn it
wayward. It can’t be powered
into oversteer on dry tarmac,
but the cornering line can
be tweaked and tucked with
fractional changes to the
throttle position in a way that
will be familiar to anyone who
has driven one of Porsche’s
sports cars. Beyond the
height of its seating position,
and a vague sense of the
inertial challenges presented
by an elevated center of
gravity, the Macan GTS drives
pretty much like a good
performance sedan.near Lisbon, Portugal. Fortunately,
we did get to sample the mechanically
identical Boxster GTS 4 .0 on the road,
and the new engine proved to be at least
as wonderful there as it is on the track.
The 4 .0 -liter is sweet and tractable,
pulling cleanly from little more than
idle. Throttle response is so good that
the engine seems to respond to your
thoughts. It’s muted under gentle use
but snarly when it’s worked hard.
On rough roads, the GTS’s suspen-
sion tune proved barely edgier than
that of the base 718 and more compliant
than the GT4’s. Grip levels are high and
the brakes are strong. In a car with such
precise gearshifts and chatty steering,
where every action yields an instant and
proportionate reaction, you don’t really
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Driving on a track in a Cayman GTS
4 .0 is more intense but no scarier. The
GTS encourages you to trail-brake deep
and to get on the throttle as early as pos-
sible. It tolerates being overdriven in a
way that will turn its pilot into the sort
\S]R\[dU\¼YY]VaYN[RdVaU]]-
site-lock gestures. Yet it’s better suited
to a more cerebral approach, one where
precision and smoothness allow the
available grip to be better exploited.
The GT4 has a steelier soul and a
direct connection to Porsche Motor-
sport, but the GTS doesn’t feel like its
poorer relative. If you’re looking for a
Cayman that skews toward daily use
over track play, it’s the better choice,
N[Q[\aWbaORPNbRVaP`aYR``AUVV`
a car for those seeking a deeper relation-
ship with a sports car than one based
soley on speed.
the numbers
Vehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-
drive, 2-passenger, 2-door hatchback
Base (C/D est) ...................... $85,000
Engine: DOHC 24-valve flat-6, aluminum
block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement .............. 244 in^3 , 3996 cm^3
Power ........................... 394 hp @ 7000 rpm
Torque ..................... 309 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Dimensions- Wheelbase ........................................ 97.4 in
- L/W/H .......................... 173.4/70.9/50.2 in
- Curb Weight ................................... 3250 lb
Performance (C/D est) - 60 mph ............................................ 4.0 sec
- 100 mph ........................................... 9.2 sec
- 1/4-Mile .......................................... 12.3 sec
- Top Speed ..................................... 182 mph
EPA Fuel Economy (C/D est) - Comb/City/Hwy ................ 21/19/24 mpg
73