Thursday 16th February 2012

Porsche Macan confirmed

The baby Cayenne formerly known as Cajun is now official and called ... the Macan

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We knew it was coming and we thought it was to be called the Cajun. Indeed, just two weeks ago in a press release boasting of record production at the Leipzig plant that builds Cayenne and Panamera, Porsche itself referred to "a new small SUV with project title Cajun."

That, it turns out, was a bit of a red herring. Because Porsche has just confirmed that its new baby SUV will in fact be called the Macan. Ma-what? Means 'tiger' in Indonesian, apparently combining, we're told, "suppleness, power, fascination and dynamics." And in case you were in any doubt the Macan will be a "genuine Porsche."

Naming a car is a notoriously tricky task of course, Porsche choosing Macan on the basis that it apparently has to "sound good in very many languages and dialects and evoke positive associations." So hopefully no Mitsubishi Pajero-style issues here.

Porsche purists will not be greeting news of another SUV in the line-up with cheers but the Macan is at the core of Porsche's expansion plans and crucial in markets like China, where Cayenne and Panamera sales outnumber those of traditional sports car models by a huge margin. Indeed, of 118,967 Porsches sold last year 59,897 were Cayennes and the Leipzig factory where this and the Panamera are built produced 93,838 cars.

With nearly a quarter of Porsches built headed for China last year - a 64 per cent increase on 2010 - you don't need to be an expert number cruncher to figure out which way the momentum is taking Porsche. And it ain't towwards GT3s or Cayman Rs.

[Mermaid]

The Porsche focus groups probably based in China.

[pistonpie]

am looking forward to this, interested to see how much it'll cost...

[gforceg]

Yes, you WILL be able to get it with wheels that big.

[HeMightBeBanned]

Not at all my cup of tea but if volume sales of ghastly 4x4s enables Porsche to continue to develop and sell GT3 and RS cars, who cares?

[Captain Muppet]

Ooooh, front end looks like a 911.

[ZesPak]

Hope the back end is more towards the first cayenne rather than the current.

That new backend of the cayenne really looks very Kia/Hyundai.

[myhandle]

It will probably handle as well as a similar sized saloon (not off roader) made by a host of other companies.

Porsche will certainly continue to make sports cars like the GT3 and the Cayman R. This will help pay for their development.

[RichardR]

That design looks pretty sleek for an SUV but then if you look at the transition of the Panamera from design sketch to production, best be prepared for something lumpier!





At least it should be a hoot to drive (if you avoid town centres with big shop windows!).

[Collaudatore]

I don't like the wheels

[DannyScene]

Should be ok so long as it's not left on its own in portugal

[PascalBuyens]

Macan, if pronounced with a k, is only one letter different than the not so nice slang word "makak" for North African people in Flemish...

[Stu R]

DannyScene said:

Should be ok so long as it's not left on its own in portugal

[356Speedster]

PH Story Said said:

....fascination...

Is this the new "Imagine"?

HeMightBeBanned said:

Not at all my cup of tea but if volume sales of ghastly 4x4s enables Porsche to continue to develop and sell GT3 and RS cars, who cares?

Fully agree, because let's face it, 911s, Boxsters & Caymans probably won't be enough to stave of the ever tightening emissions targets.

[ZOLLAR]

DannyScene said:

Should be ok so long as it's not left on its own in portugal

[NDNDNDND]

I was following a Cayenne into work this morning. It was a 3.2 V6. The git driving it didn't even know the National Speed Limit. The Cayenne really does embody the essence or Porsche raping its own heritage, and the self-aggrandising douchebags that buy them. I just had to keep thinking 'it funded the Carrera GT, it funded the Carrera GT, it funded the Carrera GT'...

[anonymous-user]

Stu R said:

Im sorry but I though of exactly the same! I know I shouldnt have

[Low Pro]

I just hope Porsche doesnt forget the European buyers, who want sports cars.

[gmh23]

DannyScene said:

Should be ok so long as it's not left on its own in portugal

Take a bow son

[Stu R]

Low Pro said:

I just hope Porsche doesnt forget the European buyers, who want sports cars.

I hate to break it to you, but they want SUVs too.

[toasty]

How many of these are going to be called Madeleine?