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Taking the Macan off road

9K views 18 replies 16 participants last post by  tallenhaas 
#1 ·
For that once in a blue moon you take the Macan offroad…..
 
#8 ·
I've always wondered about this. I've fitted good AT tires and do a fair amount of rough gravel roads that sometimes require using 1st gear to crawl up a rocky pass (but not rock crawling).

Is it better to put it into manual mode in those cases to avoid the PDK slipping the clutches?

Or is there some underlying weakness in the PDK in general?

Offroad mode in my S makes the car seem capable with decent clearance and 50-50 torque distribution.
 
#5 ·
Interesting but pointless. For one thing, an offroad test on summer street tires is absurd. Anyone intending to perform well off road needs proper tires.

Second, this isn't going to sell more SUVs to the masses. SUVs today are jacked up station wagons with lots of cheesy plastic cladding, not heavy duty safari machines. Fashion image, not actual performance. Not many folks care about actual offload performance. Porsche found that out long ago. They dumbed down the Cayenne's drivetrain for the second generation. Almost nobody was using the low range gears. In deep snow or mud, you actually need heavy chains on tires. How many SUVs are designed to allow chains? How many SUV drivers carry them in their vehicles?

To be fair, mankind has paved and smoothed a lot of the planet. Where most people live, there simply aren't many opportunities to explore the limits of their suspension and traction. A large percentage, perhaps more than half, of Macans sold have never touched snow, slickrock, nor torturous crawling terrain. There are lots of folks who convince themselves they need 4WD to get to their cabin or ski hill, stuff that in my youth we did with 2WD cars. But time marches on, and people seem happy to pay for AWD whether they need it or not.
 
#12 ·
Yes, I'm well aware of that and have used both. My question was why some people say the PDK is not suited for offroad driving.

I can appreciate the need for diff lock and low range in some situations but is there an inherent problem with the pdk that makes it unsuitable for offroad driving that doesn't require the above? Does it overheat really easily?

And if so, using manual mode in these situations might be the solution (besides buying a dedicated 4x4).

P. S. I read the manual. It only refers to using manual mode "on slopes with soft sand".
 
#10 ·
There is a gravel road near me that is on our usual hiking trip, and I did drive the Macan on it once. A section has a small creek crossing over it and off-road mode was successful. That is the extent of my off roading with this vehicle.

For the most part, I never go off road on purpose. :D
 
#15 ·
Porsche GTS/turbo with air suspension - off road raises clearance to 9” (about 228mm) and automatically engages sport plus. Speed limited to 50 or 55. Pity they didn’t have their facts straight. And as others have noticed, a pointless if entertaining Video.
 
#17 ·
Wheel Tire Car Vehicle registration plate Vehicle

Tire Automotive tail & brake light Wheel Vehicle Car

Tire Plant Wheel Vehicle Plant community


Offroad mode is perfect for rocky terrain, or very steep slopes- as it adjusts power delivery and focuses on traction with all 4 wheels.
I will take more videos when I venture out again soon.

Currently have the car set up for an autocross event with PCA in Sept- crazy how radically some bolt ons and suspension adjustments can change the entire driving experience and capability.
Tire Wheel Vehicle Car Sky
 
#18 ·
Very nice setup! I have been looking for a set of wheels and tires that will fit on my '23 Macan GTS and have not been successful. All the tire shops recommend keeping the standard wheel/tire offset between the front and back and that seems to be the problem finding tires. Which wheels and tires did you get? Any issues fitting over the front break calipers? Thanks!
 
#19 ·
Very nice setup! I have been looking for a set of wheels and tires that will fit on my '23 Macan GTS and have not been successful. All the tire shops recommend keeping the standard wheel/tire offset between the front and back and that seems to be the problem finding tires. Which wheels and tires did you get? Any issues fitting over the front break calipers? Thanks!
Black Rhino has a few that fit:
Stadium 19x9’s ET15
Arches 19x8 or 19x9 et20
I use the Flat6 spacers kit for all my wheels sets- just to give it that buttery smooth flush look that makes me turn around every time I walk away from it 🫠

However- for the front wheels you will definitively need low offset to increase the back spacing for suspension and caliper clearance.

I can barely get 2 credit cards between the spokes and caliper without spacers… and if you’re off-roading you don’t want that tight of a tolerance when mud/gravel/dirt get wedges in there and scrapes it all up.
 
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