Porsche today began rolling out the myriad performance-oriented variants of its redesigned 2019 Macan compact crossover with the Macan S, which gets a new turbocharged V6 engine to go with the model's updated styling.
The Macan S' V6 is once again a 3.0L, but Porsche says it has re-engineered it, moving the new twin-scroll turbocharger into the V between the two cylinder banks in a bid to improve responsiveness by shortening the path exhaust gases must travel to get to the turbo and spin it up to speed.
Putting the new turbo in a different place boosts power output by 8 hp and 13 lb-ft of torque to new totals of 348 hp and 352 lb-ft. That's enough, says Porsche, to put the new Macan in a different place a tiny bit quicker: it cuts 0.1 second from the car's 0–100 km/h acceleration time (now 5.1 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono package) and runs the Macan S to 254 km/h.
Like the base Macan announced a few weeks ago, the Macan S rides on an updated chassis with staggered tires that put wider rubber at the rear wheels. Up front, new aluminum suspension bits reduce unsprung weight to improve ride comfort and steering precision. There are also newly tuned sway bars for a more balanced handling feel.
Porsche says the Macan S has been endowed with front brake rotors 10 mm larger in diameter and 2 mm thicker for more stopping power. Even the brake pedal went under the knife, shedding 300 grams and acting on the master cylinder via a shorter lever arm for more immediate brake response. Naturally, Porsche invites you to spend spend large sums of money to option your Macan with ceramic composite brakes for even more aggressive performance.
Macan S also gets the styling and tech changes introduced in the base model. There are three-dimensional LED taillights and LED headlights on the outside, and the cabin is graced with Porsche's new 10.9-inch HD infotainment touchscreen.
Porsche has opened the Macan S order book with prices starting at $63,000. The first examples of the Macan S will arrive in Canada in summer 2019.
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