Is A New Porsche Macan Faster Around The Track Than A Porsche 944 Turbo?
Can one of the best sports cars of the 1980s compete with the modern tech in a modern sporty CUV at VIR?
Have thirty years of technological advancement made it possible for Porsche's entry level SUV to be faster around the track than one of their best analog sports cars of the past? Well, we won't spoil the answer for you, but you can probably make a pretty good assessment based solely on what you know and perhaps on the leading nature of our question. It is also interesting that the comparison here is between the best version of the entry level model that Porsche made 30 years ago, the Turbo model 944 against the best version of the entry level model that Porsche makes today, the Macan GTS.
The 944 certainly has an advantage in terms of low slung center of gravity and a far reduced weight load. The Macan, however, has the advantage in suspension tech, tire tech, and engine output. Let's just say that the 944 was capable of a 1:31.20 lap of VIR in the 944. Do you think the Macan is faster or slower than a 1:31.20? No matter what you say as your answer, the final number that the Macan sets will surprise you. The delta between these two cars is astonishingly different.
Sticking a pro like David Donohue in the driver's seat of these two cars is probably the best way to determine what each car is capable of. Surely some Porsche fans will be more than happy to pick this video apart and say why someone else would have been better, but in our experience with David, he's a phenomenally quick driver that provides excellent insights into a car's natural abilities.
No matter what you feel about these two cars in terms of performance or preference, if you don't think that the Macan's Carmine Red paint is better than the 944's Guards Red, you're just plain wrong.