My new Gen 2 2020 Macan Turbo

[Brian_Innes]

The Macan had its first wash today following the application of the ceramic paint treatments. The insect squash and road grime just melted away, and the bodywork felt silky smooth when using the wash mitt. I used the recommended G-Tech conditioner car wash solution. You only need a couple of cap fulls in 20 litres of warm water, and it being a low foaming solution it is very easy to rinse off afterwards.

I was interested in checking the front wheels for brake dust after 850 miles of Highland roads, just to see if the carbide-tungsten coated brake discs really do offer 80% less brake dust. The photo below confirms pretty much that they do indeed do what it says on the tin. Bearing in mind the 1900kgs weight, and the hilly terrain encountered so far, I'm pretty impressed with the brakes. I have past experience with PCCB on my previous Cayman GTS, and the new carbide-tungsten coated discs on the Gen 2 Macan Turbo are a tangible benefit for my particular needs. The front hubs are also manufactured in a very smart polished alloy finish, just like the full-fat PCCB hubs. They look good behind the very easy to clean 21" five spoke wheels.

The Macan is a big brute to wash compared to the cars I have been used to these past 12 years. For the first time in my life I needed a low step-ladder to reach the roof sections. There are also lots of sculpted edges and nooks and crannies on the Gen 2 Macan. I also discovered the windscreen wipers while in their normal parked position, are prevented from being lifted off the screen by more than a couple of inches due to the bonnet panel fouling the wiper arms. You only get to know about these details when you wash the car yourself.

Finally, I love the memory seats and steering wheel moving into position when you turn on the ignition. They also slide back when switching off to assist getting out. God, I must be getting old!

Brian

 

[AndrewCS]

How are those `Green` tyres Brian … ?

 

[Lancerlot]

These couple of tips might help, Brian.

Put the wipers into service position. You do this by switching on the ignition, turning it off, then immediately operating the wiper control. The wipers will park half way up the windscreen to enable cleaning and changing blades etc.

Washing the roof. You may find it easier if you open up each door. This allows access to a greater section of the roof. I got into the habit of filling my wash mitt, starting on the roof, then opening the door with the other hand. Doing it this way allowed me to reach all four corners and without simultaneously getting the cabin wet from a saturated passing wash mitt. []

Regards,

Clive

 

[dpoynton]

These couple of tips might help.....
Put the wipers into service position.

Clive

How on earth do you know these things?
What a star!

D

 

[Brian_Innes]

Clive,

That's good tips on the wipers parking and roof washing......

Amazing what you can learn on the forum.

Andrew,

The Michelin Latitude 3 N2 tyres do indeed have a "Green" stamp on the sidewall. Quite what it means I am at a loss to know.

Brian

 

[AndrewCS]

The Michelin Latitude 3 N2 tyres do indeed have a "Green" stamp on the sidewall. Quite what it means I am at a loss to know … Brian

Probably a reference to a reduced `rolling resistance` compared to other versions, an `odd` thing on such a performance model ?

 

[Lancerlot]

These couple of tips might help.....
Put the wipers into service position.

Clive

How on earth do you know these things?
What a star!

D

It was easy really David, I just went into the excellent "Technically Speaking" section of the Members Only area of our Macan forum and clicked on this link https://www.porscheclubgb.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1000008
There's a mine of useful information in there so it's well worth a look! []
Regards,

Clive

 

[Brian_Innes]

Clive,

Thanks, that's useful info for new Macan owners, especially in the absence of the Driver's Manual wallet which I am still awaiting delivery in the post. Meantime I've been referring to the Porsche "Good to Know" app which contains much of the same information as the driver's manual.

As a committed PCGB forum user, I can say it is a very useful media source to find out anything you want to know about your particular model.

Brian

 

[AndrewT]

Put the wipers into service position. You do this by switching on the ignition, turning it off, then immediately operating the wiper control. The wipers will park half way up the windscreen to enable cleaning and changing blades etc.

Good tip Clive, I just tested it and found it works on my 2012 Audi Q3! Thanks.

By the way Brian, as this is your thread, I’m pleased to see that you’re getting the miles in and your Macan is still pristine ??.

 

[pwebb]

Also, Brian if you've gone to the trouble of ceramic coating, it may be worth getting a pure water filter for the final rinse. This negates the need to dry the car off and it doesn't leave any water marks. Useful on a big car, I have a black Cayenne and they're the worst []

A few of us use one like this
https://www.raceglaze.co.uk/race-glaze/race-glaze-7L-water-filter/

 

[Brian_Innes]

Peter,

Thanks for the tip on the water filter, thus far I haven't found this to be necessary. I have the good fortune to live in an area where the water is pretty pure as it is. Speyside malt whisky distilleries use the same water, unfiltered I believe.

If it's good enough for a decent dram, its good enough for my Macan. Boom - boom!

The miles are edging towards 1000 miles up, and both the car and myself are becoming more acclimatised to each other. As posted earlier, I set up the Individual mode on the steering wheel dial for Sport Chassis, Low Ride Height, Stop/Start deactivated. Now becoming more used to the throttle action on the Macan, which is quite different to my previous 718 Cayman GTS, I'm finding progress on the A and B roads very satisfying. For overtakes, I still prefer to over-ride the auto by selecting the appropriate gear for the occasion and whooshing past slower traffic. The result is smooth and powerful progress, and also ensures I observe the self-imposed 4000 rpm rev limit while running-in. This would be far more difficult letting the auto box do its own thing.

Miles per gallon have improved since I started using my Individual mode setting. The Macan is now averaging 28-29 mpg on the country lanes around my location. Let me be clear here, I didn't choose the Macan Turbo for economy! Far from it, I am a performance driver through and through and intend using the the full range of the Macan's considerable performance capabilities when the running–in is completed and the circumstances allow. Meantime, my impressions of the road performance are very promising indeed. The huge torque of 550Nm is available on-tap between 1800rpm and 5600rpm. Even with my self-imposed 4000 rev limit, the overtaking progress with the right gear selected for the job, is astonishingly brisk and effortless. I can hardly wait to explore the full potential when the occasion arises in the future.

I am also pleasingly impressed with the rural road handling composure for such a weighty vehicle. Body roll in Sport Chassis mode is well controlled and the steering has a very nice weight to it as the cornering forces build. The Power Steering Plus option on the Macan does not display the superb feel I experienced in my Cayman GTS, perhaps understandably as the Macan is a very different car. I'll not be in a position to properly appraise this PSP aspect until a later date when I get the car on the track for a test session. The grip provided from the low profile Michelin tyres is excellent, giving a nice precise steering response with good quick changes of direction responses. I don't feel the tyres are lagging behind the chassis at all. Again, I'll find out more about this at a later date.

Finally, having investigated Clive's tip about standing on the door sills to wash and dry the roof, I am not keen to do this for fear of scratching the plastic sill pieces and compressing there rubber door sill. This is just me. Instead I have purchased a lightweight two step platform from B&Q, only £25, which is narrow enough to use in my garage and provides the extra safety of a longer platform area to stand upon. Each to our own as the saying goes.

Brian

 

[Brian_Innes]

The platform step I have purchased to reach the roof for washing and drying.
Brian

 

[Brian_Innes]

I had a very enjoyable, and as it turned out, an informative Bank holiday weekend.

Due to Covid lockdown restrictions being lifted in Aberdeen city recently, I at last had the opportunity to visit friends there for the first time this year. Rather than take the main intercity Inverness - Aberdeen A96 route, I decided to take the cross-country alternative via Rothes, Dufftown, and Rhynie using the A941 Cabrach moorland route. The A941 is single track with passing places for a significant proportion of its 18 mile route between Duftown and Rhynie. The road surface is of a good quality and it provides both an interesting and challenging drive with some dramatic moorland scenery along the way.

As usual for the running-in period, I chose the Individual mode setting on the steering wheel dial, giving Sport Chassis, with Low level ride height. On this route I again found it helpful to over-ride the auto gearbox selection and choose an appropriate manually selected gear with the steering wheel paddles where I knew through local knowledge what the terrain held in store around the corners and on the road ahead. By good fortune, I had a clear run on this route and never met another vehicle going in my direction for the entire 18 miles of the Cabrach. The total trip distance of 93 miles to Aberdeen resulted in an average fuel economy of 27.0 mpg on this cross-country route.

On my return journey from Aberdeen via the A96 Inverness route I chose Sport mode for the entire trip, using manual over-ride for overtaking opportunities as appropriate. This resulted in an average of 25.2 mpg. Clearly, given a similar driving style, Sport mode carries a "penalty" of approximately 2 - 3 mpg on typical route. This is understandable due to the sharper throttle map, snappier gearshift responses, auto blipping for downshifts, and the "Rice Crispies" effect of Snap, Crackle, Pop from the sports exhaust on over-run, all of these effects use extra fuel and contribute to the increased fuel consumption. As a keen driver I much prefer using the Sport mode. It gives the car a more sporting feel and combined with the sharper throttle responses, a more urgent nature to the driving experience. It's all about mood and circumstances really.

Moving on to the informative aspect of the weekend, where I live, I am fortunate not only to have a car valleter living next door, I also have a main dealership Audi technician residing across the street. There are certain similarities in design of the platform and components used between Audi and Porsche, being members of the same manufacturing group. The Macan shares a chassis platform and drive line layout with the Audi Q5, so it was interesting to have a chat with Oliver the Audi technician about the technical similarities and differences between the two models. Under the bonnet, with the plastic engine cover removed, a simple snap-off, snap-on affair, more details can be seen beneath revealing the various engine components and ancillaries. The accessibility around the engine for routine servicing is excellent with plenty of room to work, in sharp contrast to the mid-engined Cayman, or rear engined 911 models which are a technician's nightmare to service. The twin turbos nestle neatly within the Vee of the engine block, with both the air filter and oil filter elements at the front of the engine. Couldn't be easier to service. On closer inspection, Oliver noticed a few differences, the principal being the fuel injection pump with is Porsche specific on this particular engine. The other point of interest was regarding the air suspension, when I mentioned the possibility of acquiring a second set of wheels with winter tyres, Oliver kindly offered to do the wheel swap exercise for me in my own garage. It was during this discussion that I learnt something new. I had to be careful to follow the driver's manual instructions before lifting the car on the trolly jack. With the air suspension there is an automatic self-levelling system. It is important to deactivate the self-levelling before lifting the car. You do this by switching on the ignition and holding the suspension levelling button on the centre console for 10 seconds. The vehicle can now be safely raised. After the wheel swapping is completed and the vehicle is back on the ground, the automatic levelling is reactivated by switching on the ignition and holding the same button for 10 seconds as before. There is confirmation of this command on the dashboard display console. I am grateful to Oliver for alerting me to this important action, as I understand the air suspension system can be damaged if the vehicle is raised on a jack without first deactivating the auto levelling feature. This procedure is also described in detail on the Good to Know app, but you also need to be aware of the requirement to check this in the first place.

My Macan winter wheel/tyre quest is still on-going. More on this to follow at a later date.

A few photos on the above follow for illustration.

Brian

The A941 Cabrach route has a good quality road surface. Single track for most of the 18 miles. Looking well ahead and anticipation are essential for safe passage with the Macan.

 

[Brian_Innes]

What lies beneath........
With the engine cover removed, this reveals the twin turbos nestling in the Vee. The oil filter is conveniently at the front of the engine between the turbo pipes and readily accessible.

Brian

 

[Brian_Innes]

Porsche have provided protective film ahead of the rear wheel arches on the Gen 2 Turbo.

Brian

 

[Brian_Innes]

The suspension ride height and self-levelling button on the console. Hold for 10 seconds with the ignition switched on to deactivate and reactivate self-levelling.

Brian

 

[AndrewT]

That’s interesting about the self levelling suspension needing to be switched off when jacking the car - I wonder how many tyre fitting establishments are aware of that?

 

[vitesse]

Very interesting post as ever,Brian-it must get pretty hot in the Vee under the cover but at least the 2 waste gate actuators are easily checked & lubricated if needed.
interesting to see the engine has a stabiliser bracket which is sturdy or is that part of a more complex engine mounting system?

 

[Brian_Innes]

The Audi technician also said the engine mountings and stabiliser bracketing was different from the Audi Q5, being far more substantial apparently.

The twin turbo location being within the Vee makes under bonnet heat management a key issue. The fact that there is ample room around the engine, combined with the huge radiators, twin cooling fans, and large frontal air ducts, seems to keep excessive heat build up under control. Where I live in the north of Scotland, there are not many days in the year when the ambient temperature is over 25c, so I'm not overly concerned about under bonnet heat management during hot weather. I'll be paying close attention to the coolant temperature readings post running-in, when I start to open up the performance envelope to the full. At present the coolant gauge remains at 90c when warm, although I am aware this is best regarded as a notional reading.

For those interested, I have chosen the driver selectable vehicle display categories to show crucial engine data functions.
Tubo Boost Pressure
Oil Pressure
Oil Temperature
Coolant Temperature

Brian

 

[Brian_Innes]

An update on my winter wheels/tyres enquiry.

Having already contacted my OPC regarding pricing the T-equipment winter wheels options for my Macan Turbo, I needed to find out precisely which Michelin winter tyres were currently approved for the Gen 2 Macan Turbo.

I contacted the online help service of Michelin UK who proved extremely efficient and helpful. The Porsche approved Michelin winter tyres for my car are as follows;


Michelin Alpin 5 N0 104V 265 x 45R 20 - Product Number 069977
Michelin Alpin 5 N0 106V 295 x 40R 20 - Product Number 039483

These tyres are available in the UK as from 07/09/20.

After passing on this information to the OPC Parts Manager, this is now in the hands of Porsche Germany T-equipment, who have yet to officially confirm that these tyres can be specifically requested and supplied with a winter wheel and tyre set for my car. Currently the default winter tyre supplier is Pirelli.

I am keen to try the Michelin Alpin 5 N0 winter tyre as I like the look of the tread pattern, and more importantly, this tyre being a current evolution of the Alpin range designed specifically for the Porsche SUV models, and should provide superior road performance commensurate with my particular car.

At last I have resolved the lack of satellite map view on my PCM. Following an email enquiry to OPC Chester, they re-activated the My Porsche account for the second time at their end. The first activation was done at Chester before despatching my car to my home address. I subsequently received an email from Porsche Connect together with an accompanying SMS message, asking me to re-configure my account with a 5-digit security code to register my new car. Success!

Now 1275 miles up, the car is settling in nicely. Now that I am getting familiar with the extremely comprehensive list of driver's settings choices, the car and me are gradually becoming more acclimatised to each other. Fuel consumption on main route roads has settled down to 27 - 29 mpg when in Normal Individual mode. When the running-in is completed, I shall be using Sport mode more frequently on cross-country trips with manual gear shifting. With my motorsport background I prefer to retain a modicum of driver involvement in the engine/gearbox dynamics, rather than leave the revs and gear selection to the ECU. This is just me.

Brian