- Porsche’s new E-Shift gives the Taycan eight simulated gears, fake shift jolts and a virtual rev limiter.
- The system is about driver involvement, not speed; it deliberately makes acceleration less seamless.
- The Taycan already has a real two-speed rear gearbox, but E-Shift appears to be a separate software layer.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N appears to have settled an uncomfortable truth about sporty EVs: As impressive as seamless face-distorting acceleration is, it isn’t enough. Its simulated gears and synthetic engine note showed that even the quickest electric performance cars can benefit from a bit of theater. BMW, Mercedes-AMG, and even Ferrari have already moved toward similar ideas, and we were waiting for Porsche to make its move after it previously said it wasn’t interested.