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Hamann Porsche Macan S Diesel promises more performance, questionable looks

Ignore the Gulf Oil livery for a minute (we know, it's hard). What we have under the blue-and-orange paint scheme is a diesel-powered Porsche Macan S, which is fascinating enough in and of itself. But this particular example has been upgraded by the folks at Hamann, for that added bit of oomph. Power output from the 3.0-liter V6 diesel is up from 258 horsepower to 300 hp. We buy diesels for torque, though, so it's the 494 pound-feet, up from 427 lb-ft, that really gets us excited about this modded Porsche. Taken together, the Hamann Macan S Diesel can hit 60 miles per hour in a decidedly un-diesel-like 5.7 seconds, down from 6.1 seconds. German tuners like Hamann are not known for their subtlety, of course, so beyond the power ugprades, the company has made its own aesthetic tweaks. The new body kit is, um, aggressive? Okay, it's really not very nice to look at. The Macan is a handsome vehicle on its own, but Hamann's efforts haven't done it any favors. It's extremely busy, particularly around the front and rear ends, where the tuning company's efforts seem focused. We're guessing some attention has been paid to the cabin, although it's impossible to tell on the Geneva show car, which has had all of its windows heavily tinted. Here's hoping any changes to Macan's cleanly styled cabin are kept to a minimum. Take a look at our full crop of live photos of the modded Macan, direct from the floors of the Geneva Motor Show. High-performance power, long-distance comfort, extravagance: the benchmark figures of the formidable Porsche Macan S Diesel are impressive. For all fans of the dynamic vehicle Hamann's tuning experts now sets the bar even higher. As is generally known, the model's name "Macan" was derived from the Indonesian word for tiger – and exactly this tiger Hamann frees from the ties of a series actor. The face of the Macan, which Hamann presents in the S Diesel version in Geneva, has self-confident traits. The tiger seems ready to jump – an effect achieved by the low line of the front apron and the lowering of the car. Hamann's aerodynamics attachment emphasises the sharp "teeth" of the Macan Turbo's standard front and sets distinctive accents. The car refiner's interpretation of the Macan S Diesel appears well-toned and is coherently continued in powerfully shaped wing extensions making the predator's body grow by twelve centimetres in width.

Porsche planning more plug-ins

Which automaker offers the most plug-in models in the industry? The answer may surprise you, because it's not Toyota, it's not Renault or Nissan or any other automaker that might spring to mind. The answer is Porsche, which already offers the Cayenne and Panamera in plug-in hybrid spec in addition to the 918 Spyder. And it could offer more in the near future. Speaking with Automotive News, Porsche's global sales and marketing chief Bernhard Maier spoke of the importance of plug-in range-extended models to the company's future plans. The 55-year-old executive, who endeavors to make his 56-mile round-trip daily commute from home to the company's headquarters in Stuttgart entirely emissions free, indicated that his company only plans to offer more plug-in models. Previous reports indicated that E-Hybrid powertrain in the Cayenne and Panamera wouldn't fit in the Macan, and that no such plans were in store for the Boxster, Cayman or 911. But when asked what Porsche had in store for the future, Maier replied: "We have a lot of ideas, but we have not approved them for production yet. The 918 Spyder shows that Porsche has the capability to produce very convincing hybrid sports cars." While clearly guarded, Maier's answer points to a future of more plug-in hybrid models from the storied German marque. All that remains to be seen is whether that will come in the form of a Boxster, Cayman, Macan or another new model altogether, like the rumored mini-Panamera dubbed Pajun or a mid-engined V8 supercar.

Do we finally know which hybrid hypercar is fastest?

In order to properly compare and contrast the performance characteristics of competitive automobiles, a number of variables have to be sorted out. For instance, to diminish the human component, the same driver must be used for each lap, that driver has to be capable of wringing the maximum level of performance from each vehicle, and they should all be checked and prepared to make sure they are within manufacturer specs before hitting the track. Speaking of which, the conditions at the track – and, of course, it goes without saying that the cars have to be tested at the same location, on the same day – have to be as similar as possible. Naturally, arranging all of these variables is difficult, if not impossible, and that's especially true when the contenders are the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1, and Porsche 918 Spyder. As range-topping models from well-established performance players, these three hybrid hypercars are often lumped into the same category. But which one is fastest? Well, that's been a tough nut to crack, in part because the manufacturers themselves haven't always been willing to play along when it comes time to test these machines head-to-head-to-head. And so, with all that (probably unnecessary) preamble out of the way, we present to you the video above, in which this particular vehicular pedestal is toppled. All three cars are owned by a man named Paul Bailey, they were tested on the same day at the Silverstone circuit in England, and each had British Touring Car driver Mat Jackson at the helm. We're not going to spoil the results, other than to say that all three vehicles were incredibly fast and within spitting distance of one another at the finish line, as you would expect. Intriguingly, this video is said to be part one in a three-part series, so we have more Ferrari vs. McLaren vs. Porsche action to look forward to. Related Video: News Source: TheSUPERCARDRIVER via YouTube Green Ferrari McLaren Porsche Convertible Coupe Hybrid Performance Supercars Videos porsche 918 spyder mclaren p1 silverstone hypercar ferrari laferrari laferrari