Porsche's New Macan Prototype Looks Ready For A Jurassic Park Cameo

Porsche killed the combustion Macan off this year, and is currently working on an all-new SUV to replace it in 2028, the brand's CEO confirmed last week. We already knew as much because prototypes have been spied testing multiple times. But none has looked as angry as this one spied at Germany's Nürburgring circuit. The triangular foam blocks that appear under the nose, along the sills and under the rear of the SUV make it look like a dinosaur. 

Don't worry, it's not some awful inbound design trend. Instead Porsche has likely placed them there for testing ground clearance in the absence of real bodywork, because as you've probably guessed, this new Macan is far from the finished article. It's not even a Porsche. Rather it's a mule, an early prototype built from a different vehicle, in this case the Audi Q5 compact SUV. That's because the gas-powered Macan replacement will share its VW Group platform with the updated Q5, which went on sale in 2025.

Sharing a platform does not mean Porsche will swap lights and grille and call it a day. The Macan — which is believed to be known internally as Project Octan — will have its own bodywork, and a dramatically wider track. We know that from the huge makeshift fender flares fitted to this prototype, which ought to make the Macan faster around the Nürburgring, and more stable on the road. 

But the wider axles aren't the only big difference between this one and the last Macan prototype we saw. The headlights on this example bulge out from the Audi's sheetmetal, telling us that Porsche's SUV will have a more aggressive look, and possibly a more squared-off hood line. The new Macan will likely offer a mix of inline-4 and V6 engines, much like the model it replaces. A plug-in hybrid powertrain is also expected, something never previously offered on the Macan. 

Porsche dealers still have unsold stock of the old model, which had power outputs ranging from 261 to 434 horsepower, but we can expect the incoming Macan to push those numbers higher. Audi's hottest Q5 is the SQ5 variant, which makes 362 hp from a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 and drives all four wheels through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. But for the first time there will also be an Audi RSQ5 Sportback, which could share tech with the punchier Porsche.

The first Macan was a huge hit for Porsche, and remained in production for a decade with relatively few major changes. But the German automaker seemingly never expected to replace it, assuming that the Macan Electric added to the range in 2024 would be all it needed to keep buyers happy. Sound familiar? Like how Porsche once thought the 928 would replace the 911, but fans kept buying the old one. The 911 has now outlived the front-engined V8 by more than 30 years and counting. 

The Macan Electric enjoyed an initial sales boom, but the combustion version went on to sell more units, and with US interest in EVs fading, Porsche had to act. When the new combustion Macan does appear, probably in late 2028, the old one will have been out of production for two years — a frustratingly long time for dealers, considering the Macan was Porsche's best-selling model in 2025.