Fake It Till You Make It: Would You Buy an EV With a Fake Manual Transmission?

Audi e-tron GTmodern EVs have single speed transmissions. Audi and Porsche have models that use a two-speed transmission. But there is nothing out there yet with say 6-speeds. And even the two-speed transmissions in EVs are automatics. But if you are a car enthusiast you likely enjoy shifting gears on your own. Just like you enjoy racy engine sounds. An EV eliminates both. Technology might bring them both back.

Jason Fenske recently posted a video on his Engineering Explained YouTube channel. In the video he explains why most EVs currently don’t have multi-speed transmissions. And he goes further to explain how a fake manual transmission could possibly work in an EV. Would you buy one? Would having a manual transmission, even if it was fake, make you more willing to buy an EV? Let’s start by hearing what Fenske has to say.

Audi e-tronfiled a patent application for a manual transmission in an electric car. This car will have three pedals, including a clutch. It will have a 6-speed gear shifter. So, it will look and in theory perform just like a traditional manual transmission. But it is not real. The clutch, shifter, torque, and rpms. Fake, fake, fake, fake. The fake manual transmission will artificially limit torque in each gear. It will artificially prevent you from accelerating with the clutch pushed in. It is all smoke and mirrors.

fake manual transmission Audi World forums and let us know what you think. Would a fake manual transmission appeal to you? Would you take the Taycan over the e-tron? We would love to hear your thoughts.

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Porsche Taycan revealed as new Formula E safety car

Home / Auto News / Porsche Taycan revealed as new Formula E safety car

Gareth Herincx

2 days ago
Auto News

PORSCHE TAYCAN REVEALED AS NEW FORMULA E SAFETY CAR

Porsche’s first all-electric sports car is the new safety car in the innovative electric racing series, Formula E.

The vehicle will celebrate its racetrack debut at the opening round of the new season on January 28-29 in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.

Designed to be more than just the Formula E safety car, the striking Porsche Taycan Turbo S samples the liveries of all 11 teams competing in the championship, as well as the colours of the FIA and Formula E, while the number 22 acknowledges the performance of the 22 drivers contesting the series this season.

PORSCHE TAYCAN REVEALED AS NEW FORMULA E SAFETY CAR

“We’re proud that Formula E has entrusted a Porsche with this task – one that is important for the safety of its drivers,” says Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport.

“With the Taycan Turbo S as the official safety car, we’re making an important contribution to track safety and also underlining the importance of Formula E for Porsche Motorsport.”

The conversion of the Porsche Taycan Turbo S into a safety car required the installation of a roll cage and racing bucket seats with six-point seatbelts as well as wire harnesses for the safety car lighting and the Marelli Logger System. Flashing lights were integrated into the bumpers.

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Gareth is a versatile journalist, copywriter and digital editor who’s worked across the media in newspapers, magazines, TV, teletext, radio and online. After long stints at the BBC, GMTV and ITV, he now specialises in motoring.

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Silently Slayed: Audi RS6 Avant vs Porsche Taycan Turbo S

Audi RS6 Avant vs Porsche Taycan Turbo S

The Audi RS6 Avant is a wicked fast car — but the Porsche Taycan Turbo S proves that fast is a relative term.

With 591 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of twist being sent to all four corners, the Audi RS6 Avant is clearly one of the most wicked wagons ever produced, and American longroof fans should be stoked it even made it to our shores. Of course, that hasn’t stopped tuners from fortifying Ingolstadt’s handiwork. Not long after it debuted, the tuning wizards at MTM stoked the force-fed 4.0-liter to a whopping 1001 horsepower and 958 lb-ft — which sounds properly weapons-grade to boot.

Now, you might be wondering why you’d need to take an already-fast car to such blisteringly fast extremes. Or, let me correct myself. You might be wondering that if you were a normal person, and not an enthusiast reading AudiWorld. That said? If you’re the owner of a new RS6 Avant, and you’d like to do anything but lose big in a drag race with Porsche’s new all-electric Taycan Turbo S? Well, you’re going to need all the help you can get. Because as this new clip from our friends at Archie Hamilton Racing demonstrates, Stuttgart’s super sedan is bloody quick.

The Taycan that drops the beat down here is the top-spec model, which delivers a whopping 750 horsepower and 774 lb-ft of torque from its pair of permanent magnet synchronous motors. Engage launch control, and that means the Porsche will rocket from zero to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds, which coincidently, is the same time it takes new Corvette Z06 to make the trip. As we’ve seen, that makes it slightly quicker than its corporate cousin — the RS e-tron GT — from a dig. But in my opinion, the Audi looks better. Plus, it isn’t saddled with “turbo” in its name, which is just plain goofy for an electric car.

For anyone who can do math, the results of this race aren’t going to come as a surprise. After all, the Porsche is packing more power, and its electric drivetrain means there’s no windup to deliver twist to the tires. Obviously, it would have been a little more fun to see a proper family feud, with the RS6 facing off against the e-tron GT, though something tells me that’s in the mail. But hey, if people always needed to be surprised to be entertained, shows like NCIS or House wouldn’t exist. So enjoy the clip.

Photos: Audi

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Family Feud: Audi RS e-tron GT vs. Porsche Taycan Turbo

Audi e-tron GT vs. Porsche Taycan

On paper, the Audi RS e-tron GT and the Porsche Taycan Turbo are more similar than different. But in the real world…

In the dark days of the malaise era, companies like General Motors used badge engineering to maximize profits and support multiple marques. The nadir of American badge engineering was arguably the Cadillac Cimarron, which was a Chevy Cavalier wearing Caddy crests. But while badge engineering still exists, as this new video from carwow demonstrates — at least where the Germans are concerned —  there’s a lot more to the process today.  Here, we get to see host Mat Watson compare an Audi RS e-tron GT and a Porsche Taycan Turbo side-by-side, and it highlights just how different the corporate cousins are.

Since the drivetrains and batteries are specced identically, it’s really all about the presentation and tuning. The RS e-tron GT, unsurprisingly, is geared more toward luxury, and the cabin reflects that. The Audi supports Android Auto while the Porsche only has Apple CarPlay, and it also has physical buttons for the climate controls, while the representative from Stuttgart makes drivers use a touchscreen in the center console to make adjustments. Clearly, the Porsche’s minimalist environs came with an ergonomic cost.

On the road, there’s a night and day difference in driving dynamics. The Porsche embodies its sports car heritage by being a much more highly strung beast, with hyper-quick steering, a taut suspension, and finely tuned brake pedal feel. In comparison, the Audi is a more iron fist in a velvet glove, making it a better choice for folks who want a well-rounded ride that can also hustle in the twisties. One big similarity between the two cars? It’s basically impossible to see out the back of either of them.

In my opinion, there’s no winner here, as both vehicles are excellent examples of the burgeoning electric super sedan market. But this video is an interesting look at modern platform tuning, so check it out and let me know which car you’d pick for your daily driver!

Photos: YouTube

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RS e-tron GT, Taycan Welcome Tesla to Teutonic EV Drag Battle

Audi RS e-tron GT

Inter-family battle between Audi RS e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan goes intercontinental with Tesla, Germans best the hype machine.

For a long time, the luxury EV space belonged to one entity: Tesla. However, the old guard entered the castle in the late New ’10s, exposing the California ego machine’s flaws and cracks. Among them? The Volkswagen Group, home to Audi and Porsche. The result? The Taycan, and the new RS e-tron GT.

How would the Teutonic titans fare against the aging Hollywood star, though? Carwow‘s Mat Watson invited Yiannimize and Richard “RSymons RSEV” Symons to the runway for an intercontinental drag battle with an inter-family twist, featuring the RS e-tron GT, Taycan, and Model S Performance.

Audi RS e-tron GT vs Porsche Taycan vs Tesla Model S

“Let me tell you about this Audi,” said Watson. “It has two electric motors, one in the front, one in the back, so it’s four-wheel drive. And combined, under launch control conditions, it puts out 646 horsepower, [612 lb-ft of torque]. It’s quite heavy because of all the batteries; weighs in at 2.3 tons. It’s quite expensive as well, starts from just under [$159,000].”

Meanwhile, the Taycan weighs the same, and shares the same motors and two-speed gearbox. Yet, it makes 687 horses and 627 lb-ft of torque, and is priced under $164,000 in the United Kingdom. Finally, the Tesla weighs the same, but its pair of motors deliver 778 horsepower and 840 lb-ft of torque. It costs less than either of the Teutonics, too, at less than $100,000. On paper, the Tesla wins. But that’s paper, not a wet runway.

Audi RS e-tron GT vs Porsche Taycan vs Tesla Model S

“In the end, with a better launch, the Tesla won,” said Watson. “Just.”

It also took two tries for the Tesla to sweep the RS e-tron GT and Taycan. Before that, the Audi took the first two digs off the line, with the Taycan between a rock and a hard place. However, it would never be this good for Tesla again.

Audi RS e-tron GT vs Porsche Taycan vs Tesla Model S

During the first rolling race from 50 mph, the Taycan beat the RS e-tron GT by a car, while the Tesla (in one-engine-mode) rolls to finish dead last. On the sporty settings, it looked like the Model S would win, only for its speed limiter (set to 155 mph) to kick in. The Audi would’ve tied the Porsche, but it, too, had a speed limiter (166 mph). Yet, the family beat the American overall.

Finally, on the stop from 70 mph, the Porsche’s special brakes won the day. Next was the Audi, then the Tesla.

Audi RS e-tron GT vs Porsche Taycan vs Tesla Model S

“Mat, what I’ll say is Richard spoke a good game, give it the big talk, and then, just faded into the beyond,” said Yianni. “[Richard,] what happened to your supersonic Tesla? ‘I’ve got the fastest one, lalalalalalalala.’”

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Cameron Aubernon’s path to automotive journalism began in the early New ’10s. Back then, a friend of hers thought she was an independent fashion blogger.

Aubernon wasn’t, so she became one, covering fashion in her own way for the next few years.

From there, she’s written for: Louisville.com/Louisville Magazine, Insider Louisville, The Voice-Tribune/The Voice, TOPS Louisville, Jeffersontown Magazine, Dispatches Europe, The Truth About Cars, Automotive News, Yahoo Autos, RideApart, Hagerty, and Street Trucks.

Aubernon also served as the editor-in-chief of a short-lived online society publication in Louisville, Kentucky, interned at the city’s NPR affiliate, WFPL-FM, and was the de facto publicist-in-residence for a communal art space near the University of Louisville.

Aside from her contributions to Audi World, Aubernon can be found all through the IB Auto Group family, including 6 Speed Online, LS1Tech, and Team Speed. She also has her own independent automotive blog, Aubernon Highway.

Aubernon can be reached through her public Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts. She is wary of those she doesn’t already know, though; thus, she may not respond to messages sent.

Aubernon is a member of the International Motor Press Association, and the Washington Automotive Press Association.