The term “driver’s car” gets used a lot here at supercars.net, and the Porsche Macan is one of those partly responsible for this. This is in spite of it being in fact, a crossover, which is not traditionally synonymous with the pure thrills normally afforded by the world’s most loved performance cars.
Nevertheless, this has been the case even before the newest Macan trim arrived, with Porsche‘s sportscar DNA having been infused in the nimble—if not diminutive—SUV since day one. Now through the Macan, the German automaker has elevated that philosophy to the next level by applying a tried and true formula to their hugely popular platform. The equation is quite simple really, and it only involves one letter: T.
In recent times, the “T” moniker has become arguably Porsche’s best representation of what it means to be a “driver’s car”. Everything you need for unfettered access to an automobile’s most driver-centric qualities; nothing more, and certainly, nothing less. Contemporary derivatives of this blueprint include the Porsche 911 (991) Carrera T and the Porsche Cayman/Boxster (718) T.
For the Macan, it’s very much the same T-reatment the other cars received. That being, a more spartan, stripped down version of the crossover, sparingly equipped with only the parts necessary to create the anatomy of a thoroughly driver-focused car. Perhaps only the absence of a manual transmission is preventing the Macan T from truly being held in the same esteem as the other T models, but in today’s marketplace, that would sadly be heresy.
Ultimately, you can expect the same powerplant used in the base Macan—a 2.0L turbocharged inline-4 which produces 261 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque—but with noticeably sharper handling and enhanced driving dynamics. Yet, it’s still good for 0-60 mph in 5.8 seconds; not exactly pokey for what Porsche is marketing as the “value pick” within the Macan roster.
While details such as Air Suspension and Porsche Torque Vectoring+ remain as options, this keeps the Macan T from becoming bloated with most of the features (and the accompanying higher base price) that its target market would likely want to forgo, anyway.
Performance-oriented features such as Active Suspension Management and Sport Chrono Package are standard, with the all-wheel drive system (mated to a 7-speed PDK) also tuned to be more rear-biased in the Macan T. Also part of the standard fare are 20″ wheels, as are unique interior accents and exterior badging which help further differentiate the Macan T from its stablemates.
Base pricing hasn’t yet been confirmed for the Macan T—which will be designated as a 2023 model in time with its production—but it is expected to slot in between the base model and Macan S in that regard. This will place it in the low $60K USD range.
It’s important to note that the distinct demographic of Macan T buyers should be less inclined to option-out their cars as lavishly as your typical base Macan build, making it perhaps the cheapest Macan trim for sale today—and it already had me at “driver’s car”.
