FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE, 600BHP PORSCHES Fare usually called 911 Turbos, but the new, all-electric Macan Turbo packs this kind of heavyweight punch beneath its (slightly awkward looking) fastback body. Following the Taycan as Porsche's second EV, the electric Macan has the unenviable task of replicating the success and popularity of the combustion-engined original, which first launched a decade ago and has set the standard for mid-size performance SUVs ever since. Having driven both the £69,800 Macan 4 and £95,000 Turbo on the Route Napoleon in southern France, we wouldn't bet against it doing so.
Underpinning the new Macan is a brand new Premium Platform Electric architecture, which has been co-developed with Audi and will also underpin the forthcoming A6 e-tron saloon. As with the Taycan, the Macan's platform runs on an 800-volt system to benefit charging speeds (up to 270kW) and temperature management, and there's a 95kWh battery mounted in the floor to deliver a 381-mile WLTP range in the Macan 4 and 367 miles in the Turbo.
Activate Launch Control and the 4 delivers its maximum outputs of 402bhp and 479lb ft, good enough for a 0-62mph time of 5.2sec. The Turbo, meanwhile, gets a beefier rear motor for peaks of 630bhp and 833lb ft, slashing the 62mph sprint down to just 3.3sec - a full 1.2sec faster than the petrol-engined Macan GTS. Porsche is keen to stress that there's substance beyond these numbers, though, and that the Macan's PPE architecture has been designed to deliver the kind of feel and involvement you'd expect from one of its products.
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BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.
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