Overview

• A Cayenne EV prototype runs pre-recorded V8 engine sounds and software that simulates gear changes.
• Porsche’s prototype lead said the shift feel matched a torque-converter automatic so closely that he could not tell the difference.
• Engineers captured interior and exhaust audio from a Cayenne V8 and tuned it to suit an electric powertrain’s broader operating range.
• Porsche says the virtual-gear function is under consideration as an option and would not be mandatory for drivers.
• Bringing the system to production would need added hardware such as shift paddles and is not a simple over-the-air update, marking a turn from 2024 remarks that dismissed such simulation.