Porsche still stable as a house

Ooh, we hit a cone!

AS October ended, car media around the globe was agog that a Porsche had failed the so-called Elk Test.

This test simulates the tight S-bend as panicky driver typically swerves around a dog or a child that has run onto the road. Sweden’s Teknikens Vaerld report that the Porsche Macan SUV had failed their Elk Test.

This magazine was the only one to point out the in 1997 A-class saloon from Mercedes-Benz could not take a turn at speed, earning it a lot of street cred, but after watching their latest video, Wheels can report the Porsche is still as stable as a house.

Germany’s Autobild said the Macan S diesel had “alarmed staff” from the Swedish magazine during the test at up to 70 kilometres an hour.

The Swedish testers said the Macan displayed “odd behaviour”, because as the SUV switched back to the correct side of the road after swerving around the obstacle, its left-side front disc brake locked. “This caused the Macan to knock over a traffic cone and veer into what would have been the other carriageway.”

Now this is really hitting the cone.

Having up-ended a Toyota Condor in my day (not that the Condor rolled for Elk Test, a gentle swerve was all it took) and trundling along in even higher SUVs these days, I think I am qualified to say the Swedish testers are panicking over nothing.

As the photo of the Jeep Cherokee on an Elk Test shows, lifting wheels is the odd behaviour a driver should be worried about. (The driver put all four wheels back, btw).

Porsche was quick to react to the test, saying the car’s behaviour was due to the “very demanding driving style” of the driver, that under normal circumstances the Porsche’s stability and rollover prevention systems would have kept the driver in control.