It would be one thing if the touch screens mimicked ***** and switches but I really don’t want to operate a PC while I’m driving. I like that I can immediately touch a lever, button or **** and it’s set. I don’t have to navigate menus or try to get swipes right etc. and the whole waving my hand around crap or using a touchpad is simply stupid IMO. I’m not sure where the automotive industry gets their HMI SMEs but in the military there’s a reason why you see lots of buttons and switches (yes there are also menu driven things in screens) but muscle memory is a real thing and ergonomics help a driver significantly. Porsche tends to have more physical interfaces, like in my Macan, and I simply love it.

 

Tesla’s and modern cars have less and less controls because the end result will be ZERO control for you. AI-driven auto-pilot will drive you straight to the police station to be investigated for your thought crime whether you like it or not.

 

I have not purchased a Tesla, but I definitely like the Taycan. Wish it had more range and I’d consider buying one. People rave above Tesla’s but I see so many with paint and other fit and finish issues they shouldn’t have at the price point they are at. But I had the same issue with the new Corvette and pulled my order once I started seeing the finished product in the wild and reading the numerous reports in the forums. You don’t really see that here....not nearly so much.

 

Yup... we use it via programmed diamond button on the steering wheel each/every time we park our Macan. Wish every car had it! You can cycle through multiple views of which top down is combined so you have complete view all at once.

 

There is no evidence that the automotive industry has employed HMI engineers in two decades...

Yeah. This. Find a mission-critical HMI that is touch screen - except for nav input - outside of idiot-designed cars.

Porsche has always been ‘late’ with design trends. Thus they are just now getting to the ‘button-removal’ trend on the Panamera, 992...

 

Well... Porsche does have a some military builds in their history

 

I thought of this thread when I was watching this. Skip to the 5:00 mark lol.

 

UncleDude has touched a common nerve in many of us. Good interfaces should be logical, simple, and definate. One of the things that drew me to German cars in my youth was the controls, the driver-focus, and the lack of distractions. I still enjoy the simple style of driving the most: Driving a manual, no screens (or screens off), informative gages reporting on important operating parameters. I no longer connect my cellphones to my cars. If I'm alone the call can wait. If I'm with someone they can talk to them (or not). It never turns out to be important enough that I need to be distracted from paying full attention to my surroundings while driving. I know calls distract me because I've hit potholes that I knew were there from using the same roads often, and I never fall pray to potholes when I'm fully engaged and thinking about the road and conditions ahead.

I often find "features" on new cars to be a 'negative' rather than a 'positive'. Take headlight squrters for example. I've asked my SA to see if I can pay to have them eliminated on my GT4. I will never use them. I clean my glass and headlighs regularly, and do a better job of it. The squrters are just another thing to go wrong, or get dirt in the cracks, etc. They don't even look good, painted (for $) or not. They are just extra weight I don't need.

If I could I'd spec my car without a center console screen at all. In place of that screen I'd settle for a small storage box into which I could put my phone, wallet, house keys, mask,etc. I've seen a few threads here on the subject of audio system options, sound quality, and relative prices. Honestly, I don't see me listening to music in this car -- especially after it's fitted with an aftermarket exhaust. I expect the NA flat6 to be all the music I need. Again, it's all just added weight to me, and not because I'm worried about my 'ring times; it's just as an engineer I appreciate the minimal core things without adornments.

Tire Pressure Monitors are on the list too. I really wish I could order the car without them. I check my tire pressures all the time. It's like monitoring blood pressure or something. I like to know if anything has changed, when, and why. I could easily come up with a dozen more 'features' I would prefer to eliminate -- but I thank goodness Porsche has made it so I won't have to worry about getting inane lane departure warning devices, run-flat tires, or a car that weighs as much as an S3, M3, C8, etc.

 

I actually switched my Taycan deposit (cheque sat in Porsche for 2 years) to Spyder because of 2 reasons,
1. Its a Spyder.
2. Buttonless & keyless in Taycan vs hifi quality real buttons & real key to insert & turn in Spyder.

Don't consider myself old & I am 100% happy with my choice.

(had a funny dream last night, before catching this thread, dreamt I spec'd a Taycan with passenger side manual roll up window as an electric one would cost as an option, got in serious trouble with my wife).

 

I do have to say after coming from the 992CS interior on a test drive, and then having a 970.2 GTS, I love the familiar and comfortable layout of the 718. You can definitely tell with the tactile layout of the buttons vs the screens that it was made more for drivers imo, rather than GT or road trippers (I'll plan to road trip plenty in my 718 gts 4.0). Everything is easy to access and get to in the interior and a much friendlier setup. I'm a bit excited to see what they do with the 718 interior next, but I hope they don't immediately jump into a Taycan style of interior for the next car. Who knows...maybe they'll do a hybrid ice engine instead of full electric with the pricing of the Taycan dropping down into the 80k (USD) range.

 

I joke with my brother-in-law that I am looking forward to the Luxury Package for his Tesla Model 3, complete with individual, tactile controls for key functions

 

I think it's a very good looking interior, but if I could spec mine without a screen or radio, and with a cage, I would.

 

For me the 718 is the last of the breed that follows "less is more" & "keep it simple" engineering principles.

 

I agree, main reason why I switched to the 718

 

While I still feel the interior on the 718 is quite nice, this PCM update looks pretty awesome. I don’t suppose we’ll be eligible for it (or maybe part of it?).

https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/2021...ife-24811.html