I drove the insanely fast Porsche Macan GTS – a fast SUV that will blow your mind in style

THE only thing I didn’t like about my 10 day stint with the Porsche Macan GTS was giving it back at the end.

It is full of technology, bursting with immense German automotive power and looks good too.

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no Porsche is “cheap”, but the Macan is at the more budget-friendly end of the lineup at £48,970.

The Macan GTS is still more expensive at £64,770, but it has plenty to tempt you.

You’ve probably seen a Macan on the streets before – even if it’s only been available since 2014.

It is sighted more frequently than the much larger (and much older) Porsche Cayenne – for good reason.

After all, the Macan has the panache and sex appeal of a sports car, the practicality of a mid-size SUV, and a price that’s not entirely cutthroat.

So what do you actually get for your money?

The performance is almost nothing to talk about – it’s more than you’ll ever really need in a family SUV.

Its beating heart is a powerful 2.9-liter V6 twin-turbo engine with up to 440 hp and 550 Nm of torque.

This four-wheel drive monster has a top speed of 169 mph and will sprint from standstill to 100 mph in 4.5 seconds. Shockingly fast for an SUV of this size (and price).

Better still, the Porsche I tested came in a gloriously bright papaya metallic paint finish, so you’d never miss it — even at pace.

It has a 7-speed automatic, although you can operate the gears manually with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Thrills galore.

You can also beat it in sport mode for some really powerful acceleration that’ll throw you into the back of your seat.

But it’s not just fast in a straight line.

One of the options fitted to my Macan GTS was Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus.

This is an automatic cornering function for the rear wheels, which brakes gently on the inside and allows more thrust on the outside.

It helps in tight corners, which is handy in an SUV – not best known for its cornering.

With all that power, you’ll rightly be scared of crashing it. Luckily, there’s plenty of technology to prevent this.

The Macan GTS I tested also has ParkAssist and Surround View.

Both are designed to prevent you from bumping into things while parking. Ideal really as this is an expensive motor.

They’ve got warning sounds, full 360-degree camera coverage, and even a brilliant top-down view that makes it virtually impossible to screw up a parking maneuver.

There’s also cruise control with a speed limiter, a lane departure warning system, and alerts if you’re about to run into another car.

When it’s not about saving your life, the Porsche interior is actually very peaceful.

There is three-zone climate control (and even a cooled glove box), as well as a built-in ionizer.

The cabin is very well isolated from outside noise, but a powerful Bose surround sound system will really help you block out traffic noise.

You have a built-in SIM card reader and wireless internet, as well as two USB ports in the front and two more in the back.

Of course, the Macan GTS comes along Apple CarPlay built-in.

That means you can emulate yours iPhone in the car so you can enjoy your favorite apps, call your contacts and enjoy Apple Music on top of that.

And it also includes Siri voice recognition, which lets you control the system by yelling at it. Great fun and what you deserve when you spend that kind of money on a car.

The Macan GTS really has it all.

Looks good, works super fast and is extremely practical.

Those who are environmentally conscious might want to wait for the all-electric version expected in 2023.

But if you still feel like a wonderfully loud petrol drive, the Macan GTS will give you years of pleasure.

• Porsche Macan GTS from £64,770 – Buy here

The Sun tested a Porsche Macan GTS in papaya metallic with a total price of £71,445.

All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing but may have changed since then. Always do your own research before making a purchase.

If you click on a link in this story, we may earn affiliate revenue.

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