Has anyone taken their Macan on a track yet?

[KombuchaBioleather]

I am looking forward to seeing some YouTube footage! Also, I am weighing whether it is worthwhile to take a “drivers edge“ or similar course at a track here in Texas. I assume one would need to find a track with a level 3 charger… Anyone have thoughts/experiences to share?

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[daveo4EV]

I drove "a" Macan EV turbo - not "my" Macan - @ PECATL

it's a big heavy SUV with ooodles of torque and does 'well' if you consider all the factors

not a track toy - but better than it deserves to be.

here is my experience with tracking my 2020 Taycan Turbo

https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/t...d-on-driving-lap-data-impressions-added.2923/

 

[KombuchaBioleather]

I’m signed up for a 90 min session in a Macan Turbo at PECLA later this month…

 

[daveo4EV]

I’m signed up for a 90 min session in a Macan Turbo at PECLA later this month…

if you have time (and it's available) - highly recommend also doing a Taycan experience, and if possible followed by a 911

the comparision of the 3 cars, Macan, Taycan, and 911 will be illuminating, not to mention super fun.

 

[jdot194]

I’m signed up for a 90 min session in a Macan Turbo at PECLA later this month…

I did this back in January at PECATL, and had an absolute BLAST. My biggest issue was that the car was as fast (or faster) than everything else out there, so I felt like I was always having to be careful about not riding everyone‘s ass

 

[jdot194]

if you have time (and it's available) - highly recommend also doing a Taycan experience, and if possible followed by a 911

the comparision of the 3 cars, Macan, Taycan, and 911 will be illuminating, not to mention super fun.

I’ve done the 911 “2 vs. 4” with the Carrera S and 4S (45 minutes in each) before, and that was a really neat experience - very cool to see those cars back-to-back like that and understand the differences between those drivetrains.

 

[USMA81]

I took delivery of my 4 at PEC LA, and drove the Macan turbo on the track. They had me follow a 911S, standard practice which keeps the driver from going into a corner too hot, or taking a bad line, with bad consequences. This doesn’t mean the 911 held much, if anything, back. The 911 did better in the corners, just a bit, but the Macan turbo could out-accelerate it, and catch up, on the straights. The Macan is hugely capable on the track when I compare it to other Porsche and BMW vehicles I’ve tracked.

 

[Rezape536]

I am looking forward to seeing some YouTube footage! Also, I am weighing whether it is worthwhile to take a “drivers edge“ or similar course at a track here in Texas. I assume one would need to find a track with a level 3 charger… Anyone have thoughts/experiences to share?

The Porsche Macan’s handling is genuinely impressive, especially for an SUV, and my experience at the Porsche Experience Centre in Silverstone really highlighted just how capable it is. I drove the Macan 4 with rear-wheel steering, and I have to say, it exceeded my expectations in terms of agility and responsiveness.


Despite being a performance-oriented SUV, it felt remarkably planted and composed, even when pushing it hard through the corners. The rear-wheel steering played a huge role in sharpening turn-in, making the car feel much more nimble than its size would suggest. The way it rotated through the bends gave it an almost sports car-like feel, something I wasn’t expecting from an SUV of this size.


One of the most enjoyable aspects was powering out of the turns. With the Macan 4’s torque delivery, there was an immediate and satisfying push out of the corners, making it incredibly fun to drive. The all-wheel-drive system provided fantastic grip, allowing for confident acceleration without feeling unsettled.


Now, with that experience under my belt, I’m even more excited to take the Macan Turbo out on a track day. If the Macan 4 already felt this dynamic, I can only imagine what the additional power and performance enhancements of the Turbo will bring. On the track, the Macan doesn’t feel as big or as heavy as it actually is—Porsche has done an incredible job making it feel agile, precise, and genuinely engaging to drive.


I can’t wait to push the Turbo and see just how far Porsche’s engineering can go in turning an SUV into a true track-capable machine!

 

[daveo4EV]

nail the throttle at the apex of turn 6 @ Laguna Seca in a 2020 Taycan Turbo and teleport up the hill to the cork screw entrance and you'll convert any gas loving track rat to EV's - they are a hoot - and there is no substitute for instant torque and flawless AWD traction control.

EV's are hopefully here to stay, but they've got a ways to go to be "quality" track cars, but for a few laps they can be impressive…

some GT3 guys circled me at my Taycan back in the pits after that session, they are not used to 4 door sports sedans passing them on the way up a hill @ Laguna Seca…they were simply amazed by what they saw.

 

[ColdCase]

On winding country roads the SUV’s weight and higher centre of gravity are hard to ignore. Push it hard into a corner, and you’ll feel the weight – understeer sets in, and eventually the Macan drifts wide. On the track, with few off camber turns and free to use the power, it is a blast to drive. The power is impressive, loads of fun. The Macan's PASM is good but not as quick or responsive as Active Ride Suspension on say a Taycan EV.

I think the weight is very hard on tires, not that any track days are easy on them.

 

[daveo4EV]

On winding country roads the SUV’s weight and higher centre of gravity are hard to ignore. Push it hard into a corner, and you’ll feel the weight – understeer sets in, and eventually the Macan drifts wide. On the track, with few off camber turns and free to use the power, it is a blast to drive. The power is impressive, loads of fun. The Macan's PASM is good but not as quick or responsive as Active Ride Suspension on say a Taycan EV.

I think the weight is very hard on tires, not that any track days are easy on them.

there are few (any?) tires that can handle track driving w/5xxx lbs vehicle for more than a few laps…after 3-4 laps of full pace driving any street tire is going to be greasy and lack confidence…it's just too heavy to maintain that pace with out some compromises…

EV's are a fun on track "for a bit" - but lack stamina - there is both a weight issue and a power capacity issue (and a thermal issue)

the Taycan is vastly better than the Macan as a sports sedans - but the Macan has it's charms on track.

kudos to Porsche for them both being as good as they are given circumstances, but as track cars they have a lot to be desired.

 

[SuperH]

The Porsche Macan’s handling is genuinely impressive, especially for an SUV, and my experience at the Porsche Experience Centre in Silverstone really highlighted just how capable it is. I drove the Macan 4 with rear-wheel steering, and I have to say, it exceeded my expectations in terms of agility and responsiveness.


Despite being a performance-oriented SUV, it felt remarkably planted and composed, even when pushing it hard through the corners. The rear-wheel steering played a huge role in sharpening turn-in, making the car feel much more nimble than its size would suggest. The way it rotated through the bends gave it an almost sports car-like feel, something I wasn’t expecting from an SUV of this size.


One of the most enjoyable aspects was powering out of the turns. With the Macan 4’s torque delivery, there was an immediate and satisfying push out of the corners, making it incredibly fun to drive. The all-wheel-drive system provided fantastic grip, allowing for confident acceleration without feeling unsettled.


Now, with that experience under my belt, I’m even more excited to take the Macan Turbo out on a track day. If the Macan 4 already felt this dynamic, I can only imagine what the additional power and performance enhancements of the Turbo will bring. On the track, the Macan doesn’t feel as big or as heavy as it actually is—Porsche has done an incredible job making it feel agile, precise, and genuinely engaging to drive.


I can’t wait to push the Turbo and see just how far Porsche’s engineering can go in turning an SUV into a true track-capable machine!

Silverstone is a whole lot of fun in the Turbo! Wait until you try launch control and an immediate hard break. My instructor on the day said that surprisingly few women take up the invite to the track - I had a blast! There's little point buying such a capable car if you're only going to tootle around in it.

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