Porsche's Turbo Suv Gets More Boost And A Hefty Price Bump
Motor Trend|February 2020
Porsche’s Turbo SUV gets more boost and a hefty price bump, but where’s the urgency?
Derek Powell
Porsche's Turbo Suv Gets More Boost And A Hefty Price Bump

What does the concept of a Porsche Turbo mean to you? For me, it’s about nailing the throttle and experiencing acceleration so mind-bending that I can’t breathe. Turbo pins you back in your seat, scrambles your synapses, makes you laugh while you cry. You gasp for air because the intakes have removed all oxygen from the atmosphere. Turbo plays with your emotions so thoroughly that spending $50,000 over an S trim on a 911 or Cayenne seems totally justifiable.

Nobody knows this better than Porsche itself, which has recently defied all conventional logic by affixing this storied moniker to the decidedly not-turbocharged Taycan electric vehicle. And in doing so, Porsche is reminding us that if you’re looking for no-holds-barred performance, go for Turbo.

It’s a curious conundrum, then, that the 2020 Macan Turbo doesn’t instantly create this level of desire. Yes, it’s quicker than the previous model, and a 0–60 time of 4.1 seconds places it just a smidge behind a base 911, but somehow it fails to deliver on the chest-bursting exhilaration of its more expensive (and admittedly more powerful) brother.

So what’s the discrepancy? Perhaps it’s less a question of thrust than of character. After it sat on the sidelines for 2019, the Macan Turbo returns with a new heart in the form of a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6, an engine that also sees duty in the Cayenne S and Panamera S. Here, it pumps out 434 hp, 34 more than the previous 3.6-liter V-6 it replaces. Torque is down a negligible 1 lb-ft, to 405, but it’s also delivered on an impressively flat curve from 1,800 to 5,500 rpm. Top speed has increased 3 mph, to 167. So far, so good.

Denne historien er fra February 2020-utgaven av Motor Trend.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra February 2020-utgaven av Motor Trend.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA MOTOR TRENDSe alt
2023 GMC Canyon
Motor Trend

2023 GMC Canyon

MC, the luxe-truck division of General Motors, has long struggled to differentiate its products from mechanically similar Chevrolets.

time-read
3 mins  |
Spring 2024
2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty
Motor Trend

2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty

The heavy-duty truck world moves more slowly than other pickup classes, and progress comes in spurts. Take the Ford F-Series Super Duty, whose recent refresh included softer-edged styling, a new entry-level gas-fed V-8, a new high-output 6.7-liter turbodiesel V-8, and myriad small improvements like new bedside steps. Is it still basically the same truck as before? Absolutely, but it’s also a better Super Duty, however incrementally.

time-read
2 mins  |
Spring 2024
2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD
Motor Trend

2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD

When Chevrolet unveiled its all-new 2020 Silverado HD lineup, it set the truck  world ablaze, and not in a good way.

time-read
3 mins  |
Spring 2024
THE CHEVROLET COLORADO IS THE 2024 MOTORTREND TRUCK OF THE YEAR
Motor Trend

THE CHEVROLET COLORADO IS THE 2024 MOTORTREND TRUCK OF THE YEAR

A BROAD LINEUP DELIVERS AN IMPRESSIVE RANGE OF OFF-ROAD CAPABILITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE TO EVERYDAY LIVABILITY

time-read
8 mins  |
Spring 2024
HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE THE 80?!
Motor Trend

HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE THE 80?!

THE FIRST-GENERATION NISSAN PATHFINDER IS AN SUV THROWBACK TO A TOTALLY RAD TIME, FOR SURE

time-read
7 mins  |
Spring 2024
BAVARIAN ECONS 2002te
Motor Trend

BAVARIAN ECONS 2002te

THIS ELECTRIC BMW RESTOMOD LOSES ITS ENGINE BUT NOT ITS SOUL

time-read
7 mins  |
Spring 2024
2023 PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS FIRST TEST
Motor Trend

2023 PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS FIRST TEST

PORSCHE'S MOST FOCUSED 911 OF ALL TIME MUST BE EXPERIENCED AT ITS LIMITS TO BE UNDERSTOOD

time-read
6 mins  |
Spring 2024
2024 TRUCK OF THE YEAR MADE IN MICHIGAN
Motor Trend

2024 TRUCK OF THE YEAR MADE IN MICHIGAN

AFTER DECADES IN THE WEST, TRUCK OF THE YEAR MOVES TO MICHIGAN

time-read
3 mins  |
Spring 2024
YOUR ICON OF ICONS: CHEVROLET CORVETTE
Motor Trend

YOUR ICON OF ICONS: CHEVROLET CORVETTE

Was there ever any doubt? MotorTrend readers are largely American, and as much as we love Jeeps, Mustangs, and F-150s in this country, the Corvette has been “America’s sports car” for nearly as long as this publication has existed. That’s why you chose it via our online vote as the most iconic car of the past 75 years.

time-read
4 mins  |
Spring 2024
MOTORTREND CELEBRATES 75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
Motor Trend

MOTORTREND CELEBRATES 75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

The 10 Most Iconic Vehicles of Our Time and Much More

time-read
7 mins  |
Spring 2024