Sporty Powerhouse

PORSCHE is upping the ante by equipping its top-selling Macan Turbo with the complete Performance Package (TurboPP). Prea Satrusayang travels to Singapore to get behind the steering wheel

- Prea Satrusayang

ARRIVING IN SINGAPORE, it occurred to me that I have never driven outside of Thailand before, and suddenly I started feeling a little apprehensive. What I knew of the Porsche Macan Turbo with Performance Package (TurboPP) was limited at best, and seeing it for the first time – in all its sporty glory – didn’t help to settle my nerves.

The sleek compact Macan TurboPP looked more like a sports car than an all terrain SUV, which is what (I was told) it was supposed to be. Later, I learned there’s a reason for that. Following on the success of its predecessor, the Porsche Cayenne, the Macan Turbo was created to set a new benchmark for performance and driving pleasure. The 2014 line combined the most powerful engine in its class with the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK), but what I was going to be driving was even more impressive. The Macan TurboPP boasts enhanced driving properties and increased agility. It has a twin-turbocharged 3.6-litre V6 engine that delivers 440 horsepower. Basically, it’s a sports car masquerading as an SUV.