A Genuinely Characteristic And Recognisable Sound, The Sound Of A Porsche Taycan

The recognisable sound of a Porsche, a sound that has become synonymous with the sports car brand over the generations, even one of its all-electric models.

Especially for drivers of a classic Porsche 356, the clatter, purr and gentle hiss of the early air-cooled boxer engine is music to their ears.

Produced from a mechanical orchestra of pistons and valves, timing chains and rocker arms, intake and compression, combustion and exhaust. 

Though, electric mobility has made many of these instruments redundant, replacing them with the soft hum of an electric motor.

But emotion and information remain, as Porsche has composed a tapestry of sound for the Taycan over the years that is both new and yet genuinely characteristic of the brand.

Porsche’s sound engineer, Tobias Hillers, expressed, “No other manufacturer has spent as much time working on the sound both inside and out as Porsche. We have known for a long time that you need to be able to hear electric cars for safety reasons.”

Speaking of which, the EU approved a regulation regarding the use of an acoustic alert system for electric cars in 2014 and revised it in 2019. 

Known as the acoustic vehicle alerting system (AVAS), it is designed to protect other road users and must remain active up to a speed of 20 km/h.

A similar regulation is in place in China and Japan, while the US requires a warning sound when a stationary vehicle is about to move, and an increase in the sound level up to a speed of 32 km/h.

Be it so, Porsche’s acousticians in Weissach have transformed the set requirement into a special feature, fine tuning it to their advantage. 

While certain sound components and the volume are legally stipulated, they created a special Porsche soundtrack that is characteristic, sporty and powerful. 

Akin to the 356 and 911, the Taycan provides the driver with clear feedback, and experiences with the Porsche 919 Hybrid racer confirmed how important the vehicle’s audible responses are.

Notably, when works drivers trained in a simulator behind the wheel of the three-time Le Mans winner they were faster when the racer provided them with acoustic feedback.

Yes, all-electric vehicles are quieter, but they’re not silent. The sound of tyres on the road and the humming of the trans and motors is no less informative from an internal combustion engine. 

Mused by this backdrop of aural magic, the sound designers developed the voice of the Taycan, at which nothing is generated artificially. 

Hillers added, “The sound has to fit the vehicle and be authentic. We incorporate the components that sound really good. Then we filter out less attractive sounds. Anything that sounds like a dentist’s drill or streetcar has to go. We once spent three weeks hunkered down at our Nardò Technical Centre in Italy creating sounds and trying them out on the test tracks there.” 

On top of that, the acousticians also spent countless hours creating the foundation of Porsche Electric Sport Sound at the soundproof laboratory of the Porsche development centre in Weissach. 

Apart from their own sense of hearing, they also relied on a special artificial head for binaural listening, which is spatial listening with two ears. 

Interestingly, the ear that is turned towards the source of the sound perceives it earlier and more clearly than the other. 

Therefore, with the artificial head, Porsche’s acousticians can simulate any position inside and outside of the vehicle.

The results are promising, Porsche Electric Sport Sound is an entirely innovative sound experience. Emotional, rather than obtrusive, but present and unmistakable, according to the engineer.