Previously, had you wanted a bottom-spec Porsche you’d go and buy the basic Cayman, a fantastic sports car (even in bottom spec) that retails for $52,600. Slipping in at $5,000 less is Porsche’s latest version of the practical Macan, which now adds a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder as the base option and will go on sale this summer starting at just $47,500. (Which even undercuts the previous base model, the Macan S, by a cool $6,900.)
The new turbo four-pot in the Macan puts out 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. Porsche claims that the engine, in addition to the optional Sport Chrono Pack, makes the base Macan capable of 0-60 in just 6.1 seconds. Aiding those times is the fact that this is the lightest iteration of the Macan, weighing in at just 3,902 pounds. Porsche’s entry-level prices are often a bit misleading, as the Stuttgart brand has always been one to make customers pile on the options to get a decently kitted-out ride. But the new Macan comes relatively well equipped from the get-go, with options like alcantara-trimmed eight-way adjustable power seats up front, the latest version of Porsche’s Communication Management infotainment system and driver aids like lane-departure warning.
Those particularly sensitive to a brand’s identity were probably irked by the introduction of the Macan in 2014, and the slower, cheaper version doesn’t necessarily add to Porsche’s storied history. But as Porsche’s big-volume seller, taking the Macan even further downmarket makes sense. With an entry-level price finally under the $50k mark, it makes our Porsche-in-the-garage dreams just that much more attainable.