I think this is really cool. Porsche is one of the strongest auto companies since their incredible hedging on VW - and even in this tough economy where sales are down across the board they continue to design some of the coolest cars on the market.
Porsche tends to develop cars in a series and they make meaningful modifications to the same chassis - they do this to leverage technologies across their portfolio. In other words, you might see a 911 Turbo that looks somewhat similar to a 911 GT3, but they're anything but similar. In fact they drive so different that some people own both. The same goes for their Cayenne, Porsche makes multiple Cayenne models starting at a fairly low price and going all the way up past $100,000 depending on the features.
Porsche recently took this Exhaust Note Tuning technology from the GT3, and moved it over to other vehicles.
As any car enthusiast will tell you, there's nothing like getting in a super car, firing it up, followed by listening for that deep, rumbling exhaust note that always sends a shiver up your spine. By pressing a button the sound deepens to a throatier growl.
Yes, for buyers of such sports cars, these things apparently matter. Autoblog comments, "Premium sportscar buyers expect their exotic machinery to sound as good as it looks and goes. Few automakers recognize this as well as Porsche." So the German automaker has developed a new system for its high-end sports cars that allows the driver to alter the exhaust note from inside the car, with the push of a button.
Edmunds Inside Line explains, "The stainless steel system uses an electronic control activated from the dashboard to tune the exhaust note for a more aggressive and sporty sound. Activating the sport mode opens flaps in the exhaust silencers to shift the note."
Automobile Magazine says the exhaust "can go from a more sedate sound when cruising around town to a more emotional and sporting tone when the driver wants a truly dynamic style of motoring."
The cost of such a luxury? Just $2,500 as an option on a new 911 Carrera or Targa, available in April of this year. If you own an older 911 and have exhaust envy, Porsche will offer the system as a dealer-installed option that can be retrofitted to older versions of the car.
Other companies can learn from this leverage model. No matter how bad the economy gets, there are always those who will pay a premium for something more personal -- not to mention the economy will eventually come back so now is a great time to invest in R&D.
