August 28, 2012 at 5:05pm by Jens Meiners
When the 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 broke cover this week, it did so with a software application that automatically blips the throttle during downshifts in conjunction with the seven-speed manual transmission as a part of the optional Sport Chrono package. That feature will spread across the stick-shifted Carrera lineup for 2013. A Porsche spokesman explains to us that the system works like the SynchroRev Match system that is available on the Nissan 370Z. This means that during downshifts, the engine revs instantly to match the lower gear’s speed.
Unfortunately, Porsche’s system doesn’t seem to be quite as dialed in as Nissan’s. There’s no way to individually select the system’s operation, like in the 370Z. The 911 being a German car, it thinks it knows best. Rev matching is always on in Sport Plus mode, while the system is switched off in regular and Sport modes. The system eventually will become available on the Boxster and Cayman as well.
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If our experience in row-your-own 370Zs is anything to go by, we’re going to enjoy Porsche’s latest tech. And we’ll find a little humor in the perfectly matched downshifts delivered by 911 Cabriolets pulling into Neiman Marcus parking lots. Heel-and-toeing has been outsmarted by the push of a button.
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