Porsche Gives the Electric Taycan the Sensation of Changing Gears
2 min
Electric performance cars are extraordinarily fast, but their seamless acceleration can remove some of the rhythm drivers associate with speed. Porsche’s latest Taycan update tackles that emotional gap with an available system that simulates the sensation of changing gears.
Called E-Shift, the feature coordinates virtual gear changes with a more expressive version of Porsche Electric Sport Sound. It does not add a conventional multi-speed gearbox. Instead, software manipulates sound and power delivery to create discernible stages under acceleration, giving the driver more sensory markers as speed builds.
The idea will divide purists. Some will see simulated shifts as theatre that undermines the mechanical honesty of an electric drivetrain. Others will welcome a layer of interaction in a car whose performance can otherwise feel clinically linear. The important point is that Porsche is making the experience optional rather than defining electric performance through one mode.
The model-year changes extend beyond sound. Porsche is introducing a new generation of infotainment with updated operation, improved smartphone integration, intelligent navigation and voice control supported by artificial intelligence. As with any connected system, Australian buyers should confirm which functions operate locally, whether subscriptions apply and how long software support is promised.
The update also reflects a broader industry problem. Luxury EVs cannot compete indefinitely on acceleration alone; immense straight-line performance has become relatively common. Brands increasingly need to differentiate through chassis behaviour, software, sound, personalisation and the way a car communicates with its driver.
For Porsche, that communication has historically involved engine speed, gear selection, steering weight and braking feel. E-Shift attempts to translate part of that vocabulary into an electric platform without pretending an internal-combustion engine remains underneath.
Prospective buyers should test the system rather than judging it from specifications. Virtual shifts that feel entertaining for ten minutes may become tiring on a commute, while a well-calibrated mode could make a familiar road more engaging. The ability to return to smooth, uninterrupted electric acceleration will be essential.
Porsche’s decision reveals where the next phase of high-end EV development is heading. The engineering contest is no longer only about making electric cars quicker. It is about giving drivers reasons to feel involved once speed itself is no longer novel.
Fact box
– Model: Updated Porsche Taycan range
– New feature: Available E-Shift virtual gear-change system
– Sound: Enhanced Porsche Electric Sport Sound
– Technology: New infotainment generation, enhanced smartphone integration, AI-assisted voice control and intelligent navigation
– Australian specification, price and timing: Confirm with Porsche Cars Australia
Mirzaian is a senior director within CBRE’s Development NSW business, operating across the company’s Western Sydney and North Sydney offices
Singapore’s Formula 1 weekend has always looked different. Held beneath floodlights on the Marina Bay Street Circuit, the race transforms the city into a nocturnal spectacle of speed, heat and saturated colour. It is this distinctive atmosphere — and one of Singapore’s most important natural symbols — that has shaped IWC Schaffhausen’s latest motorsport-inspired watch. …
Continue reading “IWC’s purple Formula 1 chronograph pays tribute to Singapore after dark”
2 min
Aston Martin has unveiled the Valen, an 850PS V12 special limited to 150 cars worldwide and described by the company as the most powerful front-engined production car ever created by a manufacturer.
Developed through Q by Aston Martin, Valen uses the brand’s 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 to produce 850PS and 1,000Nm. It is claimed to reach 60mph in three seconds and continue to a top speed of 214mph, or about 344km/h.
The numbers are only part of the proposition. Aston Martin has removed up to 110 kilograms compared with its existing core V12 platform, using a full carbon-fibre body and motorsport-influenced lightweight components. A specially tuned titanium exhaust reduces mass while giving the engine a more pronounced sound character.
The exterior is not a simple variation of a series-production body. Bespoke lighting, carbon surfacing and a new interior architecture help Valen read as a distinct model, even though its front-engine, rear-drive proportions remain recognisably Aston Martin.
Chassis and powertrain calibration have been developed specifically for the car. That matters because the enduring appeal of a front-engined flagship lies in its relationship between long-distance usability and rear-driven balance, not in chasing mid-engined lap times alone.
Valen arrives as many performance manufacturers shift towards hybrid assistance. Aston Martin has instead used a highly tuned combustion engine, aggressive weight control and low production volume to create an analogue counterpoint at the top of its range.
That does not make it technologically simple. Carbon construction, active systems and the complexity of extracting 850PS from a road-legal V12 mean long-term servicing and replacement components will be as relevant to collectors as rarity.
Only 150 cars will be built. Australian allocation, pricing and delivery timing have not been confirmed publicly. Prospective buyers should also confirm whether the quoted 110-kilogram saving depends on optional equipment rather than standard specification.
In a market crowded with four-figure power outputs, Valen’s point of difference is architectural: a vast bonnet, compact cabin and V12 driving the rear wheels. It turns Aston Martin’s traditional grand-tourer silhouette into something deliberately sharper and rarer.
Fact box
– Model: Aston Martin Valen
– Production: 150 cars worldwide
– Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
– Output: 850PS and 1,000Nm
– Performance: Claimed 0–60mph in 3.0 seconds; 214mph top speed
– Body: Full carbon fibre
– Weight saving: Up to 110kg versus the referenced core V12 platform
When the Writers Festival was called off and the skies refused to clear, one weekend away turned into a rare lesson in slowing down, ice baths included.
The grand harbourside residence combines sweeping Sydney Heads views, resort-style entertaining and refined designer finishes with a reported $36 million price guide.
