Porsche Macan

Porsche Macan - new, smaller SUV from German factory.

“The Macan combines all sports car characteristics with the benefits of a SUV and is a genuine Porsche”, said Bernhard Maier, Member of the Executive Board Sales and Marketing of Porsche AG. “The name of a new Porsche has to fit with the brand, sound good in very many languages and dialects and evoke positive associations.”


Word names at Porsche have a concrete connection with the corresponding model and its characteristics: the name Boxster describes the combination of boxer engine and roadster, Cayenne stands for sharpness, the Cayman is snappy and agile and a Panamera is more than a Gran Turismo, capable also of winning the Carrera Panamericana long-distance race.

Macan has different meanings in different languages. Most relevant to Porsche, we suspect, is that it’s an Indonesian word for tiger. It’s also an old English Christian name and surname, meaning power or performance which, again, suits Porsche’s needs perfectly. You rarely find Macan used as a forename these days but it remains a reasonably common surname around the world.

The Macan will go on sale in 2013, and is being built at the newly expanded Leipzig facility in Germany, creating over 1000 new jobs there.