DHL

Is there any real difference (besides launch control active in Sport+) between these two modes? I normally drive in Sport mode and recently changed to Sport+ and did not notice much of a difference (on the street), 22 GTS. In my X3 M40i, there was a drastic difference with Sport + mode forcing redline shifts whereas in the Porsche Macan shift points don't seem much different.

nemo06

On my MY21 Turbo, I never use Sport Plus mode because it always keeps the engine rpm at the limit.
The Sport/Sport Plus difference is huge.

NickS

There are subtle differences, none of them are power related (unless you have the over boost button) however. In my 24' GTS the throttle response and gear changes are stepped up pretty dramatically. The PDK is fastest in S+ and pretty lazy in Drive Non-sport and throttle response is so much better in S+ over the other modes.

BMinSFL

On my 2021, its a big difference in shift speed (especially in manual mode), higher shift points and overall mapping to keep it in a lower gear for longer. I don't notice a difference in pedal sensitivity over Sport. The exhaust (standard) also likes to burble a bit more.

///Bruce

On an ‘18 Turbo, there’s a big difference.

Veki

On my 22 Macan S difference is huge between Sport and Sport+... I prefer Sport because Sport+ is too brutal,..

///Bruce

An ‘18 Turbo will cause the PDK to drop several gears. Comfort 7, Sport 5, Sport+ 3…RPM follows speed and the gear I’m in at that speed.

Dsandler

burbles and overruns are more evident j. sports vs sports plus. It’s how Porsche mapped it.

clutchplate

In addition to what's mentioned above, on my 23 sport plus lowers the air suspension and changes the shocks to their stiffest setting.

boyce89976

Big difference in engine and PDK mapping. Much more aggressive throttle response and much more aggressive shifting.

nemo06

Too much, usable only on the track.

DHL

Wow. Surprised at how many different responses there have been. I went back and did some more careful observations. First, I always have the suspension set for the highest performance (2 LED lit on console) so that means I won't see any suspension differences. I also always have the air suspension on the lowest position. Have not noticed any difference in height between Sport and Sport+ (unless its a few mm or something subtle). Watching more closely, I have noticed the shift points are a little higher in RPM (maybe 500 RPM or so depending on the gear and throttle position), but nothing as drastic as the X3M40i which forced every shift to redline no matter what the gear or throttle position. I haven't tried a comparison under full throttle/kick down which I suspect is where the differences will be more obvious.

BMinSFL

The biggest difference for me is in manual mode at 3/4 or higher throttle position. Shift points are not a factor in manual mode but it's the speed and crispness of the shifts that I notice most over Sport. In auto mode, sport+ is still pretty intuitive, shifting at a good spot in light throttle but holding the gears more in heavier throttle input. It's just right for me when I want a change from normal or Sport.

DHL

I'll have to try manual mode. Used it more when I had my 911, but never used it in the Macan. I assume in manual mode the car will not shift unless paddle shifted or you run it up to redline? The shifting is where I noticed the largest difference over my 2017 991.2 Carrera.

I have also noticed some down shifting strangeness in Sport mode when I approach an intersection under braking. Car is way late downshifting into 1st just before I stop. In standard mode downshifting does not rev match as much because the car is short shifting long before I stop.

boyce89976

If it downshifted into 1st sooner, it would make the car lurch under braking. They program it that way so it's smoother to stop, or slow way down, before applying throttle again. In that scenario, 2nd gear makes the whole operation smoother.