My new Gen 2 2020 Macan Turbo

[Brian_Innes]

Since moving to the Macan Turbo following a 12 year succession of increasingly potent Caymans, people have been asking me if I regret giving up the mid-engined coupe. My answer to these enquiries is, of course I do. I miss the planted, bolted down, road grip and tactile feel from the steering wheel that the mid-engined Cayman delivers in spades. The walk-up experience towards that haunched, purposeful, low set stance, cannot be compared favourably to the high-riding SUV look of the Macan at the kerbside. The Macan looks ordinary by comparison.

Of its type, the Macan Turbo is a VERY NICE CAR to sit in, and drive. The cabin comforts are superb. The equipment levels onboard the Generation 2 model are absolutely top notch, and the view of the road ahead and all around visibility is first class. For the keen driver such as myself, the Macan Turbo can be hustled along winding, undulating, rural roads at a pace well beyond most other SUV's. The road feel transmitted via the helm is commendable for a vehicle of this size and weight. The sheer bulk of the thing seems to evaporate on smooth twisty sections of road when you dial in the Sports modes, and the throttle responses when the turbo is on full song is practically lag-free, in manual gear shift mode at least. Care is still needed on narrow section of road, but I have gradually grown accustomed to the body width and placement of the wide 21" alloys.

One thing I was pleasantly surprised with is the road grip provided from the Michelin Pilot Latitude 3 tyres. On wet roads, (I've had plenty of experience of that recently) and in dry conditions, the grip from the tyres has been absolutely astonishing. If the Michelin Alpin 5 winter tyres do as good a job as the summer tyres, I'll not be disappointed. The wheel and tyre change over is due to take place within the next couple of weeks. More comment on my experiences will follow in due course.

Brian

 

[Brian_Innes]

With current Covid-19 lockdowns spreading across the UK like wildfire, I took the opportunity today to take a drive west from Inverness seeking off the beaten track routes away from the common tourist trails. My region of Scotland, Highland, is currently in Tier 1 so restrictions are minimal as of today, but as the situation is changing daily I thought it a good plan to get out and about and enjoy the glorious autumn colours of the Highlands while they still last.

My tour started west and south of Inverness on the Loch Ness - Fort William A82 route. Turning right onto the unclassified single track road near Dochgarroch is a long climb high onto moors above Loch Ness itself. Dwelling houses are sporadically scattered along this remote road which extends for around 10 miles southwards, before staring the steep descent back onto the A82 at the north end of Loch Ness. Panoramic views are everywhere on this route, and fortunately at this time of the year the only traffic I encountered were locals and the Royal Mail postman. Not a camper van in sight.

Back on the A82 I headed southwards passing through the village of Drumnadrochit, before stopping at the Memorial commemorating the former Land and Water Speed record holder John Cobb. He was a huge man, the term Gentle Giant was never more appropriate. He was revered by the local community in Glen Urquhart for his kindness and willingness to engage with the local folk, both adults and children alike. In September 1952 he spent £15,000, at least £300,000 in todays money, transporting his boat The Crusader, north to Loch Ness for a World Water Speed record attempt over the measured mile between Drumnadrochit and Invermoriston. After successfully completing his first run at 206mph, the first person to travel at over 200mph on water, his return run sadly ended fatally when his boat crashed at over 200 mph. Such was the affection and esteem for John Cobb, the locals clubbed together to erect a memorial cairn overlooking the site of his world record measured mile. Few tourists know about this memorial, and even fewer stop in the lay-by nearby to pay homage to this brave man who tragically lost his life pursuing his dream of being both land and water speed record holder.


My return westwards from Drumnadrochit was via the A831 to Cannich, then eastwards towards Beauly and Inverness. I was a glorious drive, and especially scenic with the autumn colours near their prime.

The Macan Turbo is driving faultlessly and is especially suited to the wet and leafy road conditions encountered on this trip. This will probably be the final drive on the summer tyres before I embark on swapping over to the winter rubber.

I have a few photos to follow, as an illustration of the welcome escapism this drive provided from the gloom and despair currently dominating the TV news bulletins in these challenging times.

Brian

Photo 1
Near the summit of the Abriachan unclassified road heading south.

 

[Brian_Innes]

Photo 2
The descent back towards Loch Ness from Abriachan.

 

[Brian_Innes]

Photo 3.
The plaque commemorating John Cobb's world water speed record attempt.

 

[Brian_Innes]

Photo 4.
The John Cobb Memorial Cairn by Loch Ness.

 

[Brian_Innes]

Photo 5.
Autumn colours on the A831 near Struy.

 

[AndrewT]

That looks like a great trip out. ??

 

[Motorhead]

Autumn’s always a great time of year in the Highlands Brian, with the leaves changing colour. Unfortunately, wet conditions and leaves on the road aren’t an ideal combination though!

Super pictures as usual. Thanks for posting.

Jeff

 

[kjhurley]

Brian,

Thanks for sharing your exploits with your Macan; your pictures are great and go to highlight what a special part of the UK you live round.

I was also very interested in the John Cobb memorial which serves to underline just what a pioneer he was, both on the road and on the water. Having been a volunteer at Brooklands Museum in Surrey for a few years, I am more familiar with his connection there and the outer track record he set back in 1935 in his Napier Railton (which is still in full working order and represents the pride and joy of the Museum), prior to further exploits over in the U.S. in the same car.

All the best,
Keith

 

[Brian_Innes]

Keith,

Thank you for your very interesting reply. Not many people know about the heroic exploits of John Cobb and it's good to hear from someone who is aware of his amazing achievements.

As a youngster I was engrossed reading a book of my dad's called Power and Speed, from 1938, which my dad received for his 18th birthday. I still have the book in my bookcase and refer to it from time to time. This particular book provides a revealing insight in to the world of automotive development and the pursuit of power and speed which the title embodies perfectly. The book contains a feature on John Cobb with his Napier Railton land speed record car and also driving his Brooklands racing car taking the lap record at over 140mph.

As John Cobb originally came from Surrey, I expect the photo shown below will have featured in the Brooklands museum.

It puts my earlier photo of lifting a Macan Turbo wheel at Knockhill to shame.

Brian

 

[Peter_Bull]

Thanks for the write ups and photos Brian - always a good read.

I bet that 23 litre engine was screaming when the car was airbourne! Stunning shot.

 

[Brian_Innes]

It is with some trepidation that I continue with my travel and driving experience posts from the north of Scotland at this difficult time, being mindful of those readers south of the border who are suffering another England-wide lockdown. I genuinely feel your pain. Truly.

As I write, we in the north Highlands are not facing the same levels of restrictions affecting the more densely populated central belt of Scotland. Highland region, where I reside, is currently designated at Level 1. On Tuesday 10th November, Wee Nippy is due to announce a review of the Covid restrictions, and a Scotland-wide lockdown is not being ruled out. Highland, like Cornwall and Devon, may be lumped-in with the densely populated urban communities where coronavirus is rampant.

With this possibility in mind I have made the most of my time this week driving the Macan Turbo on enjoyable rural roads and scenic locations. The north of Scotland has enjoyed basking in unprecedented mild temperatures for November of up to 15c this week, apparently due to an air mass blowing in from the Bahamas. The local Royal Mail post-lady delivered my mail today in shades, shorts, and sleeveless top, in November!

I headed east along the Moray coast via the A96 and A98 to Portsoy, Banff and Macduff. The first destination at Portsoy was to visit the delightful 17th century harbour. During normal years Portsoy holds an annual vintage boat regatta, but sadly, as elsewhere in the UK this was a casualty of the pandemic. Next stop was at the fishing and boat-building towns of Banff and Macduff. The boat-yards build a fair percentage of ocean-going fishing boats both for the UK and abroad, and is consequently a major economic centre on the Moray coast. Boat building and fishing are big sources of employment here. The twin town of Macduff across the river Deveron estuary is where the commercial harbour is located, with the Banff harbour being mainly for leisure craft. I enjoyed a picnic lunch by the sands at Banff links beach. No crowds here, only a few local people about.

The Macan continues to perform well. It definitely has two sides to its character, depending upon which driving mode is selected. I choose between my own individual settings and Sport mode on the steering wheel dial switch. On main road trunk routes I usually leave it in Individual Auto mode, over-riding the gear selection choice as required by overtaking contingencies. As regular readers will already know, I am not a fan of the auto kick-down sequence, preferring the smoother progress of manual gear shifting. On twisty B class rural roads I use the manual shifting option with Sport mode engaged. In a previous post, I already mentioned the short gearing of the 1,2,3, intermediate gears on the Macan. I use 4th gear extensively in manual mode on cross-country rural routes as I find this gear well suited to the undulating, winding terrain. By holding 4th gear, the 550Nm torque of the Turbo provides ample power delivery from 2500rpm and above. In road speed terms this equates to anything from 45mph to the legal limit giving responsive throttle response in 4th with minimal turbo lag. Progress is brisk on the relatively traffic-free roads in my locality now that the tourist season is over. The chassis handling and road grip continues to impress for such a heavy SUV vehicle. Whilst nowhere near the poise and precision of the bolted-down chassis of the Cayman, the Macan Turbo does a pretty reasonable job for the keen driver on roads which follow the contours of the land. A significant contributor to this handling prowess is in no small way due to the air suspension, 21" wider section alloys, and the excellent Michelin tyres.

Fuel consumption has stabilised at between 22mpg and 28mpg depending upon the selected driving mode and road conditions encountered. My road mileage is predominately on rural A, B, and unclassified roads. There are no motorways and precious few dual carriageways in the north of Scotland.

I'll leave you with a few photos from my trip east along the Moray Firth coast.

Stay well and stay safe everyone.

Brian

Photo 1
Portsoy 17th century harbour.

 

[Brian_Innes]

Photo 2
The beach at Banff links looking east towards Banff and Macduff.

Brian

 

[Motorhead]

Brian,

Well done for making the most of the unseasonably fine weather we’ve all been enjoying in UK North and South. Unfortunately I’m not familiar with the area you’ve reported on in your latest episode but certainly will try to make the effort to visit the next time I’m north of the border ... whenever that may be.!

No problem social distancing in those locations I see. []


Jeff

 

[vitesse]

Brian, just caught up with your latest Macan ,Macadam adventures & & as always found them very interesting.
They ought to be collated into a collection of "Interesting Drives " centred on Inverness available on request -some remind me of drives we had with our Son in laws's parents both East & West from their then Inverness home along the Moray coast & Loch Ness.
It was a "grand" weekend to use one of his father's words - we had travelled up in the 964 C2 we had at the time.
Keep them coming

Keep safe
Colin

 

[Brian_Innes]

Colin,
Thank you for your supportive comments. Good you have already sampled my locality of the Moray coast.

The day trip drives I write about are all easily accomplished from the Inverness area. The Moray coast region of Scotland is an area of diverse geographical features including mountains, glens, forests, moorlands, harbours, and seashores, and straddles the Highland, Moray, and Aberdeenshire local authorities. Tourism is a significant contributor to the local economy, and the climate is one of the mildest and driest in the whole of Scotland.

For most visitors to the north of Scotland the North Coast 500 is the focal point. In my opinion this has become a victim of its own success. During the popular summer months the NC500 is overhyped, overcrowded, and besieged with camper vans and vast motorhomes, many of which are wholly unsuitable for the single track roads which are a feature of this particular route. My past experience on the NC500 is to do it in an anti-clockwise direction both from, and returning to Inverness. This leaves the best bits until last, and gets the boring A9 north section over and done with at the beginning. The best times of year for this route is early spring or late autumn.

Many visiting tourists miss out on the Moray coastal experience due to it not being on the main tourist route north from the central belt of Scotland. Being slightly off the beaten track works to its advantage and the many POI's are less busy as a result. The best way to access the Moray coast from the south is from Perth, either from the A9 at Dunkeld, or direct from Perth on the A93 to Blairgowrie. The drive north via General Wade's Old Military Road to Braemar, Tomintoul, Grantown on Spey, and continuing northwards to the Moray coast at Nairn, is one of the most exhilarating drives anywhere in the UK. Again, this route is best avoided during the busy summer months. February, March, April, and late September, October, November, are the prime times to visit this beautiful part of Scotland.

Brian

 

[BrianJ]

Hi Brian, more great stuff. Slightly off topic, but have you ever considered putting some of your favourite drives into the PCGB "Members Only" Driving Routes area https://www.porscheclubgb.com/community/driving-routes ? It would be a superb resource for those of us who only venture into your back yard occasionally and much easier to find than searching through your splendid forum articles. No doubt much appreciated by many! It's not working properly at present but I've reported that and it will no doubt be fixed soon.

 

[Brian_Innes]

Brian J,
Thanks for the suggestion on posting my favourite Highland driving routes. I'm pleased to assist PCGB members who may be considering a visit to the north Highlands and who may be seeking a different perspective other than the well-trodden NC500 route.

I'll get onto this task during the coming winter months. Thanks for the link to the appropriate forum section.

Brian

 

[Brian_Innes]

My intended fitting of the winter wheels has been held back due to the unseasonably mild weather for November.

In the meantime, I have already discovered the very challenging weight of the 20" wheel/tyre combo. The 21" variety currently on my Macan will be even heavier. In order to successfully achieve the wheel swap by myself in my own garage, given the physical limitations of my right hand disability, I have copied a solution used by one of my Cayman friends, Ralph Forster.

A visit to B&Q procured a suitable section of laminated shelving and 6 small castors. These were assembled together in a manner best described as skateboard. The idea being to allow the heavy wheel to be more easily manoeuvred into position onboard the skateboard. Doing one corner at a time, the trolly jack will be adjusted in height to align with the 2 guide bolts facilitating sliding the wheel/skateboard assembly onto the wheel hub, avoiding any tricky lifting action on my part.

That is my plan anyway. I'll be posting photo evidence of the success of this DIY wheel swap venture in due course. In the event of failure, I have a fall-back plan. My neighbour across the road is an Audi technician, and has already offered to assist me if I get stuck. Being an independent sort, I will first have a go on my own and see how it goes.

A photo below of my skateboard wheel fitting contraption.

Brian

 

[velo]

Looking at your lovely photos Brian of one of my wife and I favourite places we visit and to tour, Scotland.
We would be very interested in your routes and local knowledge away from to main tourist areas.
Living in Derbyshire we are familiar with the countryside and be much appreciated.
We like to stay in Inverness and routes around that area would be great.
I liked your Donald Campbell route including the monument.

Geoff