Porsche is not the type of manufacturer to rely on its past to develop future cars. The 911 might look the same as it did 62 years ago, but the company is typically very forward-facing when it comes to tech. That's why we're surprised to hear the upcoming Cayenne EV will use fake V-8 noises.
British publication Autocar confirmed the inclusion of the sounds pumped through the speakers, said to be from "a genuine Porsche V-8 engine," during a ride-along in the car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It's a shift in ideals from Porsche's current EVs, the Taycan and Macan, which both use their own specially developed sounds, neither of which reminds us of internal combustion engines.
Notably absent from Autocar's recollection of the ride-along were any mentions of a synthesized transmission, as you'd find on the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N or the Kia EV6 GT. Which means while a V-8 noise blared from the speakers, it likely didn't have the fake gears to make it sound natural.
If we had to guess, the Cayenne likely sounds similar to the Dodge Charger Daytona, which uses a synthesized V-8 growl that revs up as you accelerate, as if it only had one gear. In practice, it's not pleasant. But that's just an assumption, and things can change before the car enters production in 2026.
Not that it's likely to. Porsche development driver Lars Kern confirmed to Australian media in 2024 that Porsche would not pursue the development of fake gear shifts in the company's EVs, saying "the electric engine is better than an ICE [internal combustion engine], so we figured there's no reason to simulate what has been in the past."
That last part has us questioning whether Porsche is starting to change its mind on how it approaches EVs. If internal combustion noises are on the table, then synthetic gearboxes could be as well. That's the only way I see the upcoming electric 718 succeeding. Let's hope the company has a change of heart.
Personally, I'd love to hear the wail of a Carrera GT while behind the wheel of a new 718.
