Beijing 2014: Porsche Macan gets 2.0-litre four cylinder engine

The Porsche Macan will soon come with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine for select markets, possibly India.

Only small visual changes set this entry level Porsche Macan 2.0 apart from its bigger-engined siblings.

Porsche has provided official details on its new entry-level four-cylinder petrol-powered version of the Macan.

The new Macan, seen at the Beijing motor show, runs parent company Volkswagen’s EA888 engine – as used by a wide range of models from Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda worldwide, making it the first Porsche model since the 968 sportscar of the early 1990s to use four-cylinder power. 

The turbocharged 2.0-litre direct-injection, in-line four-cylinder unit develops 234bhp. By comparison, the turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 powered Macan S possesses 335bhp.

For Asian markets, the Macan’s four-cylinder engine is mated to a standard seven-speed PDK dual clutch gearbox boasting steering wheel shift paddles. Porsche claims an official 0-100kph time for the 2.0-litre Macan of 6.9sec. This entry-level Macan is visually distinguished by standard 18-inch wheels and twin trapezoidal-shaped tail pipes.   

The four-cylinder Macan will initially be sold in selected Asian markets initially, and while the car hasn't been launched in India yet, there's a good chance that this entry-level model could be a part of the line-up when it is.

Courtesy: AutoCarIndia dot com

A Smaller SUV from Porsche

Porsche AG will unveil its second SUV, the Macan, at the Los Angeles auto show next week

The new crossover, which will go on sale worldwide next spring, is smaller than the midsize Cayenne SUV, Porsche’s most popular model. The car will share its platform with the Audi Q5 crossover.

The Macan is expected to be offered in the U.S. with a choice of turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine or 3.0-liter V-6. The vehicle will be produced at Porsche’s expanded factory in Leipzig, Germany.

Porsche aims for first-year sales of 75,000 units globally for the Macan, whose name is derived from the Indonesian word for “tiger.”

Courtesy: AutoCarIndia dot com 

Porsche to replace engine on all 911 GT3 units

Potential fire hazard cited as cause; Porsche asks owners to not drive the car.

Engines in all 785 delivered units of the new Porsche 911 GT3 will be replaced as part of a solution to potential fire issues.

A Porsche spokesman confirmed that the problem, which has caused two engine bay fires so far, has been traced to a loose screw in a piston connecting rod. 

"Obviously customer safety is our priority," said the spokesman "We've investigated the two situations and identified that there is a potential for a screw to become loose and therefore we're rolling out an engine with a modified component. It's much more straightforward to replace an engine than to strip down existing units."

The spokesman said the replacement programme would "undoubtedly" have a large cost attached for Porsche, but added "we don't put a price on our customer safety or vehicle integrity".

In both the reported cases, engine damage in the GT3 resulted in a fire thought to be caused by oil spilling onto hot components. Neither of the fires, which occurred in Italy and Switzerland, lead to any injuries.

GT3 customers have already been told to stop driving their cars. Porsche has confirmed it and has written to owners to explain the problem, and is still deciding how best to roll out the engine replacement programme. The manufacturer wouldn't put a time scale on when it expects all GT3 models to be back on the road.

Courtesy: AutoCarIndia dot com

Porsche’s New baby SUV in Diesel

Porsche’s new baby SUV in diesel guise offers up refinement and sporting prowess, coupled to impressive economy and plenty of desirability.

Introduction:

This is the diesel version of the excellent new Porsche Macan SUV . It produces 255bhp – alongside a whopping 59kgm of torque from just 1,750rpm – and can hit 100kph in just 6.3sec as a result.

This makes the Macan S Diesel by far the most sporting of the various diesel-engined mid-size luxury SUVs on sale at the moment, but it also gives Porsche’s new ‘junior Cayenne’ range genuine depth.

At the top of the tree sits the 400bhp, 265kph Turbo; in the middle sits a less powerful petrol V6, also turbocharged (somewhat confusingly) but known simply as the Macan S; and alongside that car sits this one, the 230kph S Diesel that also happens to be capable of a claimed 16kpl overall.

Although all three Macans are based unashamedly on Audi’s Q5 platform, Porsche insists that less than a third of the moving parts and almost none of the dynamic qualities are shared between the two cars. So while the basic architecture of Q5 and Macan is similar, the way they look and drive is entirely different, says Porsche.

Technical stuff and performance:

The suspension, for instance, is steel as standard (optional air suspension is available on all three versions) and features struts at the front with a multi-link arrangement at the rear, much like that of the Q5. But in its detail and tuning, the Macan’s suspension and chassis (and its steering, brakes and gearbox) are all bespoke.

The gearbox is a seven-speed PDK, while the brakes and dampers have both been tuned to provide the Macan S Diesel with far sharper responses than a Q5. The driving position is also much lower than in the Q5, while the cabin itself bears little or no resemblance to what you’ll find in the equivalent Audi.

The emphasis with the Macan, inside as well as out, is all about delivering as sporting a driving experience as possible, even when there’s a cast-iron, common-rail turbodiesel engine pumping away beneath its new bonnet.

So, what is it like? In one word refined. In two words, supremely refined. And in four words supremely refined and quick.

There are all sorts of things about the Macan S Diesel that will impress you in the first few kilometres of your first journey in it – the precision and accuracy of its steering, the effortless power of its brakes, the apparent high quality of its ride and the feeling of sitting inside a compact but expensive automobile being just four such examples.

But it’s the smoothness and potency of the power delivery that will most likely leave the biggest impression, long after you’ve climbed out and walked way. That and the creamy interaction with the engine of the quite brilliant PDK gearbox. Combined, these attributes elevate the Macan S Diesel to a completely different level dynamically compared with any car in this class.

Admittedly I only drove it on mostly smooth German roads, and around Porsche’s test track at Leipzig where the car is built, but the overwhelming impression I came away with was that of a supremely well-resolved car. Not perhaps the full blown ‘sports car’ that Porsche would have you believe, but something pretty close all the same. Call it the world’s most practical four-wheel-drive fast hatchback and you wouldn’t be all that far away.

It feels in a different league from the Q5s and BMW X3s of this world when it comes to pure driver appeal, yet the compromise it demands in refinement and comfort don’t really seem to exist. The Macan is as fast as it is refined, as roomy as it is agile, and as sporting as it is comfortable, which gives it a unique breadth of appeal.

It won’t come cheap though, and we hear that the price will be lower than a Cayenne’s, but not by much when it goes on sale. However, if you want the best sporting compact SUV that’s currently made on your driveway, one that boasts a suitably exclusive badge to match, you should definitely consider buying a Macan once Porsche launches it in India.

Porsche Boxter GTS and Cayman GTS Editions Unveiled

Porsche has been busy these past couple of years developing the fastest car ever to leave the sports car maker’s stable. The Porsche 918 is the pinnacle of Porsche’s ingenuity. Combining a conventional petrol powered engine with an electric motor allowed the car to produce a mind boggling 887 HP.

Nothing quite signifies Porsche’s innovation as much as PDK-Porsche Doppelkupplung i.e. the very first dual clutch transmission or the flat “Boxer” six engine that Porsche popularized. The flat six engine has the distinct advantage of having a low centre of gravity, making models like the Porsche Cayman and Boxter have incredible handling. Engine downsizing is a recently emerging trend and it looks like Porsche is going to partake in this as well. After an interviews with Porsche’s boss, it has just emerged that Porsche will introduce a 4 cylinder engine into the Cayman and Boxter.In an interview with Germany’s leading motor mag Auto Motor und Sport , 60-year-old Müller said Porsche road cars would follow the lead of the company’s hi-tech 919 hybrid race car in receiving four-cylinder engines. “We will continue with the downsizing strategy and develop a new four-cylinder boxer engine, which will see service in the next-generation Boxster and Cayman,” said Müller, adding, “We will not separate ourselves from efforts to reduce CO2”.Both cars come with the same 3.4 L engine found on earlier models. However the engine has been slightly tuned for increased horsepower and torque. The GTS editions produce 15 HP more and 7 ft-lb of torque more. With the added oomph from the engine, the total power output from the Boxster GTS has increased to 330 HP and 273 lb-ft of torque while the Cayman GTS gets 340 HP and280 lb-ft of torque. Customers get a choice of a six speed manual or the seven speed dual-clutch PDK gearbox. The dual clutch gearbox is lauded for providing one of the fastest gear shifts in the industry and with the seven speed dual clutch equipped, the Boxter GTS achieves a 0-100 km time of 4.4 seconds while the Cayman GTS hits that number in 4.3 seconds.
Porsche did already announce that their second SUV the Macan would also receive a four cylinder engine, possibly towards the end of 2014 itself. While the hybird 919 makes the use of a V4 engine the next gen Caymans and Boxter will continue to stick with the flat formation. Porsche has been working towards making super-cars greener. In fact, a simple visit to their Facebook page will show you that anytime a certain model is showcased, Porsche also displays the fuel economy and emission figures. The recent arrival of the 918 Spyder has marked a historic moment for both Porsche and super cars altogether as the car features some of the most high tech innovations that make it a green speed demon.Both cars come with the optional Sport Chrono package as standard that enhances performance. Top speeds are 280 km/h and 285 km/h for the Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS respectively, but are only achieved with the standard six speed manual gearbox. The cars also come with a sport exhaust system and Porsche Active Suspension Management. Visually, the Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS are only distinguishable by model specific alloys and small changes to the front fascia.