Proper competition - Porsche Macan

Keep in mind the cheapest Porsche is more expensive than the most expensive Evoque and then spec the car up to the Evoque's equipment level and the Porsche will seem quite poor value in comparison. A hot RRE is what is needed to compete.

(16-02-2012 05:43pm)mark_n Wrote:  Cajun was always a code name for "CAyenne JUNior" and who knows why it was dumped; maybe the name is already registered with someone else.

It will certainly give the Evoque a run for its money, will be built in Leipzig and I expect the biggest seller will be an Audi-derived diesel version. If LR want to compete against it, the Evoque is going to have to evolve into higher performance (power, road-holding) versions.

As for the styling, the front looks very Cayenne-esque and the hard points in the Q5 underpinnings will mean they will look disconcertingly similar, it cannot possible have the freshness of the Evoque design. Add to the that the latest blingey interior designs of the Panamera, 911 and Boxster and I'm not getting very excited.

Or maybe Cajun was just crossing the line in terms of ridiculous names for a car...

Dont think anyone would take you seriously if you told them you drive something called a Cajun... even if it is a Porsche.

Competition is never a bad thing, JLR would do well to release some more powerful versions of the Evoque as I'm fairly sure Porsche will offer V6 engines in different guises for its upcoming SUV. I was hoping higher hp versions of the Evoque wouldn't use the 2.0 turbocharged engine, but speculation seems to be centered around it. A V6 would have been more appropiate imo, in both diesel and petrol versions of the RRE. V6 Supercharged for top of the line Evoque would fit in well, a 2.0 turbo won't do it for some.

Looks great but sounds like its many many years away...

One problem for Land Rover is that it is already partnered with a makers of "sports salons" - Jaguar and making a high performance Landy could be seen to be trampling on Jaguar's toes. The rumoured forth coming 4WD XF Estate will not be competition for any LR product even if it has a huge amount of LR input into the technical side. A red hot Evoque would be a direct competitor to the new small sports car that Jaguar are developing, the C-X16 (sounds rather like a Citroen doesn't it!).
Under Ford's ownership LR developed a WRC Freelander1 with a turbo charged V6 engine, unfortunately Ford didn't take it any further than allowing to run as a support vehicle.

(17-02-2012 08:04am)chiggy Wrote:  Or maybe Cajun was just crossing the line in terms of ridiculous names for a car...

Dont think anyone would take you seriously if you told them you drive something called a Cajun... even if it is a Porsche.

Hmmm...whereas Macan just rolls off the tongue...

Sounds like something the advertising dept at VW/Audi came up with but it isn't, there is such a word according to wikipedia
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/macan
So we can look forward to the Porsche Sonny, Laddie or small boy then.............. Nissan eat your heart out!
But I expect the Porche naming dept were thinking more along the lines of Tomcat (already taken by Rover Group) or Tiger (owned by Chrysler)

Some updated pics:

Apart from the headlamps & tail light covers, this is the new Macan.

The overall exterior styling is very close to the Cayenne but the Macan is smaller in size and features a swoopier roofline.

The Macan shares its platform architecture with the Audi Q5, which means its key dimensions will be similar to Ingolstadt's crossover model. The two models will also share key hardware components such as petrol and diesel engines, steering, transmission, axles and even Audi's Quattro four-wheel-drive with Porsche developing its own braking, suspension and dynamic control systems to provide sportier handling characteristics.

Porsche has confirmed that the Cayenne's baby brother will begin production at its Leipzig facility in Germany next year.

Maybe should be called Porsche Panther to compete with Jaguar

Given that Porsche are capable of producing some gorgeous looking vehicles (i love that Panamera), the Macan is very dull indeed.