Porsche has built an electric Cayenne prototype with fake engine sounds and gear shifts, and it’s winning over skeptics inside the company.
Sascha Niesen, manager of Porsche’s prototype fleet, told The Drive the prototype has eight virtual gears and uses sounds sampled from a Cayenne V8.
The company’s engineers recorded the V8’s exterior exhaust note, as well as the sounds that could be heard from inside the cabin.
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Before driving the prototype back in March, Mr Niesen said he “wanted to hate it because it’s artificial and it’s fake and everything”.
His fears were allayed as the team developing the system typically work on the company’s torque converter and dual-clutch automatic transmissions, and in the end he “could not tell the difference” as they “were able to make it feel like a proper torque converter gearbox”.
Porsche is still evaluating whether it will add the fake engine noise and gear shift system to its upcoming electric vehicles (EVs). If it does get the green light, the storied German marque will follow in the footsteps of Hyundai.
The critically acclaimed Ioniq 5 N is equipped with fake gear changes, as well as three fake engine noises, one of which mimics the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder from the i30 N.
While fake engine sounds and gear changes may not be for everyone, they could address complaints about the lack of aural drama with fast electric cars.
Importantly, Porsche’s system can be switched on and off as desired. Mr Niesen notes that while its important to “give the customer the option to be more engaged, but in an EV, it cannot be mandatory”.
He went on to say: “From an engineering perspective, it doesn’t make any sense to introduce a gear shift. But then again, you have continuously variable transmissions that did introduce gear shifts because it felt more natural. You didn’t need it.”
Porsche has two EVs in development right now: the Cayenne EV (above), and a replacement for the 718 Boxster/Cayman. While electric sales continue to trend upwards, they haven’t taken off as many automakers had initially envisaged.
This has caused many brands to drop their EV-only deadlines, and Porsche has backed away from plans to make its entire range, apart from the 911, electric only. Earlier this month it confirmed it will develop a petrol successor to now discontinued first-generation Macan.
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