E-Shift (virtual gear shift) "Surprisingly Convincing" Review

[W1NGE]

I think the Taycan's days are numbered (too expensive) but E-Shift will be a crowd pleaser with the eventual launch of the 718 EVs.

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[PorscheTaycan]

Porsche, drop your price and you will have a winner.

 

[Sar]

Surprisingly Top Gear magazine love it and are converted.

But interestingly they say, rather than just a gimmick, it has real world advantages:

So it's not just the physical aspect of improving car control. It's psychological – and that's just as important. It improves your perception of speed. Judging corner entry, or indeed knowing where you are relative to the speed limit, is very hard in an EV. To know you're in a second-gear bend, or that you've accelerated towards the top of third and need to ease off, is really helpful. You simply drive better.

https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews...kw-105kwh-4dr-rwd-e-shift-revised/first-drive

This is fascinating to me. As someone who grew up driving automatic transmission, none of this resonates with me at all. I've never listened to my car to tell me speed. I've never used the physical pullback from being high in a gear nor the loud sounds of being high in a gear as any sort of indicator for my speed. I use my eyes and the road.

EVs are like second nature to me, and it's so interesting to hear the perspective of someone who relies on manual transmission cues to drive.

 

[babylou66]

Having read the Top Gear article, I've converted from thinking it is totally useless to possibly very useful.

I didn't know it added some vibration as well.

In fact, every article I've read is positive about it.

I bought a Hyundai Ioniq 5N, sight unseen and sans a test drive, because of all the praise in the press. It was bought as a bridge to my Cayenne EV order. I hated the dorky sounds and shifts to no end. I just sold the vehicle even though I have 6 more weeks until the Cayenne arrives. Using my Boxster in the interim.

That said. I'm still due this BS if it converts ICE buyers to EV and I can turn off the dorky artificial sounds, gears and vibes.

I'm ready for my Cayenne EV....and my Boxster EV!

 

[ferdiaz]

I can't fathom why faking something that is objectively suboptimal would be desirable.

If I want to row gears and hear the car hitting the rev limiter down a winding road, I drive my 348. That's the real deal, and not this unnecessary travesty. Hell, even downloading Assetto Corsa arguably provides a better, safer and more engaging experience than fake shifting in an EV.

The driving experience in the Taycan is pure, unadulterated EV driving. The last thing I want is to pollute and compromise it by introducing fake ICE-like behaviour.

This is very much like fitting fake horse noises to early ICE cars, so that the transition from carriage+horse would be more palatable to the general population.

 

[whitex]

This is fascinating to me. As someone who grew up driving automatic transmission, none of this resonates with me at all. I've never listened to my car to tell me speed. I've never used the physical pullback from being high in a gear nor the loud sounds of being high in a gear as any sort of indicator for my speed. I use my eyes and the road.

EVs are like second nature to me, and it's so interesting to hear the perspective of someone who relies on manual transmission cues to drive.

I grew up driving manual transmissions, including my first Porsche 911C4. Switched to automatic once I had no choice, it grew on me as for commuter car in heavy stop and go traffic (my switch to automatic coincided with a move to major metropolitan area with a lot of traffic). My preference today is a single gear high performance EV (yea, not crazy about the automatic 2 gear setup in the Taycan).

That said, I can see myself taking a manual transmission Lotus or Porsche around the track for fun - I would totally enjoy it, as I would driving a automatic ICE or an EV around the track. However, I still don't see any point whatsoever in having the EV emulate the gear experience by adding inefficiencies of an ICE drivetrain to it. It seems just as nonsensical to me as emulating horseback riding, using PAR to simulate galloping, or trotting, perhaps adding a G-sensor to the seat so you can slap the seat for push-to-pass.

But to each their own, if adding a "riding a grazing goat (RAGG)" mode helps an auto manufacturer sell more cars, all the power to them, I support freedom of choice. I might even buy such a car as long as can turn off any such RAGG mode(s) in setting somewhere and it never automatically re-enables itself.

 

[chun]

Intresting thing i noticed while watching a video starting at 2:34:


Chinese cars seem to be jumping on the bandwagon of fake noises, or at lest some like Xiaomi.
For the Xiaomi, this feature is not in production cars or announced. So this is somewhat of a leak? It does sound worse than the taycan.

So maybe this is indeed the direction of performance EVs, globally.

 

[targa666]

I think the Taycan's days are numbered (too expensive) but E-Shift will be a crowd pleaser with the eventual launch of the 718 EVs.

I don’t think the 718 will be much cheaper than a taycan, and tiny on top of it. So why would that be a pleaser and taycan be too expensive. In my eyes the taycan needs a new (reliable) version and she’ll be all good next to the small 718

 

[chun]

I don’t think the 718 will be much cheaper than a taycan, and tiny on top of it. So why would that be a pleaser and taycan be too expensive. In my eyes the taycan needs a new (reliable) version and she’ll be all good next to the small 718

718 ICE has been cheaper than the panamera historically

And the taycan is a "panamera EV" by all means, beside driving dynamics.

 

[W1NGE]

I don’t think the 718 will be much cheaper than a taycan, and tiny on top of it. So why would that be a pleaser and taycan be too expensive. In my eyes the taycan needs a new (reliable) version and she’ll be all good next to the small 718

A crowd pleaser if e-shift is available as it is more fitting for such a vehicle.

Bang for buck I suspect the 718 EV will be cheaper given it's place in the hierarchy and what the ICE versions cost - £10K premium maybe, if not then Porsche has another problem.

 

[babylou66]

I don’t think the 718 will be much cheaper than a taycan, and tiny on top of it. So why would that be a pleaser and taycan be too expensive. In my eyes the taycan needs a new (reliable) version and she’ll be all good next to the small 718

The Taycan can never be as fun as an eBoxster/eCayman. The eB/eC will be about 25cm/10" shorter wheelbase. That makes a huge difference in tossability. eB is also a convertible.

There's no reason the eB/eC/Taycan can't use the same platform. There are many platforms, like PPE, that can stretched. With proper planning the entire vehicle in front of B-pillar can be shared. The rear motor and suspension too. Same battery modules too but with a different quantity.

 

[targa666]

They are very different cars for a very different use and user. One can exist perfectly well next to the other I believe.
sane platform sounds wise I must say!

 

[chun]

They are very different cars for a very different use and user. One can exist perfectly well next to the other I believe.
sane platform sounds wise I must say!

The confusion comes due to people thinking the taycan is a sports car... despite 4 doors, huge size and weight, rear seats, etc... and being legally classified as a sedan/limousine everywhere

the 718 ev is not on the same platform as the taycan.

 

[targa666]

The confusion comes due to people thinking the taycan is a sports car... despite 4 doors, huge size and weight, rear seats, etc... and being legally classified as a sedan/limousine everywhere

the 718 ev is not on the same platform as the taycan.

O she sure is a sports car. Despite size and weigh
handles and drives the way a (street)sports car should

 

[PorscheTaycan]

taycan is a sports car

Yes.

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