Daily Archives: July 27, 2018
Updated Porsche Macan Gets Sportier Looks and More Equipment
The Porsche Macan is getting a mid-cycle refresh that will make the crossover sportier than ever before, thanks to its 911-inspired looks. It will also get brand-new equipment inside the cabin.
Exterior
The exterior of the new Macan will follow the features from the 911 sports car, just like the latest Cayenne and Panamera. Up front, there are the familiar four-point LED headlamps that are standard on every trim. The grille and the side vents have been revised with the grille featuring horizontal slats only. The side vents no longer have daytime running lights at the top. The vents below are wider and the center outlet is rectangular. These make the Macan seem wider.
The side remains unchanged, though there are new wheel designs available in either 20 or 21 inches. At the back, the revised taillights now have LED strip that we saw on the 911 and the Panamera. The rear is finished off with a new diffuser with round exhaust pipes.
There are three new colors available for the Macan: Miami Blue, Mamba Green Metallic, Dolomite Silver Metallic, and Crayon.
Interior
Porsche made big changes in the Macan’s cabin. The obvious upgrade is the larger infotainment screen, which is now an 11-inch diagonal display. The German automaker removed the A/C vents and put them in smaller units below. The enhanced PCM system also removed most of the buttons for a cleaner center stack display.
The GT sports steering wheel is another major change. It was inspired by the 911 and now has new controls, a mode switch, and the Sport Response Button. That last feature is offered with the Sport Chrono Package. Other features include Connect Plus module and optional Traffic Jam Assist, an ionizer, and a heatable windscreen.
Powertrain
The new Macan has an enhanced chassis that enhances “neutrality while maintaining stability and improving comfort.” The engine lineup will start with the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder rated at 252 horsepower and 273 pound-feet. The 3.0-liter V-6 should be able to produce 340 horses and 339 pound-feet or 360 horsepower and 369 pound-feet.
The range-topping Macan Turbo will use the same 3.6-liter V-6 with 400 horses and 406 pound-feet. The Performance Package will increase the output to 440 horsepower and 443 pound-feet. There will be two diesel models: one with 211 horsepower and another with 258 horsepower. Both will have 428 pound-feet of torque.
Is Toyota Planning A Third Sports Car?
While we have been waiting for more news about the new Toyota Supra, we have found another nugget of information from chief engineer Tetsuya Tada. During a Toyota-conducted interview, Tada was asked if the company is trying to create a “big brother” for the GT86.
He replied that Toyota president Akio Toyoda has always wanted the Japanese brand to have what he called the Three Brothers: the GT86 in the middle and the Supra as the big brother. This means that the third sports car is not the big brother of the GT86. Rather, it will slot below the 86, making it slower but way cheaper.
This is not new information, of course. In 2013, Tada hinted that a third sports car might be on its way. This was not long after the 86 was launched as the GT86 in Japan and as Scion FR-S in the United States. This was also before the Supra project and name were fully confirmed. What’s interesting about it is that the 86 had sluggish sales figures in the last five years since it was launched. You would think that Toyota would turn its back from the sports car industry, but that doesn’t seem to be what’s happening here.
The third sports car could be a concept Toyota had a few years back. It was called the S-FR. The S stood for “sports,” the F for “front” (as in front-engine), and the R for “rear” (as in rear-drive). The car was a well-proportioned car with scowling circular headlights, six-speed manual transmission, and independent rear suspension.
It has all the right features to become a sports car, but it will also be slower and less powerful than the 86. This description would fit a third sports car slotted under the 86. Of course, the problem would be that this sub-86 sports car might be too small for American standard.