The gasoline-powered successor to the Porsche Macan could have a V8 engine

Porsche continues to develop its next SUV, and all indications point to it being the gasoline-powered successor to the Macan. What remains unknown is what engine it will have.

Porsche took a step back on its electrification plans and ended up revising the future of some of its models. One of them is the Macan, whose new generation was supposed to be entirely electric.

The Stuttgart-based manufacturer is now preparing a gasoline-powered SUV to complement the electric Macan. Internally known as the M1, it is expected to hit the market in 2028, but its development has proven particularly interesting.

We had already spotted prototypes of this car during tests, and now we encountered it again. However, the biggest news isn’t what we can see, but rather what we’ve already heard:

Will it have an engine that the Macan has never had?

The sound produced resembles that of a V8 engine. Although it’s not yet possible to confirm the exact mechanics with certainty, one hypothesis is the well-known 4.0 V8 biturbo engine used in the Cayenne.

If confirmed, this would be a first for the Macan. Since its launch, Porsche’s smallest SUV has used only four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines, never a V8.

Still, it’s not certain that this “test vehicle” indicates the next-generation Macan with a combustion engine will feature a V8.

Discover your next car:

A Porsche disguised as an Audi Q5

There is a simple reason why this prototype resembles a Q5. After all, Porsche’s new model will share the PPC (Premium Platform Combustion) platform with Audi’s SUV, which is Volkswagen Group’s architecture designed for models equipped with internal combustion engines.

While the earliest prototypes looked little different from a regular Audi Q5, the more recent versions show much more distinct differences.

4 images

The wheel arches are now wider and more pronounced. The headlights, still taken from the Q5, have been mounted at a higher position, while the rear features new exhaust outlets. The images also suggest that Porsche has already begun incorporating its own components into the cabin.

It will arrive in 2028 and may not be called Macan

Although it is positioned alongside the electric Macan in the lineup, this new Porsche SUV might adopt a different name. Launch is scheduled for 2028 and will allow Porsche to offer two distinct models in this segment.