Porsche Macan has given its SUV the ‘T’ treatment, with a bespoke chassis setup and design touches for £53,970
Porsche has launched a new Macan variant called the Porsche Macan T, intended as a lightweight, driver-focused version of the brand’s baby SUV.
It’s based on the lightest iteration of the BMW X3 rival, shunning six-cylinder power in favour of a lighter 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder turbo producing 261bhp. Alongside this, the Macan T features new suspension settings designed to offer more precision and agility than any previous Porsche SUV.
Numerous exterior tweaks arrive as part of the T package, including metallic grey accents on the front bumper, door mirrors, side blades and roof spoiler. The badges also take on a grey hue, while the exhaust tailpipes and side window surrounds are painted in gloss black. The darkened theme continues with a set of 20-inch dark titanium wheels, borrowed from the Macan S.
Inside, the sports seats are trimmed in black leather upholstery and Sport-Tex inserts, with the headrests gaining embossed Porsche crests. Elsewhere, silver stitching picks out the seats, headrests and steering wheel, which is a heated ‘GT’ item. A sports chrono stopwatch sits atop of the dashboard, and unique black ‘Macan T’ sill plates have been fitted, too. The infotainment system is unchanged – the Macan T retains the same 10.9-inch touchscreen loaded with Porsche’s PCM software, which includes satellite navigation as standard.
In the name of handling, Porsche has chosen to fit the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine from the entry-level Macan, which saves 58.8kg over the 2.9-litre V6 fitted to the Macan S. It produces 261bhp and 400Nm of torque, providing a 0-62mph time of 6.2 seconds and a 144mph top speed. More importantly, by trimming kilos under the bonnet, the Macan T should be keener to turn in and a sweeter steer than V6-powered models, especially when combined with the car’s revised chassis settings.
The Macan T is fitted with PASM adaptive dampers and steel coil springs as standard, with air suspension available as an option. The body has been lowered by 15mm, with air suspension providing a further 10mm drop, and a stiffer front anti-roll bar should provide a more responsive turn in. Drive is sent to all four wheels through a seven-speed PDK gearbox, and the Macan T has a more rear-biased setup for more athleticism, along with an optional recalibrated Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus system.
At £53,970, the Macan T sits between the standard Macan and the S model in the range, and is on sale now for delivery in spring 2022
