[Sanctus]

Just test drove a 2022 Macan S and and X3 M40i.
I loved everything about the Macan S EXCEPT the power of the engine and laggy throttle response.
There's not a lot of shove or push, even in sport mode.
In normal mode, forget about it...if you ever get caught in normal mode driving and try and punch it, nothing happens. You are screwed.

the X3 M40i engine and throttle response is amazing...but I don't like much else about it. Cheap feeling inside.

For those you have taken delivery of a 2022 GTS, do you also have the laggy throttle response that the S has?
Does it feel torquey or punchy even in comfort mode?

I can't test drive a GTS...if it has anywhere near the performance and immediacy of the B38 in the X3 M40i then I would order in a heart beat.
I wonder if the 2022 GTS throttle mapping is more aggressive than previous year's Turbo models.

 

[R1200gs]

A Pedal Commander or the like will solve that lag for $200. The lag is what it is for the S model due to conservative programming. I have a Roar Pedal unit on my 2021 S and it instantly wakes up.

 

[strawberry]

The lag is what it is for the S model due to conservative programming.

Was there ever some sort of official explanation on this? What was Porsche's reason to program it like this? Fuel efficiency? To reduce wear on the drive-train? Something else?

 

[yrralis1]

Just test drove a 2022 Macan S and and X3 M40i.
I loved everything about the Macan S EXCEPT the power of the engine and laggy throttle response.
There's not a lot of shove or push, even in sport mode.
In normal mode, forget about it...if you ever get caught in normal mode driving and try and punch it, nothing happens. You are screwed.

the X3 M40i engine and throttle response is amazing...but I don't like much else about it. Cheap feeling inside.

For those you have taken delivery of a 2022 GTS, do you also have the laggy throttle response that the S has?
Does it feel torquey or punchy even in comfort mode?

I can't test drive a GTS...if it has anywhere near the performance and immediacy of the B38 in the X3 M40i then I would order in a heart beat.
I wonder if the 2022 GTS throttle mapping is more aggressive than previous year's Turbo models.

The GTS will be mapped a bit more agressivively but I dont think its what you are after . Cars like the Macan and Panamera (both PDK) are more civilized in the programming . Its still an amazing vehicle . Normal mode is ridiculous . Sport plus brings revs to redline which leaves sport . I feel its done well for a two ton SUV .

However on the other side of the fence the 911 mapping is different ball game . In my former 2017 GTS normal was still ridiculous but sport was extremely responsive at the low end and quite linear despite having a turbo (vs NA) engine . The 992 GTS that I just picked up this week is the ideal description of what you seem to be looking for . Normal mode is FINALLY not ridiculous . It actually drives like sport mode in most other Porsches . That shocked me ! Sport mode is amazing . Its not like sport plus where it goes to redline but was it does is show the driver an eagerness . Its as if my car is saying to me "come on dude just hit it already" . So one can cruise in sport but the car lets you know its not only ready , willing and able but that it wants it !! Porsche will never do this in a family type vehicle but they finally have done it with this one.

 

[Tav]

Throttle lag in what mode? Let's assume you mean in sport plus with sport Chrono package and that its not the intended programming. The difference I have found owning a GTS for about 3 months now versus a previous X3 M40i and the like is: you get exactly what you ask for out of the loud pedal. By that I mean it is directly proportional. Most turbo cars I have owned will sit in the torque band with the throttle at 2/3 depression and pushing any further actually doesn't give you any more shove. The Porsche has been different in that if you don't give 100 percent throttle you will not get 100 percent power. It has taken me a little while to get used to that but I would try sport plus mode and actually using the whole pedal depression, then let us know if its still too much lag. In sport plus mode with manual gear shift it gets up really quickly for me - but with more throttle action than I was used to before.

 

[Tav]

More specifically - I got rid of my B58 M40i and this engine is much better and has more character to my mind. I found the B58 a bit lifeless. Effective but it didn't sound great and I felt revving it out gave me nothing. The S58 is a different monster but then, in Australia at least, the GTS and X3M/4M are in different price brackets and don't directly compete.

 

[lefizzet]

Currently driving a 2022 x3 m40i, previously had a 2018 gts. The throttle mapping in conjunction with the zf8/b58 combination absolutely DEMOLISHES my 2018 gts in EVERY way/shape/form. Not saying the X3 is necessarily more fun to drive than the GTS (it's not), but I absolutely abhorred the throttle mapping in my Macan, it was so so bad, and pedal commander was 10000% necessary.

 

[malahhaor]

i have 2017 GTS and absolutely hate the darn thing in normal mode. the transmission is going into higher gears as soon as it possibly can and leave you with no power.
Making a turn, the darn thing hits 4th or 5th gear before you know it and you want o accelerate after the turn, there is no power, keep pressing the pedal it finally downshifts 2 gears and turns into a bronco instead of smooth progressive acceleration.
When cruising steady at 40 or 45 its in 7th gear, you roll on throttle to accelerate a little, nothing happens, you roll some more nothing happens. gauge is showing 5psi of boost nothing happens, you go past 20% or so on the pedal it all of the sudden downshifts 3 gears and again you got yourself a bucking bronco. very frustrating.
Its even worse after getting Cobb. i would rather have my old 957 GTS back no matter how much slower and heavier it was.
Wifes 535 in stock form had turbo lag but at least transmission wasn't lazy. after i did bolt-ons and TCU tune it blows the GTS out of the water in drivability, although still a freaking boat around corners.
Too bad its been two months since we traded both cars for GTS, else i would have gone back to the dealer and asked for the Cayenne and BMW back.

 

[jzwu]

I drive my 2015 Macan S in Sport mode as soon as the engine is warmed up and it’s fine. Is everyone else trying to drive the Macan like a sports car? It’s not a sports car but a sporty SUV.

 

[spraguedawley]

Just test drove a 2022 Macan S and and X3 M40i.
I loved everything about the Macan S EXCEPT the power of the engine and laggy throttle response.
There's not a lot of shove or push, even in sport mode.
In normal mode, forget about it...if you ever get caught in normal mode driving and try and punch it, nothing happens. You are screwed.

the X3 M40i engine and throttle response is amazing...but I don't like much else about it. Cheap feeling inside.

For those you have taken delivery of a 2022 GTS, do you also have the laggy throttle response that the S has?
Does it feel torquey or punchy even in comfort mode?

I can't test drive a GTS...if it has anywhere near the performance and immediacy of the B38 in the X3 M40i then I would order in a heart beat.
I wonder if the 2022 GTS throttle mapping is more aggressive than previous year's Turbo models.

I have a 22 GTS and when starting from stop or low speed, it takes a while for the thing to engage and start going. Its almost as if you where driving a manual and not fully letting the clutch out but giving it gas for about 5 seconds or so, then let the clutch out all the way. I don't know what causes this, but its pretty annoying. For those of you who have tried it, would a peddle commander fix this?

 

[R1200gs]

Yes, the pedal commander will eliminate lag/hesitation 100%. The PC or a Roar Pedal can be turned up/down to find the sweet spot of response you want. I love it for an under $200 mod w/15min install.
I find driving in sport mode just keeps Macan S in 3rd gear around town and really winds out through the gears which isn’t the throttle response I was looking for off the line or cruising.
I will note, driving w/o a PC and only using the manual shifting, the throttle response has no lag b/c I ride in a little higher RPM and shift points.

 

[Tav]

This is an interesting conversation. Sprague says it feels like a gearbox issue (paraphrasing but you are talking about clutch engagement etc) and R1200gs feels that a throttle by wire hack which increases sensitivity would 100 percent fix this issue. If this were true it is highly unlikely to be a gearbox issue noting that pedal commander etc is only changing throttle position vs commanded throttle load. But more interestingly, if it’s a throttle issue, can I suggest pushing the pedal slightly harder vice spending 200+ USD for a computer to do it for you? I also own a 22 GTS and driving it today it took off from a standstill in sport + manual like it was using launch control (wasn’t loaded up on the brake though at all, just from a set of lights) - but to get this response you need to get into the loud pedal. In my experience much more than you need to in a beemer or merc, and I’ve owned a 2017 C43 and a 2019 X3 M40i. The difference in behaviour in this car with throttle pedal at 8/10 versus 10/10 actually means something where in most cars it’s irrelevant unless you’re hitting the kickdown button under the pedal. Who knows - maybe mine is an oddity and it’s the only one behaving this way?

 

[Tav]

Also some food for thought - Pdrive are a YouTube tester mob out here in that do 10hz GPS acceleration testing for performance cars in Australia. They’ve done both a 2020 M340i X drive (B58 with AWD, less weight than X3) and a 2020 Macan turbo (same engine/gearbox as current GTS). The 340i xdrive ran a 4.18 with launch control and a 4.93 without. The Macan also ran a 4.18 with launch and a 4.59 without. What I’m suggesting here is that I don’t think the b58 /ZF8 is particularly any more responsive or faster through the gears when pushed hard. It’s almost certainly giving you more performance at 60 percent throttle than the Macan, but I doubt you will be able to tell the difference between 70 percent pedal position and all the way down. Sure get a pedal box tune for the Macan but I still seriously think that slightly more declination in the right ankle is a better alternative than 200 US dollar software solution.

 

[spraguedawley]

This is an interesting conversation. Sprague says it feels like a gearbox issue (paraphrasing but you are talking about clutch engagement etc) and R1200gs feels that a throttle by wire hack which increases sensitivity would 100 percent fix this issue. If this were true it is highly unlikely to be a gearbox issue noting that pedal commander etc is only changing throttle position vs commanded throttle load. But more interestingly, if it’s a throttle issue, can I suggest pushing the pedal slightly harder vice spending 200+ USD for a computer to do it for you? I also own a 22 GTS and driving it today it took off from a standstill in sport + manual like it was using launch control (wasn’t loaded up on the brake though at all, just from a set of lights) - but to get this response you need to get into the loud pedal. In my experience much more than you need to in a beemer or merc, and I’ve owned a 2017 C43 and a 2019 X3 M40i. The difference in behaviour in this car with throttle pedal at 8/10 versus 10/10 actually means something where in most cars it’s irrelevant unless you’re hitting the kickdown button under the pedal. Who knows - maybe mine is an oddity and it’s the only one behaving this way?

This is the case with my GTS as well. If I floor it from stop in Sport or Sport + mode, it definitely takes off immediatley. The lag I notice is at more normal driving. Although at times, such as when pulling into traffic, the hesitation really takes me by surprise and I end up pissing a lot of people off and almost getting hit. I usually drive in sport mode, hardly ever in comfort.

 

[wwahl]

I use the paddles a lot in my driving. Part of what I am reading here tells me your cars are in the wrong gear for the task you are requesting of it.

 

[malahhaor]

I use the paddles a lot in my driving. Part of what I am reading here tells me your cars are in the wrong gear for the task you are requesting of it.

that is exactly what I'm saying. it just wants to be in as high of a gear as possible which means no matter how much power you have in that engine you are not going anywhere fast, best you can do is cruise along.

 

[wwahl]

that is exactly what I'm saying. it just wants to be in as high of a gear as possible which means no matter how much power you have in that engine you are not going anywhere fast, best you can do is cruise along.

If you get used to using the paddles a lot of this problem goes away without have to use Sport or Sport+. Just have to ingrain into your thinking that right it up shifts and left is downshifts.

 

[jzwu]

Or use the nice paddles that Porsche provided for free on the Macan.

 

[strawberry]

After driving our new S for just a day since delivery, I completely understand what the discussion that started this is about. Driving it for the very first time, with my right foot muscle memory trained on ...any other car, the Macan would barely start moving. Having said that, don't believe a PC is necessarily the only solution. All it does is make the car throttle more with less pedal travel, right? In that case, why not get used to the car as it is, and press the throttle more and faster. Isn't this exactly the same as having a pedal commander and just pressing the throttle a little?

With a little heavier foot, even in normal mode it feels it pulls quite strongly once it gets to about 3k rpm. Haven't experimented more, I'm trying to stop myself from going over 4k rpm for at least a little while.

 

[Fahrer]

You might want to look into getting a Cobb unit to reprogram your ECU. It made all the difference in the behavior of my 2015 Macan S. In sport mode there is virtually no throttle lag. Night and day difference. As an added bonus, it did nothing negative to my mileage.