The stereotype of the serious, stoic German is being turned upside down. The engineers at Stuttgart still strive to build the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ but now that includes a function who’s sole purpose is to increase joy.
The Germans have added a button that opens up the exhaust valves on the muffler (like a dump valve) which doesn’t increase performance, but simply makes it louder. Simultaneously, the ‘tunnel; button’ rolls down the windows so the aural symphony can enter the cockpit.
If cars can have a Eco mode and a Sport mode to alter the driving characteristics, why not automate a function that gearheads have been performing manually for decades. When there’s a tunnel ahead, open real drivers roll down their windows, downshift, and mash the throttle. Doing that is a tunnel creates such an exceptional sound as the notes reverberate off the walls. It makes you smile just thinking about it!
Porsche being so German also automated the function of turning on the heater in cold temperatures when tunnel mode is activated. And on an automatic-equipped car, it even downshifts one gear for the driver. Of course, the technology would not apply to eclectic Porsches because those are simply appliances designed to maximize profit, not driving pleasure.
Great idea! ❤️
Yup. Bravo, Porsche. Bravo.
My tunnel mode is turning down the stereo and opening the sunroof. Such a great moment in he tunnels!
Just one more thing to break and cost an arm and a leg to repair…
Good point. It does sound like an overly complicated system. Radio town, windows down, exhaust open… if one part malfunctions, what happens to the rest of the ‘system’?
I’ll just keep on rolling down my window and mashing the skinny pedal on the right.
I keep wishing my car was more mechanical and tactile and less crammed with electronics. It really pulls you out of the driving experience…
I wonder if high-dollar cars like Bentleys and S-Class Mercedes still use mechanical switches, and actual gauges, instead of those stupid screens. Those screens are not better… just cheaper to make and more profitable for the car companies to sell.
Maybe we just have to save up a quarter million or so for a ‘good’ car.
I dunno. I don’t make enough money to even test drive one of those cars. But I sure hope they haven’t cheaped out..
Me neither. But if I win the lottery, or the suddenly start making millions, I’d be pretty disappointed to find out that the Bentley has an iPad glued to the Connolly leather dashboard