My Macan EV Experience @ PEC ATL -- Q&A + AMA

[tmrqs]

The visit at PEC ATL was *very* interesting!

I had booked 2 sessions, my plan was to do one sitting in the front and one in the back. Didn’t quite go as expected - for the better.


Arrival

I went early so I could also visit the Porsche Heritage museum (floor B1). It’s actually fairly small but they have some cool cars there.

Next went to register for the actual Macan preview at the Porsche Experience desk (level 1).

I was the only guest attending the first session and 2 other people were to join the following - that aligned perfectly with my plan.
Nice surprise, I was also given a voucher for a free snack and drink at the Cafe!

After a few minutes, the host/driver came to greet me. Recognized Sean from @mikelin7’s write up/videos, very friendly and definitely a skilled driver.


Exploring the Macan

He took me to the 3 cars I took a picture of earlier. They actually have 6 Macan EV currently on rotation, 3 Turbo and 3 base 4.

All are however heavily spec’ed, like the Ice Grey 4 with all leather, Chrono Package, 22” wheels, RAS and Burmester for instance!

I relayed the question asked by members here and:

1. It was not possible to map any destination to assess the range. The Macans didn’t have Porsche Connect and the maps were not downloaded. Sean still tried to show me he wasn’t BSing me and indeed, no results.
2. Looking at the range, it is also impossible to get a sense of what it could be with these cars. When we got in the Turbo (used for the ride), the battery was at 85% and the displayed range was only 221 miles.
   But then we started doing launch controls and driving very spiritedly and it melted to 165 miles. By the time we got the car back, after driving leisurely to show me around, the range was back to over 200 miles. What they do to these cars on the tracks completely prevents any guesstimating of what the range could be.
   
3. Without the Chrono Package, there is no Sport Plus - at all. It also impacts Launch Control to an extent. You can LC in Sport mode but the car won’t shut down the A/C for instance if needed to give you the max power: it will simply output less power. With LC in Sport Plus, the car will turn off the A/C so you get the very max the motors can output for instance.
4. There are also no Range or Individual settings on the Macan (whereas the Taycan does). Just Normal/Off Road/Sport (and Sport Plus with the Sport Chrono package). Each of these modes can be adjusted (ride height, suspension, etc) but the settings will be reset to their defaults when the car is powered down.
5. Sport Sound (if optioned) is turned on by Default when in Sport and Sport Plus mode. When in Normal, it is turned off by default. It can however be turned on and off on any mode. We drove with it both on and off, and while it sounds better than I expected, I was much happier with it off. Confirmed my intention not to spec it.
6. The compass heading (for instance NW and the associated degrees) can be displayed in the third dial behind the wheel, it can also be shown in the HUD. No need to option the Compass (instead of the Sports Chrono) to get that information. I apologize, I forgot to ask about the altitude.
7. The 360 cameras are indeed standard on the Turbo - I counted 6: front, back, two pointing to the front wheels and two to the rear wheels. The front and back are definitely fisheye - and while it gives a very wide view, there is distorsion. I never paid attention to the cameras on the Taycan so can’t compare. I was impressed however about how well they work and the recognition of obstacles and overlay of lines on the picture. The fact the rear camera rotates as you turn the wheels is also pretty cool (it’s not just the lines showing where the car will end, the picture also turns to show you more of what’s in that direction).
8. Speaking of rotating wheels, Sean is extremely enthusiastic about Rear Axle Steering and loves it. He’s driven all types of Porsches with and without it - and swears by it. And mind you, he’s been race driving for over 20 years.
9. Got to compare the 14 and 18 way seats which was very nice - very hard to achieve at a dealership. I actually didn’t love the massage option (YMMV) but very much enjoyed being able to “wrap” the 18-way seat around me. Was very useful during the 2nd drive on the West Track, that was some serious jerking around!
10. I was able to see the Race-Tex steering wheel and my immediate reaction was “don’t like it”. Much prefer visually and feel wise the Leather one. But today, after spending a day tracking Carrera GTS and Cayman GTS cars that had both versions… I have to admit RT feels much nicer when you’re going hard at it. My final stance is Leather for a daily car, RT for a track toy.
11. I sat behind myself in the Turbo and I still had over 5” between my knees and the front seat. I’m 5’11” for reference. Also got to auto cross a Macan GTS (ICE) today and the rear seat was definitely cramped in contrast.

After all that, it was time to go for a ride!


Driving experience (as a passenger)

If you’ve watched the videos posted by @mikelin7, we essentially went through the same motions but with Sean driving on the South Track.
Launch Control, breaking, kick plate, laps… all in Normal and in Sport Plus.

What really stood out:

1. As a passager, the car feels very comfortable even when being pushed and jerked to the left and right. Impressed! Imagine the 18-way seats helped with that, I would feel bad for the people sitting in the back.
2. The car’s ability to get you out of trouble with the traction control systems is truly wild. Watching the car recover itself from spinning without touching the wheel blew my mind.
3. The Launch Control of the Turbo is intense. Even knowing it’s coming and getting your head against the head rest, you will still get pushed back and sink a bit into the seat - as the seatbelts tighten and hold you firmly. Fun!
4. In Sport Plus, you feel the road significantly more than in Normal. Sadly didn’t get to test/feel what Sport is like, so can comment on that.

We then went back inside the building to get the other 2 people for the second session… waited over 15 minutes and they were no show.
So instead of taking me back to do the same thing, Sean actually took me to the West Track - the more technical one - me still in the front.

There were several GT3 and GT3 RS doing laps there, it was thrilling to hear their engines roar.

Got a couple rides on the Autocross portion of the track, again in Normal and Sport Plus. The body roll is significantly reduced in the latter.

We then did a couple of laps on the track and man, the Macan sticks to the road - and power was never an issue, breaking hard and accelerating were effortless for the car turn after turn.
Here again, driving over the carousel in Normal was relatively comfortable and the bumps couldn’t be felt too much, but once in S+, it was very noticeable. Really wish we could have tested Sport too to understand what the gap is between S and S+.


Conclusion

For a free event, you get a TON out of it. Even more so if like today it’s a slow day and you can book 2 sessions.

There are still some unknowns and obviously I didn’t get a chance to drive it myself, but it’s amped my excitement even further! I really can’t wait to get behind the wheel of mine, very late this year.

I’m sure I’m forgetting some stuff but I need to wrap it up, I need to be up in 6 hours for the Track Experience at Barber. But ask away and I’ll get back to you ASAP!

 

[grizzler]

Thank you for this detailed report!
Maybe i can add that in my experience spot mode felt exactly like something between normal and sport +. I am not sure which mode will be my daily drive, current Taycan is sport because in sport + the transmission does things i do not like that much.
Nice picture with white and ice grey...

 

[Fun TC Driving]

Thank you very much. Very, Very useful information you provided us! Going to make two changes in our tentative specs as a result yet since dealership test rides are scheduled for literally six weeks and one day away (last we heard), we will keep the word tentative until afterwards.

Your review 1000% coupled well as our other two PECLA experienced members’ comments here reaffirmed our previous conclusion that a Macan Turbo is ahead for us. Not one doubt about that. TU!

 

[Sideline]

4. There are also no Range or Individual settings on the Macan (whereas the Taycan does). Just Normal/Off Road/Sport (and Sport Plus with the Sport Chrono package). Each of these modes can be adjusted (ride height, suspension, etc) but the settings will be reset to their defaults when the car is powered down.

No Individual Mode? That's concerning. I've read so many Taycan threads where Individual Mode seems to the be default for many owners, primarily to maintain a custom setting after powering down.

Not to question what you were told but this seems to conflict with what a member on another forum was told by their dealer (recognizing that this is an old thread so maybe incorrect/misinformed): MacanEV Compass display OR Sport chrono package - Page 2 - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums

 

[tmrqs]

No Individual Mode? That's concerning. I've read so many Taycan threads where Individual Mode seems to the be default for many owners, primarily to maintain a custom setting after powering down.

Not to question what you were told but this seems to conflict with what a member on another forum was told by their dealer (recognizing that this is an old thread so maybe incorrect/misinformed): MacanEV Compass display OR Sport chrono package - Page 2 - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums

None of the videos I watched have ever shown an Individual mode on the Macan EV, nor is it mentioned in the configurator (in the details of the Sport Chrono package).

At this point, until we see a production car there will always be a little doubt… but it doesn’t look promising so far. Hopefully he was wrong!

 

[Sideline]

None of the videos I watched have ever shown an Individual mode on the Macan EV, nor is it mentioned in the configurator (in the details of the Sport Chrono package).

At this point, until we see a production car there will always be a little doubt… but it doesn’t look promising so far. Hopefully he was wrong!

Agreed, I haven't seen or read of it anywhere other than in that forum post. I just assumed that it would be the same as the Taycan as a customizable feature with Sport Chrono.

 

[tmrqs]

Also adding here pictures from the Heritage museum if you’re curious.

 

[hulz99]

None of the videos I watched have ever shown an Individual mode on the Macan EV, nor is it mentioned in the configurator (in the details of the Sport Chrono package).

At this point, until we see a production car there will always be a little doubt… but it doesn’t look promising so far. Hopefully he was wrong!

I was checking out the standard equipment specs on the Macan Turbo EV and under steering wheel saw this:

Heated GT Sport steering wheel in Leather. Mode Switch to select driving modes: Normal, Sport, Sport Plus and Offroad. Predefined drive modes can be individually adjusted with various vehicle settings depending on equipment.

Note: Sport Plus mode is only available in conjunction with Sport Chrono Package.

 

[daveo4EV]

The visit at PEC ATL was *very* interesting!

I had booked 2 sessions, my plan was to do one sitting in the front and one in the back. Didn’t quite go as expected - for the better.


Arrival

I went early so I could also visit the Porsche Heritage museum (floor B1). It’s actually fairly small but they have some cool cars there.

Next went to register for the actual Macan preview at the Porsche Experience desk (level 1).

I was the only guest attending the first session and 2 other people were to join the following - that aligned perfectly with my plan.
Nice surprise, I was also given a voucher for a free snack and drink at the Cafe!

After a few minutes, the host/driver came to greet me. Recognized Sean from @mikelin7’s write up/videos, very friendly and definitely a skilled driver.


Exploring the Macan

He took me to the 3 cars I took a picture of earlier. They actually have 6 Macan EV currently on rotation, 3 Turbo and 3 base 4.

All are however heavily spec’ed, like the Ice Grey 4 with all leather, Chrono Package, 22” wheels, RAS and Burmester for instance!

I relayed the question asked by members here and:

1. It was not possible to map any destination to assess the range. The Macans didn’t have Porsche Connect and the maps were not downloaded. Sean still tried to show me he wasn’t BSing me and indeed, no results.
2. Looking at the range, it is also impossible to get a sense of what it could be with these cars. When we got in the Turbo (used for the ride), the battery was at 85% and the displayed range was only 221 miles.
   But then we started doing launch controls and driving very spiritedly and it melted to 165 miles. By the time we got the car back, after driving leisurely to show me around, the range was back to over 200 miles. What they do to these cars on the tracks completely prevents any guesstimating of what the range could be.
   
3. Without the Chrono Package, there is no Sport Plus - at all. It also impacts Launch Control to an extent. You can LC in Sport mode but the car won’t shut down the A/C for instance if needed to give you the max power: it will simply output less power. With LC in Sport Plus, the car will turn off the A/C so you get the very max the motors can output for instance.
4. There are also no Range or Individual settings on the Macan (whereas the Taycan does). Just Normal/Off Road/Sport (and Sport Plus with the Sport Chrono package). Each of these modes can be adjusted (ride height, suspension, etc) but the settings will be reset to their defaults when the car is powered down.
5. Sport Sound (if optioned) is turned on by Default when in Sport and Sport Plus mode. When in Normal, it is turned off by default. It can however be turned on and off on any mode. We drove with it both on and off, and while it sounds better than I expected, I was much happier with it off. Confirmed my intention not to spec it.
6. The compass heading (for instance NW and the associated degrees) can be displayed in the third dial behind the wheel, it can also be shown in the HUD. No need to option the Compass (instead of the Sports Chrono) to get that information. I apologize, I forgot to ask about the altitude.
7. The 360 cameras are indeed standard on the Turbo - I counted 6: front, back, two pointing to the front wheels and two to the rear wheels. The front and back are definitely fisheye - and while it gives a very wide view, there is distorsion. I never paid attention to the cameras on the Taycan so can’t compare. I was impressed however about how well they work and the recognition of obstacles and overlay of lines on the picture. The fact the rear camera rotates as you turn the wheels is also pretty cool (it’s not just the lines showing where the car will end, the picture also turns to show you more of what’s in that direction).
8. Speaking of rotating wheels, Sean is extremely enthusiastic about Rear Axle Steering and loves it. He’s driven all types of Porsches with and without it - and swears by it. And mind you, he’s been race driving for over 20 years.
9. Got to compare the 14 and 18 way seats which was very nice - very hard to achieve at a dealership. I actually didn’t love the massage option (YMMV) but very much enjoyed being able to “wrap” the 18-way seat around me. Was very useful during the 2nd drive on the West Track, that was some serious jerking around!

After all that, it was time to go for a ride!


Driving experience (as a passenger)

If you’ve watched the videos posted by @mikelin7, we essentially went through the same motions but with Sean driving on the South Track.
Launch Control, breaking, kick plate, laps… all in Normal and in Sport Plus.

What really stood out:

1. As a passager, the car feels very comfortable even when being pushed and jerked to the left and right. Impressed! Imagine the 18-way seats helped with that, I would feel bad for the people sitting in the back.
2. The car’s ability to get you out of trouble with the traction control systems is truly wild. Watching the car recover itself from spinning without touching the wheel blew my mind.
3. The Launch Control of the Turbo is intense. Even knowing it’s coming and getting your head against the head rest, you will still get pushed back and sink a bit into the seat - as the seatbelts tighten and hold you firmly. Fun!
4. In Sport Plus, you feel the road significantly more than in Normal. Sadly didn’t get to test/feel what Sport is like, so can comment on that.

We then went back inside the building to get the other 2 people for the second session… waited over 15 minutes and they were no show.
So instead of taking me back to do the same thing, Sean actually took me to the West Track - the more technical one - me still in the front.

There were several GT3 and GT3 RS doing laps there, it was thrilling to hear their engines roar.

Got a couple rides on the Autocross portion of the track, again in Normal and Sport Plus. The body roll is significantly reduced in the latter.

We then did a couple of laps on the track and man, the Macan sticks to the road - and power was never an issue, breaking hard and accelerating were effortless for the car turn after turn.
Here again, driving over the carousel in Normal was relatively comfortable and the bumps couldn’t be felt too much, but once in S+, it was very noticeable. Really wish we could have tested Sport too to understand what the gap is between S and S+.


Conclusion

For a free event, you get a TON out of it. Even more so if like today it’s a slow day and you can book 2 sessions.

There are still some unknowns and obviously I didn’t get a chance to drive it myself, but it’s amped my excitement even further! I really can’t wait to get behind the wheel of mine, very late this year.

I’m sure I’m forgetting some stuff but I need to wrap it up, I need to be up in 6 hours for the Track Experience at Barber. But ask away and I’ll get back to you ASAP!

excellent write up - thank you x 1000!!! this is what the very best of an internet forum can deliver and is what keeps me coming back even when there is "less than stellar" postings from others

supurb!!

 

[tmrqs]

I was checking out the standard equipment specs on the Macan Turbo EV and under steering wheel saw this:

Heated GT Sport steering wheel in Leather. Mode Switch to select driving modes: Normal, Sport, Sport Plus and Offroad. Predefined drive modes can be individually adjusted with various vehicle settings depending on equipment.

Note: Sport Plus mode is only available in conjunction with Sport Chrono Package.

Correct: you can tweak any/each of the 4 modes, and they go back to their default when the car is powered down.

it’s not the Individual mode, that sits at a the same level as Normal or Sport (on the Taycan).

 

[tmrqs]

I forgot the following in my original post, I’ll update accordingly.

Interior

1. I was able to see the Race-Tex steering wheel and my immediate reaction was “don’t like it”. Much prefer visually and feel wise the Leather one. But today, after spending a day tracking Carrera GTS and Cayman GTS cars that had both versions… I have to admit RT feels much nicer when you’re going hard at it. My final stance is Leather for a daily car, RT for a track toy.
2. I sat behind myself in the Turbo and I still had over 5” between my knees and the front seat. I’m 5’11” for reference. Also got to auto cross a Macan GTS (ICE) today and the rear seat was definitely cramped in contrast.

 

[shawn]

The visit at PEC ATL was *very* interesting!

I had booked 2 sessions, my plan was to do one sitting in the front and one in the back. Didn’t quite go as expected - for the better.


Arrival

I went early so I could also visit the Porsche Heritage museum (floor B1). It’s actually fairly small but they have some cool cars there.

Next went to register for the actual Macan preview at the Porsche Experience desk (level 1).

I was the only guest attending the first session and 2 other people were to join the following - that aligned perfectly with my plan.
Nice surprise, I was also given a voucher for a free snack and drink at the Cafe!

After a few minutes, the host/driver came to greet me. Recognized Sean from @mikelin7’s write up/videos, very friendly and definitely a skilled driver.


Exploring the Macan

He took me to the 3 cars I took a picture of earlier. They actually have 6 Macan EV currently on rotation, 3 Turbo and 3 base 4.

All are however heavily spec’ed, like the Ice Grey 4 with all leather, Chrono Package, 22” wheels, RAS and Burmester for instance!

I relayed the question asked by members here and:

1. It was not possible to map any destination to assess the range. The Macans didn’t have Porsche Connect and the maps were not downloaded. Sean still tried to show me he wasn’t BSing me and indeed, no results.
2. Looking at the range, it is also impossible to get a sense of what it could be with these cars. When we got in the Turbo (used for the ride), the battery was at 85% and the displayed range was only 221 miles.
   But then we started doing launch controls and driving very spiritedly and it melted to 165 miles. By the time we got the car back, after driving leisurely to show me around, the range was back to over 200 miles. What they do to these cars on the tracks completely prevents any guesstimating of what the range could be.
   
3. Without the Chrono Package, there is no Sport Plus - at all. It also impacts Launch Control to an extent. You can LC in Sport mode but the car won’t shut down the A/C for instance if needed to give you the max power: it will simply output less power. With LC in Sport Plus, the car will turn off the A/C so you get the very max the motors can output for instance.
4. There are also no Range or Individual settings on the Macan (whereas the Taycan does). Just Normal/Off Road/Sport (and Sport Plus with the Sport Chrono package). Each of these modes can be adjusted (ride height, suspension, etc) but the settings will be reset to their defaults when the car is powered down.
5. Sport Sound (if optioned) is turned on by Default when in Sport and Sport Plus mode. When in Normal, it is turned off by default. It can however be turned on and off on any mode. We drove with it both on and off, and while it sounds better than I expected, I was much happier with it off. Confirmed my intention not to spec it.
6. The compass heading (for instance NW and the associated degrees) can be displayed in the third dial behind the wheel, it can also be shown in the HUD. No need to option the Compass (instead of the Sports Chrono) to get that information. I apologize, I forgot to ask about the altitude.
7. The 360 cameras are indeed standard on the Turbo - I counted 6: front, back, two pointing to the front wheels and two to the rear wheels. The front and back are definitely fisheye - and while it gives a very wide view, there is distorsion. I never paid attention to the cameras on the Taycan so can’t compare. I was impressed however about how well they work and the recognition of obstacles and overlay of lines on the picture. The fact the rear camera rotates as you turn the wheels is also pretty cool (it’s not just the lines showing where the car will end, the picture also turns to show you more of what’s in that direction).
8. Speaking of rotating wheels, Sean is extremely enthusiastic about Rear Axle Steering and loves it. He’s driven all types of Porsches with and without it - and swears by it. And mind you, he’s been race driving for over 20 years.
9. Got to compare the 14 and 18 way seats which was very nice - very hard to achieve at a dealership. I actually didn’t love the massage option (YMMV) but very much enjoyed being able to “wrap” the 18-way seat around me. Was very useful during the 2nd drive on the West Track, that was some serious jerking around!
10. I was able to see the Race-Tex steering wheel and my immediate reaction was “don’t like it”. Much prefer visually and feel wise the Leather one. But today, after spending a day tracking Carrera GTS and Cayman GTS cars that had both versions… I have to admit RT feels much nicer when you’re going hard at it. My final stance is Leather for a daily car, RT for a track toy.
11. I sat behind myself in the Turbo and I still had over 5” between my knees and the front seat. I’m 5’11” for reference. Also got to auto cross a Macan GTS (ICE) today and the rear seat was definitely cramped in contrast.

After all that, it was time to go for a ride!


Driving experience (as a passenger)

If you’ve watched the videos posted by @mikelin7, we essentially went through the same motions but with Sean driving on the South Track.
Launch Control, breaking, kick plate, laps… all in Normal and in Sport Plus.

What really stood out:

1. As a passager, the car feels very comfortable even when being pushed and jerked to the left and right. Impressed! Imagine the 18-way seats helped with that, I would feel bad for the people sitting in the back.
2. The car’s ability to get you out of trouble with the traction control systems is truly wild. Watching the car recover itself from spinning without touching the wheel blew my mind.
3. The Launch Control of the Turbo is intense. Even knowing it’s coming and getting your head against the head rest, you will still get pushed back and sink a bit into the seat - as the seatbelts tighten and hold you firmly. Fun!
4. In Sport Plus, you feel the road significantly more than in Normal. Sadly didn’t get to test/feel what Sport is like, so can comment on that.

We then went back inside the building to get the other 2 people for the second session… waited over 15 minutes and they were no show.
So instead of taking me back to do the same thing, Sean actually took me to the West Track - the more technical one - me still in the front.

There were several GT3 and GT3 RS doing laps there, it was thrilling to hear their engines roar.

Got a couple rides on the Autocross portion of the track, again in Normal and Sport Plus. The body roll is significantly reduced in the latter.

We then did a couple of laps on the track and man, the Macan sticks to the road - and power was never an issue, breaking hard and accelerating were effortless for the car turn after turn.
Here again, driving over the carousel in Normal was relatively comfortable and the bumps couldn’t be felt too much, but once in S+, it was very noticeable. Really wish we could have tested Sport too to understand what the gap is between S and S+.


Conclusion

For a free event, you get a TON out of it. Even more so if like today it’s a slow day and you can book 2 sessions.

There are still some unknowns and obviously I didn’t get a chance to drive it myself, but it’s amped my excitement even further! I really can’t wait to get behind the wheel of mine, very late this year.

I’m sure I’m forgetting some stuff but I need to wrap it up, I need to be up in 6 hours for the Track Experience at Barber. But ask away and I’ll get back to you ASAP!

Great Summary!. Glad i got the 18-way seats and the leather steering wheel (especially since I spiced it up a bit by getting the carbon fiber inlay). Good to see the leg room comparision. Also sounds like the ride quality was comfortable.

 

[mikelin7]

wow. What a write up. It brought back all the great memory I had at PEC Atlanta. Macan is a great car. It devours all the corners when we were at the racetrack. Thank you.

 

[Edward]

Thanks for the write-up on the Macan EV experience at PEC ATL! I'm surprised they haven't been flooded with test drive participants consider what even a 90 minute session at PEC costs. I was an early adopter of the Taycan in 2020 and went through all of Porsche's v1.0 growing pains. I hope they've ironed some of those out for this product that's aimed at an even more mainstream audience.

BTW, I hope you had a great time at PTX at Barber! I was there in June for Masters. Cess, John L, Doug, and John E were all fabulous instructors. It exceeded my expectations, even having done HPDEs for 6+ years now!

 

[RunningOnSolar]

Excellent review on PEC. Almost as good as making the trip.

Just before my freeze date, noticed that Sport Plus was made standard as Hulz99 said, so I removed Sport Chrono from my build. Everything else in my build was all digital including, HUD, Surround View, and excellent standard instrument cluster. An analog clock in an all digital dash seemed out of place…

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