New cars have too many gimmicks. Take it from someone who reviews ’em for a living. Remote engine revs? Come on. Cabin perfume dispensers? Give me a break. But just as I thought I’d seen it all, Porsche applied to patent a party trick that might actually be pretty sweet. It’s called Tunnel Mode.
The feature is exactly what it sounds like: It detects when you’re about to enter a tunnel, rolls down the windows, and downshifts while opening up the valves on the active exhaust. The whole idea is to let that heavenly flat-six sing as loud as it can while you and your passengers experience sore cheeks from all the smiling.
According to the patent application, which was first spotted by CarBuzz, there would actually be a second option for tunnel mode in convertibles. With the feature engaged, it would sense when a tunnel is coming up and prompt the driver to pull over so the roof can be lowered. Supposedly, it would also turn the heat on to counteract the cool breeze to make sure nothing stops you from hearing that howl at full tilt.
The patent filing makes a curious mention of Tunnel Mode for EVs. In that case, it sounds like a fake exhaust sound would be projected through the exterior speakers to make it seem like you’re in a gas car. Now, that’s kind of sad, but I’m not here to judge.
Tunnel Mode would supposedly tighten up the car’s steering while making the chassis behavior “sportier” for more enjoyable drives. That sounds nifty, considering everything returns to normal once you’re through the tunnel. You can be cruising with the steering and suspension in their comfort settings until you reach the sound tube, and after you’ve exited, the car’s camera system will relay the info so it’ll return to your previous configuration.
Now, it’s impossible to say at this stage if Tunnel Mode will ever show up in a production car. I hope it will. Despite Porsche’s seriousness, I feel like it’s exactly the type of automaker that would implement a feature like this in a 911 GT3 RS or something similar. It wouldn’t make that 4.0-liter flat-six sound so good if it wasn’t supposed to be the highlight of every drive.
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