Porsche reintroduced the ‘T’ badge to one of its vehicles after a hiatus of over three decades with the lightweight Macan T.
Thriving in a world obsessed with large SUVs, it’s no surprise that the Macan and the Cayenne topped the list of best-selling vehicles for a sport-focused brand like Porsche. Luckily, the good news for us purists is that the Stuttgart outfit is launching a sporty version of the Macan that lies between the Macan and Macan S, combining the best of both worlds.
Inspired by the original ‘T’ models of the early 911 and 718s, Porsche also tried to soup up the Macan T with some exclusive details to set it apart from its other siblings. For instance, it gets a special coat of Agate Grey Metallic, adding a bit of zing and bling to the large intake grille, exterior mirror caps and stalks, roof spoiler, and the Macan T lettering at the rear. The sporty stance is further complemented by lowering the SUV by 15 mm and a special 20″ multi-spoke dark titanium rims.
One of the facets that influence a vehicle’s driving character is the sprung and unsprung mass. And since it weighs less than any other Macan in the range, the T should be a blast to drive on a twisty road. For this very reason, Porsche stuck to the lightweight but capable powerplant from the base Macan — a 2.0-liter turbocharged i4 producing a decent 260 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Hence, the Macan T weighs 129 lbs less on the front axle than the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 of the S! And, when coupled to the rapid 7-speed PDK and PTM (Porsche Traction Management) 4WD system, the Macan T sprints from 0-60 mph in 6.2 s and reach a top speed of 144 mph.
Porsche also updated the interior of the Macan T with some custom details to stand apart from its brothers. Soon after stepping inside the cabin, you are greeted by an all-black leather upholstery with a special Sport-Tex stripe pattern on the front and outer rear seats, plus an embossed Porsche logo on the driver/passenger headrests. There’s also a Sport Chrono stopwatch on the upper part of the dashboard and the latest touch-sensitive glass panel on the central console. Finally, the Macan T features a 10.9-inch infotainment system with PCM (Porsche Communication Management) and standard smartphone connectivity features.
Pricing hasn’t been disclosed yet, although expect Porsche to make an announcement after phased rollouts from April 2022 onwards.
As far as we know, this could be the last-gen Macan that still harnesses an internal combustion engine, so enjoy it while it lasts!
Gallery: Porsche Macan T
