Porsche Subjects the New Macan to Rigorous Testing

Porsche goes through great lengths to test out their vehicles before releasing them. They want to make2014 Porsche Macan is no different. The only difference with this vehicle is that Porsche is going through the trouble to show fans a little more of the testing that they have been doing.  They released a set of testing videos on the Porsche Macan mini-site, and I’ll be the first to say that they are quite impressive.

sure that the top-end products they are selling are going to perform exactly as they should, and the new

Dubai Testing

A little while ago Porsche released a video showing them testing out three different Porsche Macans in the Dubai deserts. In these videos it’s very obvious that the Macan knows its way around sand pits. The small SUV climbs up and down sandy grades without a problem. Sand is spitting everywhere but the SUV maintains its overall traction and control. The main purpose of this video is to show the traction capabilities of the Macan, which are quite impressive.

California Testing

The California testing was more of the same thing, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t impressive. The video shows the Macan climbing up steep dirt hills and powering through desert landscapes out in California as well. Even though the SUV slides a bit while turning in the sandy environment it never loses control because of its superior ability to generate traction.

Why the Macan Handles So Well

From these two videos it’s obvious that you can take the Macan out into a desert and drive around without a problem. If the small-framed Porsche SUV can handle Sandy conditions so well it’s a good bet that it will do fine on dirt and gravel surfaces as well. Most of this is possible thanks to high-quality all-wheel-drive system that the Macan has. Porsche has also made some suspension modifications to improve the handling even further separating the Macan from its Audi counterpart.

If you decide to pick up the new 2014 Porsche Macan when it is finally released you will have a vehicle you can take out on the roads in poor driving conditions without having to worry about staying in control.

The Porsche Macan is Not a Rebranded Audi Q5

At this point it’s pretty common knowledge that the Porsche Macan is based off the Audi Q5 platform.

This concerns many Porsche fans who are afraid they are going to be paying for a rebadged Audi clone. After you take a look at the Macan and compare features this won’t be a concern for you any longer, because there really is no comparison.

Majorly Different

The Macan is built using some of Audi’s parts but is nearly 80 percent Porsche meaning that it has all the improvements and features that you would expect from a Porsche. The first thing you will notice is that the vehicles look completely different. They have different sheet metal and it’s simple to tell one from the other.

Counter-intuitive to the Porsche way, the Macan is actually a little heavier than the Q5, but this is because of significant chassis and suspension improvements. This new and improved frame can support up to a 400 HP engine. Porsche has even gone as far as to move around some of the main support beams for the vehicle. They changed the position of the front dash cross member to create a much different looking interior.

An Improved Transmission

The Audi eight speed torque converter is a pretty nice piece of technology, but it doesn’t stand up against the Porsche PDK dual clutch transmission. Porsche made sure to include their PDK in the Macan and it improves shift response and overall power and handling. If you were to drive both vehicles back to back you wouldn’t know they were built on the same platform, and the transmission is one of the main reasons that they feel different.

The Macan is also going to be fitted with purely Porsche engines, which offer signature Porsche power and performance. There will be a turbo option as well as a standard option, and there may also be a diesel engine option, but that information has not yet been released.

If you decide to buy the Macan over the Q5 you aren’t spending extra money for simply a Porsche badge. You are paying for a near-complete redesign of the vehicle with improvements made all over the place. The Macan looks, sounds, and performs just like other Porsche vehicles do and it is clearly not an Audi clone, like so many people seem to believe.  

The New Porsche Macan

A look at the New Porsche Macan

When he cayenne was released back in 2002 Porsche aficionados were furious. They said that it tainted

to Porsche name, and that only sports cars should be released under the Porsche banner. Much to those people's dismay the Cayenne became the brand's best seller, and now it seems that they are trying to expand on those good numbers with a new addition to the SUV family, the Porsche Macan.

The Macan is a power-packed compact SUV or crossover, that is trying to fill in the gaps for all the people who don't want a large SUV to drive around, but don't want to pack into a small sports car either. The Porsche Macan is a welcome addition for anyone looking for a compact crossover under the high-quality Porsche brand.

A Serious Powerhouse

The Turbo Macan comes packed with a massive amount of power to get you around. The V6 engine comes with a whopping 395 HP built-in. The engine produces 406 lb-ft of torque and that's nothing to laugh at when it's packed into the compact shell of the Macan.

Advanced Transmission

The Macan is expected to come with a few different transmission options. It should be released with a manual transmission or the advanced automatic PDK that Porsche is so well-known for now. The crossover should handle very nicely even in poor driving conditions thanks to the all-wheel drive system it is going to come with. The drive favors the rear wheels which adds an extra boost of power to the vehicle as well.

Based off the Audi Q5

If you're interested in what the Macan is going to look like take a look at the Audi Q5. It will be built off the platform of the Q5 even though it is going to feature a unique body, and a lower suspension system. Porsche assures their fans that the Macan will be quite different from the Q5. Fortunately, with a quality base like the Q5 the Porsche should perform very well, and there will be plenty of enhancements as well.

If you're looking for a compact crossover with the same level of quality and power that is expected of Porsche vehicles, the Macan is the answer you've been waiting for. With it's impressive specs, and Q5 base the Macan should be a very respectable addition to the Porsche lineup.

2013 Porsche Cayenne

Why the 2013 PorscheCayenne is an Excellent Luxury Family Vehicle

When you are looking for a family vehicle with a hint of luxury the Porsche Cayenne is an excellent

option. While it is relatively modest on the outside, inside the Cayenne you are greeted with a very luxurious interior.

The seating arrangement will fit five adults in the seats very comfortably, or a couple of older children and a baby seat. There are safety anchors on the rear seat for said baby seat, and the massive moon roof gives children something to look out of when they want something to do. 

It doesn't matter if you are going on a camping trip, or simply taking the children to school, there is ample space to meet your needs. The Cayenne looks very large from the outside, and it is somewhat of a surprise that you don't have three rows of seats on the interior, but that is because of the massive rear section for storage.

That back section makes it very easy to store luggage, camping gear, or any other large items that you have to cart around.

Next to comfort and interior space the most important feature of a family vehicle is the safety level. You want something that is going to stand strong in the event of an accident, and the Cayenne fits that bill perfectly. The frame of the vehicle has been reinforced to perform very well in the event of an impact, and there is a whole range of airbags that will pop out if you run into something. The Cayenne also has very impressive stopping power thanks to a set of monstrous 13 inch rotors and a hulking set of brakes.

The Porsche Cayenne has all the important features that a luxury family vehicle should. That is probably why it is the most popular Porsche model today, and why you will see many more Cayennes rolling down the road than anything else.

2014 Porsche 911 Turbo

The Engine

The 911 Turbo comes with a powerful flat-six engine with 487 lb-ft of torque and 520 HP, making it possible to go from 0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds. The 911 Turbo S has even more power with 560 HP and from 0 to 60 in 2.9 seconds. The base model received a 20 hp boost from the 2013 model, and the S gained 30 hp. They top out at 196 and 198 mph respectively.

Enhanced Handling

This year the 911 Turbo and Turbo S have both adopted a more advanced rear-wheel steering technology that the GT3 began using first. When the car is traveling less than 31 miles per hour the rear wheels move in the opposite direction to the front wheels, to improve turning control. At higher speeds the wheels move in the same direction which improves handling.

Another new features that you won't find on the other Turbots is active aerodynamics. The spoiler in front can lower and raise itself, and the rear spoiler has three different positions that it can switch to, to adjust the handling of the car depending on the type of driving that you want to do.

Performance

Porsche has stated that their new Turbo S is able to get around the Nuburing in less than 7:30 and that is with the stock tires on the vehicle that come standard with every purchase. That means that when you buy the Turbo S, you are getting a very fast car that is built for racing at high speeds.

Performance is boosted to higher levels with an excellent variable twin turbocharging system. The system is innovative because the vanes that feed air to the engine are adjustable. This means that early on the engine has greater performance thanks to an increase in the fed air pressure to the engine. The car performs better at a wider range of speeds thanks to this adjustable feature.

Great Looks

Both of the Turbo models have been modified to look just as fast as they actually are. You can tell when you are looking at a Turbo for a few different reasons. The first is because these cars are very wide. When compared to the Carrera, you are gaining a couple inches of width, and it is very noticeable. On top of that the tires are large, at 20 inches they really stand out compared to many of the other 911 models.

Now that you know what the 911 Turbo has to offer let's talk about pricing and when the car is actually going to be available for purchase. The base turbo model is going for 149,250, while the Turbo S will cost $182,050. Both of these prices include the destination charge of $950 that Porsche is charging their customers to have the cars delivered. These cars will be available for purchase later on this year, and there is sure to be a line of people eagerly awaiting them, since these lightning fast cars have been tuned to perform so well in day to day driving as well.

2014 911 GT2

Major Changes Occurring in the 2014 911 GT2

Porsche has recently released the information on their 2014 911 GT3 and some people were disappointed by it because it had less than 500 hp. Although it isn't a big deal for most people, for those that it was a big deal to, there is the 911 GT2.

Normally when you have a model number that is lower, you assume that it is going to have less power. This simply isn't the case with the GT2, and you will get above 500 hp with this vehicle which means that it has more raw power to work with than the GT3 does.

What You Get

The engine and transmission of the GT2 are both based off the 911 Turbo S. Instead of the 475 horsepower that comes in the GT3, you are getting a massive 552 horsepower, thanks to the 3.8 liter flat six engine. The transmission that is going to be used in this vehicle is another major change from the all-wheel drive of the GT3. Instead you are going to get the PDK seven gear clutch that is automatic, and rear wheel drive.

Weight Savings

The nice thing about a rear-wheel drive setup, over the all-wheel drive used in the GT3 is that weight is going to be shaved off the vehicle. What that means is that not only are you getting a more powerful engine to tear up the road with, but you are also getting al lighter vehicle that is going to benefit from the power even more than the GT3 would have. Overall this new setup should result in a noticeable increase in power. Although you probably wouldn't notice a difference without driving both vehicles extensively, if you were to switch from one to the other you would be able to tell there is a distinct difference.

Real Life Speed

Now that you know how much power this variant of the 911 is pushing, it is time to learn how that effects real life performance, with some times and actual speeds. The car should be able to go from 0 to 60 in 3.0 seconds without a problem. On top of this blistering acceleration, it will top 200 mph which means that you can get wherever you want to go much faster than you could in that minivan at the other side of your garage.

Many will rejoice at the added power that the GT2 possess, while a few are going to continue to complain about the PDK transmission that is becoming more prevalent in the newer Porsche models.

If 500 hp isn't enough for you, there is a rumor that Porsche is planning on releasing an even more powerful variant of the GT2 later on after the initial launch. This RS variant of the car will push up the horsepower to a whopping 620, and that amount of power will make this car even more intense that it already is. Unfortunately that won't be released until 2015 so you will have to be patient if you would rather get the upgraded version.

Panamera GTS vs. BMW M5

Comparing the 2013 Panamera GTS to the BMW M5

If you are looking for a larger sports vehicle there is a good chance that you have set your sights on either the BMW M5 or the Panamera GTS. These vehicles both sit around $100,000 and they are both well-known for producing great results on the track, and down the back roads. By putting these vehicles side by side it is easy to see which is better for you, and to simplify this decision.

Raw Power

In terms of raw power and actual speed the BMW

M5 wins the match hands down against the Porsche Panamera GTS. The BMW M5 4.8 liter V8 engine produces a whopping 560 hp and 500-lb-ft of total torque making it a monster of a car. The GTS produces a much smaller 384 hp, but it doesn't perform too much worse thanks to its great design and all-wheel drive and improved traction management systems. In real world tests performed by Motortrend, the M5 was shown to go from 0-60 in 4 seconds flat, and through a quarter mile at 12.4 seconds. The GTS Panamera did the first in 4.1 seconds and the zipped around the track in 12.7 seconds only making it slightly slower than the M5 even though there is a massive power difference.

Usability and Fun to Drive

When you are comparing which vehicle is more enjoyable to drive the Panamera GTS easily triumphs. Not only is the steering much more responsive than the M5's but if you actually want to take the vehicle to its limit you don't have to go through the difficult "launch-mode" process of the M5 that is so difficult even expert drivers have a hard time making it work every time. Instead you touch a button, tap the brake and floor it while letting off on the brake to gain access to the full power of the car.

At around the same price you have to decide whether you want improved steering, and a sportier interior of the GTS, or if you want the sheer raw power offered by the M5.