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New models: Four-cylinder engine for Porsche Macan

New models: Four-cylinder engine for Porsche Macan

Autocar magazine has just shared news from Beijing, where the new Porsche Macan four cylinder engine option has just been unveiled for Stuttgart’s compact SUV.

Porsche Macan four cylinder engine 1

Volkswagen Golf GTi Engine

Powered by a turbocharged 2-litre Volkwagen EA888 engine – as used across all other VAG brands – the 4-cylinder Macan will run an identical tune to the Golf GTi Performance Pack version, giving 234bhp and 258lb ft of torque, versus the 3.0 Turbo’s 335bhp/339lb ft.

Porsche Macan 200,000 sales target

The move is inevitable. The Porsche CEO recently estimated that the company could sell up to 200,000 Macans next year. They’re not going to do that at £50k a unit: an entry level model is needed using a seriously cheap power unit. The slightly lower emissions and likely engine size tax advantages will also have rub-off benefits in parts of the world, across the Macan range and the broader model portfolio.

Porsche Macan four cylinder engine 2

While pricing has not been revealed, it’s been confirmed that the Macan 2.0 will run a PDK gearbox in Asia: let’s hope it’s not too slow. There are suggestions it will come to England in 2015, but an earlier debut wouldn’t surprise me. Watch for the 2-litre diesels up next.

New models: Porsche Boxster GTS & Cayman GTS

New models: Porsche Boxster GTS & Cayman GTS

I spent all morning writing job descriptions for a couple of part-time vacancies in Graphic Design and PR/Marketing with Mighty Motor Media in Banbury/Daventry. While I was banging my head against that creative brick wall, Porsche announced GTS models of Boxster and Cayman.

porsche-boxster-cayman-gts

There’s some flak flying on social media for the pics Porsche has sent out and the video done to promote the models (scroll down) but I think the cars look good: Cayman in particular.

porsche-boxster-cayman-gts

However, with a basic cost of more than £50k, one wonders how many will pick a GTS to get an extra 15 hp (330 bhp total) and 10 newton metres of torque, Sport Chrono, PASM and black bi-xenon headlights. Remember that a basic manual Cayman S on 19″ wheels weighs 1350 kilos, with every option adding bulk – I don’t know what the GTS will weigh when it’s fuelled and oiled, ready to go. Basic Cayman GTS will cost circa €4k more than the Boxster, but I bet it’s the bigger seller.

porsche-boxster-cayman-gts

Interestingly, Stuttgart’s press release shares top speeds from the manual version, but 0-60 times from the PDK car, equipped with launch control. Does that mean PDK won’t go as fast? Or is Porsche just pointing out the base price is manual? Answers on a postcard.

Now, give me your thoughts on this video. I would rather see previous GTS models: Vic Elford drives to camera in a red 904 GTS peeling off to show Derek Bell in his red 924 GTS then peeling off to reveal Nick Tandy in a red Cayman GTS. Heritage works with red Porsches.

New models: Porsche 918 testing in Stuttgart

New models: Porsche 918 testing in Stuttgart

This video has just gone live on Youtube, showing a prototype Porsche 918 exiting an underground car park in Stuttgart.

This car – SM 2252 – features in a lot of Youtube spy stuff, as it runs around doing errands. I doubt the development engineer expected a stalker, but it’s interesting to see the car go about its business on normal roads and pavements.

Porsche 918 Assembly

Despite the production run well under way, PT1018 is a prototype (P/T). Our tipster points to Carrera GT roof and handles, 991 rear lights, static rear wing and a host of 918 trim that’s gone AWOL. The Corsa alongside is a minor distraction, but the electric steering, silent pull-away and throaty exit give us mere mortals a bit of a thrill.

We’ll all be excited to see our first 918 in the flesh. I hope one of these test beds is kept for the Porsche Museum.

New models: Porsche Macan first drive

New models: Porsche Macan first drive

Car magazine has just uploaded Georg Kacher’s verdict on his first drive in a Porsche Macan. Kacher would point the pen of truth at anything lacking, but his highly positive verdict comes as no surprise.

Macan S

“There’s little doubt that Porsche’s plan to build 50,000 Macans per year won’t meet demand,” says Kacher. “It may be an SUV, but it’s a proper Porsche in terms of appearance and talent, it blends street cred and desirability with a reasonable price tag and it might just be, for the many rivals in this booming segment, a worst nightmare.”

Car‘s review shows a £47k cost new, but I’m not sure how that’s made up. Basic Macan S is £43k, but when you add 21-inch wheels, mid range leather, DAB with park detect and a pano roof, you’re up to £51k. Would be easy to get this over £60k, so we’ll have to see how the residuals work out for low spec cars versus stuff with toys.

Macan S

Residuals for petrol v diesel will also be interesting, as Macan Diesel and S are priced the same. In fact, the cars are priced at £41,600, but Porsche adds £169 for third year Porsche Assistance and £800 for the third year of warranty. You can build your own Macan on the very attractive new Porsche website.

Macan’s undeniable sexiness and outright ability will further reduce the number of people who persist in denying Porsche badge credibility to anything with more than two doors, but that will not be its best trick. The truck still weighs 1.9 tonnes and looks relatively spacious inside. Cayenne is not much heavier, or more roomy, so what happens next for Stuttgart’s biggest SUV? Like all the Volkswagen Golfs before it, will it get bigger and bigger and eventually ooze off the scales? Another Porsche first!


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Chris Harris drives the Porsche 991 GT3

Chris Harris videos continue to evolve and entertain. His latest production (apparently filmed on his own) is this one below on the new Porsche 991 GT3: a world exclusive drive of a development car, somewhere in the hills of southern Europe.

Talking to GT3 owners, some are still cross at the technical upsets: PDK-only, electric power steering and a non-Mezger engine. But many more like this fastest, revviest, most-button Porsche, and covet new-spec trinkets like the centre-lock matt silver wheels and that racecar front airdam.

What most are not liking is the financial pain to take to get it. As a good friend and GT3 owner said the other night: “I paid £70k for my first GT3, £80 for my second one and the latest is getting on for £100,000. Porsche are quoting £30k plus my low-mile Gen 2 GT3 RS to get into a new one, rising to £40k when I add some spec.”

The problem is not the lack of forty grand. It’s the airiness of Stuttgart thinking and pricing, the value (and trust) lost in what is still a satisfying machine to drive and the emerging sense that Porsche will keep jacking up the price, every time there’s a new model. You can’t pin all those price hikes on inflation.

Over on Apple’s product treadmill, owners are increasingly fed up with the latest dangling shiny bit mocking their spend on the last upgrade. An iPhone 5 upgrade costs a small fortune, only to find Apple shoving a must-have ‘S’ upgrade out six months later, costing contract holders similar daft sums to upgrade.

Apple has tackled upgrade apathy with some brains, retaining the camera and overall operating system from 4S to 5, so the upgrade was just to have a bigger phone and slightly faster processor. For people who use their iPhone mainly as camera and web device, a change made little sense, so the faithful can wait for the 5S and a step up in camera technology, and let the fashionistas take the 5 to iron out all the bugs.

In contrast, Porsche’s move from 997 to 991 GT3 threw out all the old stuff and went straight to GT3 5S: a big change in spec with a whacking hike in price. Before today, looking at this car on paper begged the question, “is all this new tech really that great?” Masterful demonstration of the tech at work dismisses any notion that this isn’t an improvement.

The facts and the feedback make this a no-brainer. The video rips the numbers to perfection and Harris is Porsche’s best salesman. There is no reason to avoid this car when he shows you what it can do.

With no access to the car and none of this talent behind the wheel, I must talk philosophy. As Harris puts it, a car with this ability, in this shape and making this noise should be the last bastion of a manual gearbox. But with the GT3 now so well engineered, the downside to a manual would be cockpit confusion when really pressing on: the driver becomes a log jam in the flow of speed from chassis to tarmac, and that is not what GT3 is all about.

Will Porsche build a GT3 5S-S with a manual transmission? Not in the short term. We’re now talking about Porsche past – manual transmission as ultimate go-faster bit is history. As Porsche sees things, if you want a manual box, you’re hankering for old technology in an older car, so just buy an old car.


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Ferdinand blogs my freelance adventure with Porsche at the centre. To support the blog or engage with me in other ways, you can:

New models: Porsche 991 50th Anniversary

New models: Porsche 991 50th Anniversary

Towards the end of the 997, Porsche unveiled a spate of special edition 911s, which raised the spam filters against limited production models. Stuttgart’s just unveiled another special, but this one’s better than expected.

Jubiläumsmodell 50 Jahre 911

The limited edition runout 997 Carrera GTS was probably the best water-cooled Porsche I’ve driven to date, including all the quick stuff. It  suited my love of cross-country thrashing much better. I’ve enjoyed my drives in 991, but can’t escape the list price for what’s now a volume unit, and don’t like how busy the car is inside. The latest model might be different.

Jubiläumsmodell 50 Jahre 911

Unveiled this week, the 50th Anniversary car looks good at first glance. It uses the wider 4wd bodyshell, so is essentially a C2S with rinky-dink special bits including:

  • Specially-tuned PASM
  • Sports Exhaust
  • Special 20-inch wheels, inspired by Fuchs (glad no Fuchs here)
  • Chrome front air inlets, engine grille and rear light panel strips
  • Dynamic Lights with bi-xenon and cornering
  • 3D logo on engine cover, tacho, sill trims & headrest embroidery
  • Cupholder plaque with edition number
  • High gloss exterior trim and Sport Design mirrors
  • Retro instrument dials
  • Tribute material on 14-way sports seats (optional 18-way)
  • Swish stiching on interior leather
  • Porsche Exclusive gear shift

Despite this comprehensive and cohesive spec, I predict some classic angst. Air-coolers with short memories will screech at the cupholders, but the 3.2 Carrera and 964 both had Jubilee specials with fluffy carpets and painty bits. This is no different.

Jubiläumsmodell 50 Jahre 911
Jubiläumsmodell 50 Jahre 911

Sure, it’s miles away from the first 911s, but there’s finally a hint of some personality, so I like it. I like the paint, I like the wheels, and I like the bling-y engine grille with the recessed brake light: wait for the aftermarket to rip that off. I like the trim, I like the clocks and I like the mirrors.

Did I say I liked the paint? I can see a slew of hot rods painted in the Geyser Grey Metallic shown here: like a modern Sahara Beige. Graphite Grey and Black Monochrome are your only other options.

Jubiläumsmodell 50 Jahre 911

What are the downsides? Ninety-two grand is rather a big one, big like that vast centre console, but no doubt some of you have put your deposits down. I’d be interested in hearing from anyone who’s got one coming: there’s a feature here for sure.


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Ferdinand blogs my freelance adventure with Porsche at the centre. To support the blog or engage with me in other ways, you can: