Hammer911

snapped some phone pics at launch event for Macan at my dealer. They have two "PCNA Display Vehicles" plus a couple owned cars that arrived in the last few days. These are both Macan S.

Hammer911

a few more...

rpilot

Thanks Hammer911...

Looks like the white does not have Air suspension and I am guessing the Black does not either...

Is anyone getting the tow hitch reciver? Anyone like it there? I personally don't have a use for it but always like the idea of it on an SUV. This time I think I am gonna pass..

Buckfever

I am and I like the placement. It will allow for a carrier to sit low and not impede with the opening of the hatch. It's hard to make it inconspicuous and adequately durable. I think they did a fine job.

Buckfever

Hammer thank you for the pictures!!!

rpilot

I know they have limited to no compatibility in the US, but I do love the European Hitch Receiver.. completely concealed and sneaks out at the touch of a button.

Hammer911

My wife and I drove the car for about an hour. Here are some miscellaneous thoughts and tidbits in no particular order…and of course, these are just my opinions and impressions from an hour in the car, with some spirited but not abusive driving.
-14 way seats were very comfortable for me. (I have 18 way in my 991.) The bottom seat cushion thigh support extension is excellent.
-Cover on center console storage does not have a latch…just lift up, push down. The cover also slides forward, partially covering the cup holders, if you need arm support further forward.
- USB and AUX connections are in the center console.
-Nice to have separate temperature and fan controls for driver and passenger. (My 991 has a single fan control.)
-The smaller separate window at the front of the driver and passenger windows is there, I assume, to limit buffeting.
-The lane change assist lights in the side mirrors were very effective. Rear view mirror has a pretty limited view with headrests in the way, etc. I would recommend lane change assist.
-I found the rear seats comfortable and roomy enough. I am 6’2, 210 and sat comfortably behind the front seats after adjusting them to suit myself.
-Cup holders, as expected, are not so much small, but close together (as in my Cayenne) so Large size soft drink cups will be a tight fit.
-Door storage bins are a good size.
-Panorama roof has a cloth/mesh sunshade that does let some light into the cabin.
-Cabin was very quiet, sunroof open was fairly quiet as well.
-The unpainted side blades looked great on the agate car we drove (not pictured.) The have a dimpled texture (golf ball) and and a matte finish, so they really blend in well. I think they looked great on the black car and on the blue car we saw. I would not pay to have them painted on the dark cars.
-All cars I have seen (4 of them) have the RS Spyder wheels, which is what we ordered. Very happy with them.
-I don’t think I’m fond of the gloss black rear spoiler…prefer the body color.
-Exhaust note is very Porsche, although tamed.
-Really liked the steering wheel – great combination of elements from the Sport Design and multi-function wheels from the 991.
-Really nice and comfortable ride around town, very smooth, quiet. I drove it in a more spirited fashion and was very impressed. You can easily be surprised at your actual speed when you look at the speedo. Pretty effortless acceleration. Roll-on acceleration at highway speeds was very nice. 90 mph on an uphill on-ramp was easy.
-Very different animal than my Cayenne Turbo S…really not much common ground to discuss for comparison purposes. Macan felt very nimble, lighter than I expected. After this initial drive, I didn’t feel any need for the air suspension, even on the larger diameter wheels. (I have the AS on my cayenne with 21” wheels.) My wife hated the ride in my 997 cars for being too harsh and she loved the ride in the Macan.
-The 2010 BMW X5 now feels heavy, harsh and truck-like in comparison – although I wouldn’t say that in a “for sale” ad.

rpilot

@Hammer911..

Awesome.. Thanks for your thoughts.. I have the 991 C2 with 18 ways and I glad to hear that the 14 ways worked just fine. Just by looking at the 18 ways for Macan and my body, I thought they might be too tight. Also great to hear about the secondary fan control.
Did you drive the S or Turbo? Also, did the car you drive have the Noise & Thermal glass option.. You mentioned it was pretty quiet. I was thinking of getting it just for beating the summer heat when parked outside during the day.. but I know it will mess up radar detector reception, so I am on the fence..
I was afraid of not liking the glossy black spoiler either...
Good to hear your thoughts on ride quality without Air Suspension. I suspected as much. Did the wheel well gaps look huge or out of place in person without the Air?

Thanks again Sir !

Hammer911

I think the wheel well gaps are very nicely proportioned. As is the case with my Cayenne, this car is more capable than most people will ever know. Because it is a Porsche, many have the misperception that these cars are fragile. Quite the contrary...911s are made to be run hard everyday for a long time. The Cayenne with proper tires is unbelievably capable in snow and ice. I have no doubt the Macan will be the same. While most will never leave pavement, Porsche designed this to handle much more. It's claimed most people only ever use a relatively small percentage of their brain's capacity. Same for all of the Porsche cars.

Regarding the glossy black - I ordered the dark walnut wood for the interior. I am inclined to think the glossy black trim may show fine scratches from finger nails, etc. I have wood trim in my Cayenne and I think it is more forgiving.

The car I drove is a Macan S. My dealer won't see a turbo for a couple more weeks. I'm told they are holding cars in port for more extensive quality control, but that should ease as they deliver more cars.

The car I drove did not have the insulating glass. Noticeably quieter than my wife's X5. On my 991, I did have a clear ceramic UV film put on the inside of my windshield. It was pricey $300+, but makes a significant difference in the heat inside the cabin when parked outside in the sun. With the additional investment in the windshield, I also installed ClearPlex protective film on the outside of the windshield. Saved me from some significant rock chips for sure. Not affiliated, just a satisfied customer. A lot of track guys use it.Found them here on Rennlist.

RESP

Hammer911 - Thanks for the review!

As a Cayenne owner, we are looking forward to adding a Macan to the garage.

And yes, the Cayenne is awesome in the snow and off road!

Buckfever

Hammer911 did you assess the suspension?

Hammer911

Buckfever- I didn't really try to over-think the test drive in terms of trying to do an extensive review. In my write-up above, you'll notice I just tried to point out certain things I found interesting and smaller details that you don't pick up in the magazine reviews or pictures. I plan to do a more extensive test drive soon and can approach things like suspension with a more critical mindset.

That said, I was very happy with the ride...suitably stiff but never harsh. Car felt balanced on sweeping curves and sharper turns, with no unacceptable level level of roll or sway and definitely much better than our current BMW X5 (although there was an apparent global conspiracy of slow moving cars disrupting some of my opportunities to push a little harder!) Certainly for my wife's daily use, the steel suspension will be wonderful, and very much in character with the car. I have Air suspension on my '09 Cayenne Turbo S, and personally I don't want the "cushy" setting on the Macan, and neither am I concerned about changes in ride height for the way we will use the car.

Again, my bookends for reference are a 2013 991 C4S and a 2009 Cayenne Turbo S. The Macan fits very well between these two in every way. I don't think anyone with experience in another Porsche model will think anything but "Porsche" when they drive this car...and those who have not driven Porsche before will just say "wow" relative to what they have driven.

lawjdc

The Macan S that I test drove last weekend did not have PASM or torque vectoring. Has anybody driven one with those options?

rpilot

Well, maybe you can give us your opinions since you have driven a S without. I know most of us here would appreciate it.