Tested: The 2025 Porsche Macan Turbo Electric Does Its Badge Justice

• The Macan Turbo EV offers up to 630 horsepower and a whopping 833 lb-ft of torque.
• Super-sticky Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires grip hard but wear fast.
• This Turbo doesn't cost much more than our weirdly optioned Macan 4 One-Year Road Test car.

Getting into the aforementioned launch control is relatively easy. As our test driver explains, "Select either Sport or Sport Plus driving mode, hold the brake pedal down, mash the throttle, wait for the launch control message to appear on the dash and let it fly. Doing that shaves about half a second off the already fast time, and the Macan Turbo picks up even more steam."

Our tester adds, "Other EVs can go quicker still, but the Macan's compact dimensions and general lack of theater make the speed just a bit more shocking. Even with all this power, all-wheel drive and our test car's super-sticky tires, traction was never an issue; the Macan Turbo simply goes.  Power is wonderfully linear and never seems to taper off considerably, even over 100 mph. Unlike the Porsche Taycan, which uses a two-speed gearbox, the Macan Turbo sticks with the more conventional (for an EV) single-speed unit."

Tires make a big difference

Our test vehicle was equipped with the optional "Performance Summer Tires for 22-inch wheels" option, which in our case were Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires with a ridiculously low treadwear rating of 80. This number refers to the tire's expected durability, or how long it will last. The higher the number, the longer it should last. For context, a common treadwear for an SUV is usually over 500, whereas an ultra-high-performance summer tire, like a Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, is 200. The Macan's tires are 80, meaning they should last less than half as long as those Michelins, especially if you use them as their manufacturer intended. In short, these tires are sticky and deliver a ton of grip.

That grip helped the Macan Turbo Electric haul its 5,451-pound self from 60 to 0 mph in just 109 feet. Our test driver chimes in, "The braking hardware is impressive, but I have to give considerable credit to our test car's optional super-sticky Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires. Remember, tires do more than just help you turn; they help you stop, too. Pedal feel is good, even if the pedal goes down a bit farther than you'd expect. That extra travel allows for very good modulation, and you always feel like you can dial in just the right amount of braking power. Stopping is arrow straight with all the confidence you expect from a Porsche." The braking hardware happens to be the front-mounted six-piston calipers clamping down on 15.7-inch rotors. The Macan Turbo uses a single piston caliper with 13.4-inch rotors in the rear.

Heading over to our skidpad, those Pirellis were again put to the test. Clocking a seriously impressive 1.01 g around our skidpad, the Macan Turbo certainly has the grip to wear the Turbo badge. Our test driver adds, "The steering is accurate and direct, and the tires offer excellent grip, but only to a point. That point was easily observed around our skidpad, where the Macan Turbo's weight began to overwhelm its tires. That limit needs to be felt as the tires are utterly silent as you approach and exceed their limits — there's almost no squealing unless you severely overdrive them. Once the tires begin to fade, the Macan remains stable and only shows a subtle loss of grip on the front wheels. Corrections can be done to keep the Macan on line, and it feels equally open to both throttle and steering inputs to stay the course."

As you'd imagine, we also put the Macan Turbo to work around our handling course. It's peppered with slow and medium-speed corners, but its short straightaways are still enough to let the Turbo do some seriously quick work. Our test driver was impressed with Turbo, noting, "Using rear-axle steering, the Macan Turbo does its best to mask its considerable weight. The Macan Turbo feels remarkably agile, even approaching its considerable limits. It will exhibit some tail-out antics, but only when provoked with a lot of throttle exiting slow corners. Otherwise, it's extremely stable and predictable. Out here, or on a racetrack, the tires will give up sooner rather than later, but on a public road, you'll likely never feel short of grip." 

Because we've tested both our own Macan 4 and this stonkin' fast Macan Turbo, we thought it'd be fun to put their test numbers side by side. And by fun, we mean sad. Our unfortunately optioned Macan 4 set us back nearly $100,000, while this really well-optioned Macan Turbo, which is considerably quicker with better handling and, frankly, more of a tried-and-true Porsche, is not a whole lot more money.  If we had it to do all over again, we'd buy the Turbo — and not in Papaya Metallic.