Buckfever

The dealer got an Agate very basic, matt black window trim, standard black interior, steel springs, pano.

Finally got some good pics of the wheel gap with the 19s on steel springs:







Here is a good contrast of the matt black window trim and the rear spoiler.



Black hole:



Exterior shots, car was dirty, it was sunny outside, but the car was in the shade:









Again my process no right or wrong here, just my impressions.

Wheel gap - Unless the air suspension ride completely sucks since I'm getting the PASM anyway I'll pay the upcharge to lower it the inch. For me it's worth it. The AS system since they changed to a closed system in 2009 they have had zero issues with. SA said it wasn't horrible before that either.

20's - I have not seen the sport design yet live but the Spyders are insane and the stance of the wider tires kill. I'll get a designated 18 set for mud and snow.

PTV+ - no one gets it unless they track the car, much more popular on the west coast.

Matt black window trim - There was an agate panamera right behind it with the gloss window trim and that worked much better with the agate. I think for a metallic black the matt black would work better, for a plain black I would go with the gloss black. It's subtle but it's nice to have the options.

Agate - I don't know if the pictures capture it but the metallic flake is a gold color and in the sun it gives it a slight brownish hue. It is also a subdued color. Very, very rich paint. What are you looking to do here? The lower rear bumper blends in very well with the agate, not an issue for me and also the lower side molding blends in well. By contrast on the Black exterior the contrast is more pronounced.

Side blades - I think that on the agate they probably blend in better than on any other color. That said I'm definitely getting them painted on any color that I get.

Black interior - Much darker than the pictures show, I love the look of the black steering wheel otherwise I'm probably thinking agate interior to lighten it up a little, they say it should be available come October.

Final notes: I'm surprised but I'm still not decided on the exterior color. I did see the Metallic Black in the sun on a Panamera and it does take on a different color. I saw the plain black and it does have a WOW effect. The problem with the black is that the side skirts and the rear lower bumper are more pronounced to me. For me the Black still impacts me more strongly but then it fades when I look at the details. The Agate is a subtle impact that grows on me.

But I have made progress. If Agate, the build is done in my mind. Black would be much more complicated. I would need side blades painted, side skirts painted lower bumper painted. Basically I would need for an exterior trim in gloss black color option to be offered, because right now it looks a bit like cladding to me against the black. Just personal taste. We'll see what's offered for options come October, about the time when pre orders on the Diesel should be available.

No test drive I had food poisoning yesterday and was not in the mood. Plus I really need to try the air suspension.

fincher

Nice pics. That dealer did have a Macan on Saturday with the Agate interior with leather package. Really looked good.

slwong23

Nice write up, enjoyed the read.

rpilot

@Buck.. thanks for the great pics of the 19 wheel gaps... Mmmm.. dunno what to make of them. The 20s may yet be a good idea .... I just need to see both in person.

Buckfever

It's not just the proportions of the 20" wheels in the wheel well, but also the character of the 20", at least the Spyders, is so much more robust. And if you see the stance of the wider tires on that vehicle, it is a definite WOW factor, to my eye.

rpilot

.. wine and cheese again ???

rpilot

Reconsider the PTV if you can. I think it's worth it and there is a misconception that it is only useful on the track. But to each his own.

Matt black, gloss black, chrome... No right or wrong here. FWIW, I personally am going to get the chrome trim with the silver, since it sorta blends in and still looks nice. If I change my mind to the dark blue exterior, I will probably order one of the blacks since I do not want the chrome trim to stand out against a dark color.

Buckfever

I've not ruled PTV+ out I'm just sharing what the SA told me. I think that having an electronically controlled LSD with the torque vectoring would be really helpful especially on a small vehicle of this weight. My concern would be on ice that it might make it worse. Probably a learning curve.

Louis.E

It's on stilts

RESP

Thanks for the pics and the review!

Good luck with your process.

Buckfever

You mean with the ptv+?

Louis.E

The ride height is very high in the picture. It could use a 40mm shorter spring. Aftermarket should sell a product soon.

rijowysock

i hate the wheel gaps on macan, with air ride mine still has a substantial gap, working to alleviate that.

rpilot

I still don't know what to make of them... The cayenne I think looks better with the larger wheel gaps because a) it is taller and and b) there is that black trim around the wheel well that is lacking in the Macan. That and a combination of the 21 wheels with the lower profile tires. (even thought the circumference is similar with 20 wheels) leave the visual impression of a larg-er gap all else being equal.

How are you planning to lower your AS, btw?

tcsracing1

Macan really needs 20" wheels.
Side blades painted body color are also a must IMHO.