Porsche produces some of the most sought-after sports vehicles on earth and has a large following of devoted owners and admirers around the world. This is due to the brand’s reputation for producing high-quality sports cars as well as its storied history and ongoing success in the motorsports industry.
Porsche has won the most races at Le Mans with a total of 19 victories. This achievement demonstrates not just Porsche’s prowess in producing incredibly fast and dependable race cars, but also its engineers’ ability to “think outside the box” in order to win valuable track seconds.
The racetrack in this instance is the Circuit de la Sarthe, where the 24 Hours of Le Mans have been contested annually since 1923. The “Triple Crown” of the top three auto races in the world includes this endurance contest, the Indianapolis 500, and the Monaco Grand Prix.
Le Mans races have always started on foot, requiring drivers to dash to their vehicles, start the engines, and then race off. Porsche engineers discovered that by placing the ignition key slot to the left, drivers could use their left hand to start their engine while their right hand concurrently engaged first gear, saving valuable time at the start.
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Porsche owners love to boast about how the company’s racing heritage can be seen in their vehicles’ peculiar ignition placement. As Dan Neil discovered, the narrative is false.
Owners of NEWBIE PORSCHEs could experience momentary confusion. It could take a few mornings to get used to the ignition switch on German luxury-sport cars being outboard of the driving position, to the left of the steering wheel, as opposed to inboard, like on every other brand of vehicle known to mankind.
What the heck is going on? The story that most Porsche drivers would likely relate is what their salesmen told them: A racing innovation was the outboard-located ignition keylock, which is now the Start/Stop switch. Running starts were used in the 24-hour endurance race at Le Mans until 1970. Drivers would sprint across the circuit, get in their cars, and take off. A Porsche driver might shift into gear, steer off, and start the car with the ignition switch on the left.
A creative modification to gain crucial seconds at the beginning
The 24 Hours of Le Mans did not begin with vehicles rolling in formation and holding their positions until they crossed the start/finish line until the 1969 race.
Cars were parked on one side of the start/finish line while drivers waited on the other for many years. They all sprinted for their cars as soon as the flag dropped. It was essential to move out in front of the crowd soon to avoid the initial congestion.
Because of this, a lot of racers delayed fastening their seatbelts until after they had navigated the early traffic, which resulted in multiple accidents. Jackie Ickx then shocked everyone in 1969 at the start of Le Mans when he walked quietly to his car and took his time securing his harness before starting the engine.
Over the years, Porsche engineers had seen that placing the ignition on the same side as the clutch, or on the right, resulted in a minute but profound loss of time. Because drivers had to use the same hand to start the engine and shift into first gear, Porsche opted to move the ignition key to the left side of the car.
With the new design, drivers could turn the ignition key with their left hand while shifting into first gear with their right. Drivers had a big advantage over their rivals during those few moments. Some sources claim that in 1952, the ignition key was moved to be located to the left of the steering wheel.
As seen by Porsche’s subsequent victory in Le Mans and every other competition they entered, their ground-breaking idea must have had an impact.
Porsche opted to honor their triumphs by adopting the same change into their commercial vehicles, a trait that is still present, in order to foster their competitive spirit.
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Dan Neil, an auto columnist for the Wall Street Journal, recently disputed the legend surrounding Porsche’s left-side ignition.
I just have knowledge of what I have read, like this passage from my Macan’s Quick Start Guide:
In any case, here is the complete article, sans a few images (I’d provide a link, but the WSJ has a paywall, unless you, like me, have a subscriber buddy who forwards an article) for those who are curious:
Porsche owners love to boast about how the company’s racing heritage can be seen in their vehicles’ peculiar ignition placement. As Dan Neil discovered, the narrative is false.
What the heck is going on? The story that most Porsche drivers would likely relate is what their salesmen told them: A racing innovation was the outboard-located ignition keylock, which is now the Start/Stop switch. The 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race was first held in 1970.
Porsche key fob: significant financial savings
In fact, the Porsche 356, which was sold in 1948, a few years before Porsche entered competition, is where the ignition key first appeared. This model’s history is intertwined with the Second World War and the history of the Volkswagen Beetle. Raw resources were scarce after the war in Germany and Austria, where the 356 was designed, thus it was wise to use any economy.
To save a few millimeters of electrical cable and thus lower manufacturing costs, Ferdinand Porsche made the decision to move the ignition key to the left of the steering wheel. If Porsche still exploits this particularity to set itself apart from competing companies more than 70 years later, its origins were wholly commercial.
The ignition being on the right side, why?
The decision was made to transfer the ignition key to the opposite side of the steering column because the design’s placement to the right of the steering column would put center front seat occupants at danger for leg or knee injuries.
How do Porsche keys function?
Porsche Entry and Drive allows you to access the luggage regions in addition to unlocking the driver’s door. Simply put your hands in close proximity to the Porsche Crest on the lid of the front luggage box or the logos on the back. Once more, after verification of your encrypted key code, the luggage compartment’s lid will unlock.
British automobiles lack an ignition, where is it?
The steering wheel is on the right because in Britain we drive on the left-hand side of the road. The accelerator (gas pedal) is on the right, but the other pedals are in the same location as in left-handed vehicles. The handbrake (parking brake) and gears are often actuated with the left hand.
Britain has some of the highest gas (Petrol) prices in the world. On average, we pay 95 pence per gallon.
In the UK, the legal age to operate a car is 17, while the legal age to operate a moped or motorcycle with an engine no more than 50cc is 16.
In Britain, there are about 225,000 miles (362,000 km) of roads. The Romans built several of the old roadways that are still in use today.
In Britain, there are many different types of roads, from spacious contemporary freeways to winding country lanes typically surrounded by stone walls, grassy banks, or ditches. Since streets were not designed for large lorries and were constructed long before cars were introduced, cities and towns tend to have narrow streets (trucks).
- Similar to American motorways are “M” roads. They are fast roadways and are referred to as motorways.
- “A” roads do not have controlled access; they can be anything from dual carriageways, which have two lanes divided into two, to one-lane roads. They are the primary streets connecting towns.
- The smallest of the three are “B” roads. They could be in the open or have dense vegetation close to the road. Curves and other road markings could be scarce.
The M6 Toll, the first toll road, opened in December 2003 to relieve West Midlands traffic. The 43-kilometer motorway reduces travel times by about 45 minutes all around Birmingham.
On signage, the distances and speed limits are always expressed in miles or miles per hour. 1.6 kilometers make up a mile.
Speed limits are displayed on round signs with a red ring circling the limit. There is a black line that crosses over a white circle at an angle after the speed limit has been reached.
- 112 km/h (70 mph) on highways and dual-carriageways
- Speed limit on single-lane, unrestricted roads: 96 km/h (60 mph).
- 48 km/h / 30 mph in towns and other built-up regions
- 35 km/h (20 mph) in residential areas
Unless there are signs indicating otherwise, the following national speed limits apply to all roadways; all speeds are stated in MPH.
The Woodlands Resources part of the Woodlands Junior website was created by Mandy.
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She is currently a computer instructor at Sevenoaks, Kent’s The Granville School and St. John’s Primary School.
Why is the steering wheel on the right in European cars?
The colonies followed English driving practices and drove on the left throughout the early years of English colonization of North America. However, after being independent from England, they were eager to cut all ties to their British colonial past, thus they gradually switched to right-hand driving.
Why won’t my Porsche key turn?
It’s likely that your Porsche key fob requires a new battery if it has stopped functioning. For a replacement, drop by or give our Porsche parts department a call. The battery in your key fob will ultimately become worn out from constant use, which means the time will come to replace it.
Which ignition positions are there?
There are four options for the ignition switch: ACCESSORY (I), ON (II), LOCK ((0)), and START (III). Just start the engine in this position. When you release the ignition switch, the switch returns to the ON (II) position.
Are right-side-drive vehicles permitted on US roads?
In a nutshell, the answer to that query is yes. It is legal to operate a right-hand drive vehicle on US roadways; in fact, right-hand drive vans are provided as standard equipment for US postal workers who work in rural locations.
What makes the Porsche Carrera GT so unique?
The Carrera GT was a vehicle that advanced technology further than any supercar of its age. Its stunning profile housed a 612PS V10 engine with astounding power that was a direct descendant of the 10-cylinder race engine created for the 2000 Le Mans 24-hours.
Why is driving the Porsche Carrera GT challenging?
However, the Carrera GT’s lack of safety features is what earns it the moniker “widow-maker.” Even though the vehicle lacks essential safety technologies like traction control and ABS, it is nonetheless extremely unpredictable and difficult to manage.
Can a Porsche be jump-started?
A Porsche can be jump started in the same way as the majority of other automobiles. You’ll need a second vehicle and a set of jumper wires to jump start a car battery. However, if you’re concerned, you may always contact a AAA jump start service.