Porsche Macan Turbo vs Cayman GTS - is the SUV a sports car on stilts?

Опубликовано 16 сентября 2014, 15:51

We pit two very different cars from Porsche's range against each other in one of our famous track battles! Which comes out on top?

Subscribe to our YouTube channel bit.ly/11Ad1j1
Subscribe to the mag subscribe.autoexpress.co.uk/yt

Porsche's range is bigger than ever, and we're testing two of the newest and most exciting models - the Macan Turbo and Cayman GTS. The cars couldn't be more different - the Macan a sports SUV, whereas the Cayman GTS is a more powerful version of the Cayman S. They both cost under £60,000, but how different are they on track?

The Cayman GTS has 340bhp and 380NM of torque. It'll hit 60mph in 4.6 seconds and weighs just 1,345kg. When it comes to price, it's going to set you back just over £55,000. The Macan Turbo has 400bhp and 550NM of torque, but it tips the scales at 1,925kg and will cost you just over £59,000, but it'll still hit 60mph in just 4.8 seconds.

The Cayman GTS is an absolute delight to drive around a circuit and set an impressive lap time of 1:10.5 seconds. That's 1.2 seconds faster than a Cayman S. How does the Macan Turbo compare?

The end result wasn't much of a surprise - the Cayman showed a clean pair of heels to the Macan around the test track, but there's more to these cars than racing against a stopwatch. The Cayman GTS is simply one of the finest cars I've ever driven on a circuit. It's beautifully balanced and an absolute joy to drive.

The Macan isn't as at its best when it's chasing a lap time, but it's got lots of grip and a very smooth, powerful and refined engine, and it's one of the best sports SUVs you can buy. So, in our minds, both of these Porsches are winners.