“Wait, so they’re both turbos?”
The question came from a sandy-haired man standing under the alcove of the architecture building. The building is that funny-looking place covered in bright natural wood that looks faintly European on the corner of Peace Street and Wilmington. His friend, an energetic fellow who had been ferrying Porsches over the meticulously sculpted lawns to take up display positions around the structure, wasn’t sure about the turbo situation either.
Turbos are hard to situate. Though they sound like rocket fuel, they’ve become the de facto way for modern cars to wrest crags of horsepower out of shot-glass portions of gasoline or diesel. A quick consultation of smart phones—thank you, cellular network—confirmed that both the vehicles in question had turbocharged engines even though one has “turbo” in its name and the other does not. In this case, the vehicles in question were a brand-new model type from Porsche, the first new model since the Cayenne in 2002 and the Panamera in 2009.
The Porsche in question is the new crossover SUV: the Macan. The occasion is its launch party, its official debut to North American markets, one of which is Raleigh, N.C.
The building is the NC Center for Architecture and Design. You might have noticed it for being roughly as wide as a car itself, a rail-thin building on a vegan diet with outcroppings of rock here, a pane of glass there, and lots of contrasting angles that make typical buildings look like they went out of their way to be boring.
Given that it’s supposed to celebrate the principles and ideals of architecture and design, it makes sense that it would be a striking building itself, full of impressive uses of materials, mathematics and physics. Its use of these elements goes beyond what most people would think a building can accomplish.
If most of us were told to sketch a house or building on paper, we would come up with something pretty basic: four walls, a roof, maybe some windows, and a door. Pretty textbook. This building and its artistically manicured grounds stand in stark contrast to the traditional downtown to the south, stately Peace University to the north, and historic Oakwood houses to the east. But this is precisely the theme of the Macan.
The vitriol and ire over Porsche creating an SUV is largely over, thanks to the Cayenne. The Macan is a step closer to the traditional sports car body, and few automakers in the world have as much cachet to call themselves a sports car company as Porsche. Pre-release reviews have been ecstatic over how incredibly similar it drives to the 911, Porsche’s flagship model. Is an SUV impossibly unlike a sports car? Porsche took a lethal first swing at this stereotype with the Cayenne in 2002; the Macan is here to finish the job.
As guests arrive for the unveiling, a light rain begins to fall. Cool air under gray skies create a magazine-ready backdrop. Raindrops bead perfectly on immaculate Porsches outside: a black Cayenne diesel at the intersection, exactly where a car of range and fuel economy should be; a stately blue Panamera as flat as the Archdale building behind it is tall; a bright blue 911 just outside watches over the shrouded Macan within—the Macan might be the one everyone is here to see, but the 911 is the one everybody loves; a white Boxster S and black Cayman flank a second covered Macan, which we can tell is white, as well. This second Macan’s sheer top is soaked by the rain and clings to the body. Through the heavy synthetic canvas—so typical of Porsche to use man-made, incredibly well-engineered fabric instead of something rustic and natural—we can make out the word “turbo” on its rear hatch.
There are two Macan models, the Macan S and the Macan Turbo. The Turbo has more power, of course, and is—according to a salesman whom Porsche flew to Spain for training—almost deified into 911 status for its handling and power. Road & Track says that the Macan shares only 30 percent of its parts with Audi. Both Macan S and Macan Turbo use twin-turbocharged V6 engines, so no boxer-style engines, nor flat-fours.
The parking lot is curated by a team of valets, and the results are what you would expect: Caymans, Boxsters, Cayennes, 911s. No Panameras, but perhaps they’re all out on road trips to Charleston. The crowd inside thickens to the point where it’s difficult to pick out individuals from the throng, but we spot a couple: a couple who has brought their kid; a sharply-suited man who’s all business, and asks when the unveiling will happen; a dad and his teenage son; an easy-going guy in track pants with his girlfriend; a trio of adventurous high school kids who say little and stick together; another father/son pair, this one a bit older; a very serious photographer working hard to get his shots.
These people are happy. It’s a fancy event in an unusual building with catered refreshments. A video from Germany talks about the values behind the new vehicle, and an executive makes a speech to thank everyone for coming out. When the moment finally comes, and the black harbinger of new status is revealed, people crowd about and take turns sitting inside. Pictures are snapped, and there’s a sense of awe when little details are revealed—the quad-point head lamps, rear LEDs, and an ignition note that sounds almost omnipotent in the enclosed space.
A final raffle is held so that a lucky few can leave with some Porsche gear, and a server asks if we would like a refill of wine. Why not? The evening is winding down. Through the clear windows we can see people begin to make their way out to cars and the valet stand. We can hear the crystalline note of engines from Stuttgart catching life from the Raleigh air and rolling toward their owners. The Macan will add a lot more of these notes to the Triangle in the next 12 months.
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