An audience of owners, enthusiasts and special guests saw the Macan compact SUV for the first time alongside the latest generation of the Taycan electric sports car, with celebrations capped by 540 coloured drones filling the sky in a choreographed performance inspiring onlookers to #DreamElectric.
London, Great Britain. Flying cars might be decades away, but last night the skies over Greenwich in London were filled with the iconic shapes of the new Porsche Macan and Taycan. Designed to celebrate the UK premiere of the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer‘s latest all-electric models, Porsche Cars GB pushed the limits of drone capabilities to create 3D volumetric cars – each one larger than a football pitch and the same volume as 40 Olympic-sized swimming pools – high above the distinctive city skyline.
Combining dynamic optical illusions with iconic Porsche silhouettes, the show captured the emotion of driving with images of raising heart beats and dilating pupils, before a dynamic crescendo: the drones in colours of Provence and Frozen Blue aligning to describe the shapes of the Macan and Taycan and then appear to drive towards the spell-bound audience. Music from contemporary classical ensemble Escala accompanied the display.
“It was a pleasure to introduce the new Macan – our second all-electric car – last night in such an expressive, imaginative style,” commented Krishan Bodhani. CEO Porsche Cars GB. “So many UK Porsche customers and fans have joined us on our electrification journey since we launched the Taycan, our first all-electric sports car, in 2019, and we created a very special moment tonight to present the new cars in style.”
“Over 40 per cent of all Porsche sports cars delivered to UK customers in 2023 were electrified, combining pure electric and plug-in hybrid models. And the Macan introduces the concept of an all-electric Porsche sports car to a new, wider audience. Sharing our pride in the new models with such an innovative aerial display was the perfect expression of our mission to dream electric.”
The event itself was timed to coincide with the Porsche support of Clerkenwell Design Week, the annual London arts festival that showcases pioneering creative talent. The Porsche Cars GB-sponsored Future Icon Award was presented to Hampton-based designer Guy Skerman for his innovative seat design – The Ride.
New Porsche Macan overview
Ten years after its launch, the Porsche Macan is heading into its second model generation, now in all-electric form. Through its progressive, timeless design, characteristic Porsche performance, long-distance range and high everyday practicality, the new Macan 4 and the new Macan Turbo aim to completely fulfil the requirements of Porsche customers choosing an SUV.
Using exclusively the latest generation of permanently-excited PSM electric motors on the front and rear axles, excellent efficiency and optimum reproducibility of the power output is provided. The numbers alone indicate top-class E-Performance: In combination with Launch Control, the Macan 4 produces up to 300 kW (408 PS) of overboost power, while the Macan Turbo boasts up to 470 kW (639 PS). The maximum torque is 650 and 1,130 Nm, respectively. The Macan 4 accelerates from a standstill to 62 mph in 5.2 seconds, while the Macan Turbo takes just 3.3 seconds. The two models achieve top speeds where appropriate of 137 mph (220 km/h) and 161 mph (260 km/h), respectively.
New Premium Platform Electric with 800-volt architecture
The electric motors draw their energy from a lithium-ion battery in the underbody, with a gross capacity of 100 kWh, of which up to 95 kWh can be actively used. The HV battery is a central component of the newly-developed Premium Platform Electric (PPE) with 800-volt architecture, used by Porsche for the first time in the new Macan. The DC charging input is up to 270 kW. The battery can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent within approximately 21 minutes at a suitable fast-charging station. AC charging at up to 11 kW is possible at household wall boxes.
Up to 240 kW of energy can be recuperated via the electric motors while driving. The combined WLTP range is up to 381 miles (613 km) in the Macan 4 and up to 367 miles (591 km) in the Macan Turbo.
Sporting proportions and coupé-like lines
With a particularly sporting seat position and low centre of gravity, combined with special attention to the driving dynamics and steering precision, the new Macan has been designed to deliver a real sports car feeling.
Thanks to the sharp proportions and Porsche Design DNA, the new Macan models look dynamic and distinctive. The Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA) with active and passive elements help deliver a drag coefficient of 0.25, one of the most streamlined SUVs on the market.
Porsche also aims to use more ecological materials in its cars. A proportion of such materials is used in selected parts in the interior of the all-electric Macan, which is manufacturered in a net carbon neutral way at the Porsche Plant in Leipzig, Germany.
The new Macan models are available to order from Porsche Centres in the UK and Ireland. The Macan 4 is priced from £69,800.00 RRP and the Macan Turbo is priced from £95,000.00 RRP. The first cars will be delivered during the second half of the year.
New Porsche Taycan overview
With the new generation Taycan, the all-electric sports car has reached new heights in terms of performance, with exceptional dynamics and driving pleasure. At the same time, it offers significantly improved efficiency, range, day-to-day usability, and comfort.
Whether as a sports sedan, a versatile Cross Turismo (which is available with a rough road package for adventures off the beaten track) or a sporting-yet-practical Sport Turismo, dynamic performance remains a Taycan highlight. A choice of powertrain options and either rear- and all-wheel drive complete the breadth of customer options.
Even higher performance
Two examples from both ends of the portfolio illustrate this: as sports sedans, the Taycan and Taycan Turbo S reach 62 mph from a standstill in just 4.8 and 2.4 seconds respectively. This makes them 0.6 and 0.4 seconds faster than the prior model. The increased acceleration rates are generally the result of higher system output. For example, at the entry point to the model line-up, the Taycan delivers 60 kW more than before. In the case of the Taycan Turbo S, it’s an additional 140 kW with Launch Control. This increases the system output of the top model to 700 kW/952 PS.
The Taycan Turbo GT and Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package are the new sporting flagship models, and take Taycan performance to the next level. Equipped with a more powerful pulse inverter (PWR), both cars have 580 kW. With Launch Control that increases to up to 760 kW of overboost power or up to 815 kW for two seconds. This performance capability has been further proven on the Nürburgring race circuit in Germany, where Lars Kern holds the current record for series-production electric cars – making the Turbo GT the fastest four-door of any powertrain type.
More than 35 per cent more range compared to the prior model
Depending on the body variant and engine, the WLTP range has increased to up to 421 miles / 678 km, an increase of 109 miles / 175 km or 35 per cent. The new Taycan not only requires fewer charging stops on long trips than before, but it also recharges faster: at 800-volt DC charging stations, for example, it can be charged at up to 320 kW. That’s an increase of 50 kW. The fast-charging window of the new performance battery has been significantly expanded.
The time required to go from a 10 to an 80 per cent charge compared to the prior model takes just 18 minutes despite its larger battery capacity. The Performance Battery Plus now has a gross capacity of 105 kWh, increased from 93 kWh.
New active chassis
Every new Taycan features adaptive air suspension as standard. The new Porsche Active Ride suspension can be ordered as an option for the all-wheel drive models. This system offers an unprecedented bandwidth between comfort and sport. In dynamic driving situations, the Porsche Active Ride ensures an almost perfect connection to the road thanks to a balanced distribution of wheel loads.
Distinctive design, with greater Turbo differentiation
With new styling front and rear featuring new headlights and tail lamps, the designers at Style Porsche have further honed the clean, purist lines of the Taycan. New front wings and the headlights with high-resolution HD matrix technology give even greater emphasis to the purposeful on-road stance of the Taycan.
The new Taycan range is priced from £86,500.00 RRP for the rear-wheel drive sports saloon, up to £186,300.00 RRP for the Taycan Turbo GT and Turbo GT with Weissach package.
SOURCE: Porsche
