My new Gen 2 2020 Macan Turbo

[Peter_Leonard]

Hello Brian,
I want to thank you for your very informative and interesting posts over the past year or so regarding experiences with your Macan Turbo. As well as enjoying many images of the beautiful roads and scenery that you have in Scotland there was a specific reason for my interest in the Macan Turbo, as I have been considering the purchase of one.
Currently I have three cars (Cayman, BMW 340i Touring and Audi TT) but only a single garage.
So my inclination had been to replace both the Cayman and the BMW with a Macan. A practical solution whilst remaining in the Porsche fold.
Having driven several Macans (2.0I4 and 3.0V6) I've had some doubts - and as you have found, the vehicle size and mass are considerable. Your conclusions have helped gel my thinking - that I will miss the purity of driving experience that the Cayman offers. You no doubt have more experience of that than I do.
But aside from the Cayman I think I would miss the BMW which has earned my respect and affection more than I expected.
As a Touring variant with M-Performance adaptive suspension and brakes, and powered by a twin-scroll 3.0 litre turbocharged I6 engine, its performance and practicality are in a similar league to that of a Macan S. But having a lower centre-of-mass, and weighing some 200kg less, it is certainly less demanding on tyres and brakes. At 40,000 miles it's still on original fitment. Also it benefits from reasonable fuel economy (low-mid 30's) and has two practical features I would definitely miss (head-up display and split tailgate).
So your decision to leave the Macan world and return to something more sporty has helped vindicate my current conclusion which is to retain my current three cars and just put up with the car shuffling and washing and covering of the two which remain outside the garage (the Cayman is the lucky one)!

I'll await with interest to learn of your new acquisition as and when it happens.
Kind regards,
Peter

 

[Brian_Innes]

Thank you Peter for your supportive comments on my Macan experiences.

I'll not give away spoilers regarding my forthcoming obituary piece on the Macan Turbo at this juncture, other than to say I agree with your sentiments.

We all have different ideals regarding our choice of cars, and in my case the Macan just didn't float my boat as the saying goes. Consequently I've lived and learned.

Brian

 

[Brian_Innes]

Bye, Bye, Macan Turbo
My Macan Turbo now sold and collected by a driver from Porsche Centre Chester last Friday.

The winter wheels and tyres also sold and collected today by Macan Turbo owner Gavin from Glasgow.

A full report on what happens next to follow.

Brian

 

[Brian_Innes]

Macan Turbo farewell report.

My reasons for parting with the Macan Turbo at this particular time are as follows.
1. Good cars are in demand and residual values currently high.
2. I underestimated how much I would miss the sports car feel, agility, and connection with the road.
3. The Covid pandemic scuppered my original plans for a European grand tour, and also having my overseas family and friends visit for a Highland tour.

First of all may I say this. Despite my culture shock at the size of the thing, I have enjoyed my brief foray of Macan ownership. Over the past 13 months and 8,700 miles the car has performed faultlessly, providing luxurious comfort combined with effortless high performance. Winter driving in the Highlands was very reassuring with the Michelin Alpin 5 tyres providing astonishing grip on fresh snow, slush, and wet road surfaces. The Macan load carrying capacity is substantial, exceeding my needs as a single person by a considerable margin. I had to purchase a standing platform to facilitate washing the car. Reaching the roof area was impossible without it. It is also quite a big car to wash, (compared to my previous Caymans), with many fiddly nooks and crannies trapping dirt at the front of the car. Great care must be taken when cleaning the large front outer radiator apertures when using a power washer. The radiator grill matrixes are extraordinarily fragile as I found out to my horror.

On the road, the Macan is quite big and cumbersome on the narrow B roads and single track roads which predominate in my part of Scotland. The 2 tonne mass becomes very apparent when driving on undulating twisty sections. Also extreme care is needed when meeting or overtaking large vehicles such as tractors and timber carrying HGV's. Once accustomed to the bulk, the Macan handles very well for an SUV of its class. Contrary to the hyperbole of some motoring scribes, the Macan is most certainly not in the same league as a hot hatch as a few have described it. For my part, coming from a succession of 5 Caymans, I was always conscious of the heavy front end and the predominance of understeer on winding roads. Even when the excellent air suspension package was set on Sport Chassis mode, the nose heavy attitude was always present. This factor above all took away some of the B road driving enjoyment for me as a keen driver, being more used to the mid-engine agility and chassis balance of the Cayman. On the race track the Macan is well out of its comfort zone, where the sheer weight and momentum of the 2 tonne bulk makes its presence felt, particularly in the braking department. Even the carbide-ceramic coated discs were struggling to cope. On the road the brakes were excellent.

For long distance touring, for example on my 750 mile return trip to north Yorkshire, the Macan Turbo came into its own as an extremely comfortable and capable performer. The standard 18-way adjustable heated seats were absolutely first class. The range of adjustment of the various seat bolsters and lumbar support provided supremely comfortable seating for all body shapes and sizes. The higher road viewpoint also ensured excellent all round visibility. The sat nav and infotainment features including the Bose sound system, were all excellent and reasonably intuitive to set up. The heated Alcantara steering wheel also proved a welcome addition when returning to the car after a sub-zero winter walk.

My Macan Turbo had a number of options fitted which I shall detail below with a score out of 10 for usefulness from a purely personal point of view.

Air Suspension with self-levelling and ride height adjustment including PASM. 10/10
Sport Chrono Package including steering wheel Mode Switch. 10/10
Panoramic Roof System. 10/10
Park Assist front and rear with reversing camera. 10/10
21" Sport Classic wheels. 10/10
Lane Change Assist 10/10
Porsche Torque Vectoring PTV Plus 10/10
Power Steering Plus 10/10
Multifunction Heated Steering Wheel in Alcantara 10/10
Smoking Package (console power point) 10/10
Roof Rails 8/10
Automatically Dimming Mirrors 8/10
Heated Windscreen 9/10
Load Space management Kit 10/10
Privacy Glass 10/10
Carbon Interior Package 10/10
Storage Package 10/10
Ioniser 2/10

During my ownership the Macan Turbo required only one 500ml top up of engine oil and averaged 27 - 28 mpg using Shell V-power 99RON almost exclusively.

So ends my Macan ownership experience. What car comes next may shock some Porsche owners. For me it is a rational choice based upon my personal circumstances.

I have bought a 2016 plate 24,000 mile Fiat 500X Cross Plus 4X4 CVT Automatic. This car will see me through the winter months and into the spring of 2022 when my thoughts on a replacement sports car will come to fruition. Why Fiat? I have past experience with the brand as a second car when owning my Caymans. This 500X proves reliable, I may well retain it as my daily driver, shopping car, and e-bike transporter when the sports car eventually arrives.

No decision has yet been made as to which sports car I shall go for. Currently three cars are in my short leet of possibles.
1. Lotus Emira
2. Alpine A110 Legende GT
3. Porsche Cayman/Boxster.

The customer waiting list for the Emira is currently extending to more than 2 years. That is a big negative for me. The Alpine A110 Legend GT is the run-out model of the current Alpine range and may well suit my needs as a stop-gap sports car. It ticks a lot of boxes for me, including aluminium construction with carbon fibre roof, double wishbone suspension, 300bhp mid-engine with DSG gearbox, and only weighs a tad over 1100 kgs. Half the weight of the Macan and 300kgs lighter than the Emira. Over the coming months I shall be making enquires with the dealerships of all three options to establish which car is the best choice for me.

Finally in conclusion, may I say a heartfelt thanks to all contributors who have followed my scribblings on the Macan forum section thread during the past 13 months. I have been truly astonished at the encouraging responses received to my ownership experiences and Highland touring exploits. Even though I am currently Porsche-less, I shall be retaining my PCGB membership through to the Spring of 2022 regardless of the car I decide upon, and I shall continue to post on forum sections where I feel I have a worthwhile contribution to make.

Thank you all for your support. Your contributions have given me much joy and encouragement through these challenging covid pandemic times.

Stay safe and enjoy your driving.

Brian

Photo: My Fiat 500X 4x4 daily driver.

 

[AndrewT]

Brian, you may no longer be a Porsche owner but you’re still a PCGB member and therefore entitled to attend events and post on the forums. I’m sure there are many of us who’d like to continue reading about your trips and driving experiences as well as reviews of your new Fiat and any other vehicles you buy or consider buying - the question is which forum will you post in, perhaps we need a dedicated Brian Innes forum! ??

 

[DrG1970]

Just a quick note to say many thanks to Brian for his detailed write up, and for the excellent winter wheels and tyres that I picked up today.
It was an absolute pleasure dealing with you on the purchase of the wheels and I thoroughly enjoyed our car discussion today! Thank you for your hospitality, and I wish you all the very best with the Fiat and look forward to hearing which sports car will join the stable!
Best regards,
Gavin

 

[Wollemi]

I'm sure that I am not alone in having greatly enjoyed your insightful, erudite and entertaining tales and observations, and I shall certainly miss reading them until you purchase another sports car. I would be fascinated to hear your observations and thoughts during the selection and research phase, and regardless of which car you eventually chose I hope that you will continue to delight your reader with it's progress even if it is not made by Porsche.

I (without any bias of course) hope that this time you decide to get a Boxster - I do believe that top down open air experience adds immeasurably to driving pleasure, and as I think you've had five or six Caymans it's time to experience these joys.

But whatever, I sure it will be fun to hear about it.

Graham

PS Am I the only one who thought the Fiat was a shrunken Macan at first?

 

[Brian_Innes]

Andrew, Gavin, and Graham,

Thank you for your kind words of support and encouragement. I shall keep my contributions going on the PCGB forum as appropriate, and also on the progress of my sports car quest. I'll probably post my threads on the forum section most appropriate according to the car I'm writing about. eg, The Cayman section for the Emira and Alpine sports cars, and the Boxster section if I decide to go for a soft top. The Jury is still out on that one. I'm essentially a tin-top fan but won't rule it out yet.

Purely out of curiosity, I have booked a Taycan Cross Turismo test drive with Porsche Centre Chester in late October. Not that I'm thinking of buying an EV at all, I just thought it was a good opportunity to experience this car while I am in Derbyshire and Cheshire on holiday. A full report will be posted on the Taycan section of the forum in due course. My previous EV experience was when the BMW i3 was announced several years ago. On that occasion the drive was very brief with the sales staff present in the car. My understanding is that I have the Taycan for a 24 hour test drive. I'm expecting it to be quite a revealing experience both for the car and myself.

Brian

 

[Motorhead]

Brian,

Can I just add my thanks for keeping us (Cayman and Macan owners) entertained by your scribblings and excellent photos … for as long as I can remember! Like the others, I look forward to hearing your valued comments on whatever car(s) you’re driving.

Incidentally, there’s an Alpine A110 Used Buying Guide on PH right now and there are a couple of examples for sale in your neck of the woods, one in Aberdeen and another in Dumfries and Galloway. An opportunity for a test drive perhaps?

Jeff

 

[Brian_Innes]

Jeff,

Thank you for your supportive comments and Alpine A110 info. I shall be in contact with the Alpine dealership in Scotland in due course.

The Alpine A110 model I am interested in is the special edition Legende GT. It comes with all the goodies as standard and a 300bhp engine with the DSG gearbox. I'll be following up this line of enquiry over the coming months. No decision will be forthcoming until we are into the new year. I am a fan of 4 cylinder turbo power and DSG. This would also be my choice with the Emira. I can hear the groans from the 6 cylinder manual brigade already! Lightness and agility are my priorities rather than engine acoustics. But that's just me.

In the meantime I am considering keeping my contributions to the Macan forum going by starting a new thread entitled, "Bye, Bye Macan Turbo, Hello Mini Macan". My touring exploits are by no means over for 2021, and I shall continue to post news of my trips and car related comments as usual.

Brian

 

[Brian_Innes]

Things took an unexpected turn this week when enquires into the availability of the Alpine A110 Legende GT revealed a car in my preferred colour, Mercury Silver Matt, was available for delivery by the end of September 2021. As this car is a limited edition model, with only 30 right-hand drive examples being allocated to the UK market, I decided to go for it.

The car is already here in the UK awaiting customs clearance and due to be delivered to the dealership in Manchester within the next two weeks. I was also delighted to accept the offer of delivery of the car by transporter to my home near Inverness. A date has yet to be confirmed but I have been promised the car before September 30th. A brochure photo of the car in my colour choice is shown below. A deposit securing the car has already been paid. I am absolutely delighted.

This draws to a close my 13 years of Porsche ownership, including five Caymans and one Macan Turbo. It has been a thrilling and amazing journey, not only from the driving and ownership viewpoint which has been an absolute blast from day one, but also for the joy of the social fulfilment and genuine friendships I have been so fortunate to have enjoyed along the way.

Meantime, I shall retain my Porsche Club membership for now. I intend to start a new thread in the Cayman section giving comparative impressions of how the Alpine A110 compares with my previous Caymans.

Finally, a heartfelt thanks to all who have contributed to this thread during the past 13 months and may I wish you all many happy safe and enjoyable miles in the months and years ahead.

Brian

 

[BrianJ]

Hi Brian, we look forward to the continuation of you objective and comprehensive commentary, which always makes great reading. One of my friends who previously worked at Lotus joined Caterham when they were in the joint project with Renault to develop what eventually became the Alpine. I understand that Caterham acquired several Caymans and I was frequently quizzed about the one I had at the time. Enjoy your new car!

 

[spook]

Sorry to see you and your Macan Turbo go from the Register Brian, but if this thread is anything to go by, your proposed comparison of the A110 due on the Cayman forum should prove to be an equally excellent read. I'm sure the continuation of your ongoing motoring journey will be much appreciated by members as it has up to now, with nearly 22k views you have provided great content on this forum which I'm sure has been invaluable to both prospective and current Macan owners over such a wide spectrum of issues. You have reminded me about the possible mini Macan which was talked about some years ago but which I've heard no more, so perhaps the odd line at some point about your replacement winter wheels when the snow hits the Highlands might be of interest as a comparison to your Macan?
Whatever, many thanks on behalf of members for taking such time and trouble penning this most informative set of scribblings as you call them, for the benefit of all.
Happy and safe motoring.
Mike
Mike Allen
Macan Register Secretary
------------------------------------------
2021 Macan GTS - Dolomite Silver
2019 991 GT3RS WP - GT Silver

 

[Brian_Innes]

Thank you Mike for your very generous comments regarding my forum scribblings.

It has given me much pleasure and enjoyment contributing to the Macan forum section, especially during the dark and depressing days of the pandemic lockdowns.
I shall certainly drop in a comment during the winter snows as to how my "Mini Macan" copes with the Highland roads compared to the Macan Turbo which was absolutely superb on fresh snow covered roads. Soon, I shall be purchasing a full set of winter tyres for my "Mini Macan". I'm baulking at using the real model name.
(I don't want to mention the "F" (Fiat) word too often on a Porsche club forum.)

Cheers all.

Brian

 

[Motorhead]

That was quick Brian! Have you had the opportunity to test-drive an A110 or is this just a speculative purchase?

Looking forward to hearing from you back on the Cayman forum. You’ve plenty of experience with the F4-T cars and the 718 (982) vs A110 comparison is going to make a very interesting read.

Hope the purchase goes smoothly.

Jeff

 

[JohnCRS]

Hi Brian

It was good to meet you at Knockhill in July and to hear that, despite your vehicular defection away from the Porsche brand, you will still maintain contact with the club. Your Cayman reports were a mainstay of the forum so I am delighted to hear you will continue to contribute to these pages and I look forward to hearing how the Alpine compares with your previous Caymans.

(As someone who is getting increasingly stiffer with age, can we have an early report on how easy it is to get in and out of! I gave up my Exige as it was getting embarrassing crawling out on hands and knees.)

With that delivery date you should be able to get some good drives in before the end of the year. Enjoy!