Adk46

I've always thought it had to do with starting and shifting into gear at the same time, but why wouldn't you leave the car in first gear? If as you suggest it's to crank the engine before getting all the way into the car, it would have to be left in neutral. Or would it? You don't suppose they cranked the engine while in gear, clutch engaged, not yet entirely seated, moving out in "electric" mode?

Wisconsin Joe

My 944 is right hand key, but column mounted, not dash.

After a lifetime of US cars, all of which were column mounted right hand keyed, I didn't even know that the 944 was "wrong" for a Porsche. The dash mounted one in the 928 was "different" for me.

But at least I knew that the left side, dash mounted key in my Cayenne was "correct", although it's taking a little while to get used to.

Dave928S

Perfect on a RHD

drwhosc

Try a 901 transmission with a 1st gear dog leg, this right left key is cake....

The Fixer

[QUOTE=the flyin' scotsman;12120994]The Cayenne is on the left which for a second or 2 does cause a little confusion as I unlock it with the remote in my right and operate the door handle with my left then switch to insert the key in ignition.

Yes it took extra time as i recall..



[QUOTE=Adk46;12122931]I've always thought it had to do with starting and shifting into gear at the same time

You're both right. um left, who cares.

Adk46

Ha! I just had reason to google for "928 why is key on the right" and in first position was my query here from two years ago.

Which went largely unanswered, a rare disappointment for this forum. I still want to know! Perhaps Mr. Stout could ask his friend Dieter to dive into the official archives.

stout

Interesting point. Perhaps since the engine moved to the "right" place under Fuhrmann, they moved the key to the "right" side also?

Perhaps it's a bit of pub trivia to track down on the next trip...

hacker-pschorr

Seems like an odd thing to be confused over.
They were tossing every bit of tradition out the window with the 928, why would the key location carry over when the only practical purpose was faster starting at LeMans? Something the 928 was never intended to compete in and even still, running starts were long gone.

If anything, having a left key location on the Boxster, 996+, Panamera, and Cayenne is silly.

Or better yet, find out why most cars have it on the right......

I prefer the SAAB location in the center console myself.

docmirror

Ergonomics. I had an engineer friend who went into that and he said there's all kinds of things in everyday life we don't think of that someone has sat down and figured out the best or most economical in terms of motion and human factors. He also said that sometimes things are just placed randomly, and become embedded in iconic ways, and the industry follows those standards. Why is toothpaste in a tube and mustard in a jar? Although mustard is now coming in squeeze tubes.

Anyway, the deal is, next time you approach a car(in the US), think about how you react with the car. The first thing you do is click the key fob, in old days, you would put the key in the tumbler. right handedness is taken into account. You click the fob, or turn the key in the door, then your left hand is free to lift or pull the door handle. Which is quite convenient because the door swings from your left, and your body must be to the right so you don't have to climb over the door/window to enter. No switching hands with the key/fob. You get in, pull the door with your left hand again, and natch - the key slot is on the right, with your key in your right hand.

Old Ford trucks were different. One reason I heard was that people left the keys in their trucks on the farm, and it was easy to reach in through the window, or just open the door and grab the keys if you wanted them for some other apparatus. There were other explanations, but this one seemed most logical. That was when trucks were out on the farm, and no one ever took the key out unless the had a key on the same ring and needed to open a ranch gate or whatev.

There ya go, ergonomics, or human factors engineering at work. Approach car, key in right hand, and the whole process from touching the car to driving off can be done without changing hands, or moving your body awkwardly.

YMMV, don't try this at home, pro driver close course, contents have settled, and may cause **** leakage.

928NOOBIE

I heard this too...you are able to crank the car and be putting it in gear etc. so you get away a little faster ..or something?

Adk46

I agree - Saab's key position is best, or was: 1) no good for the between-the-seats consoles of most cars, and 2) keyless entry and start, also of most cars today. BTW: Smart cars have the key is the Saab position (other interesting features: rear engine and staggered tires.)

I reject the idea that it was an engineering issue; Porsche enjoys designing elaborate mechanisms (see the flip-up wing hinge photo I recently posted). Had I been at the meeting, I would have said "Gosh, is the whole idea of this car to **** off our entire base of 911 owners? Can't we throw them this tiny bone? Think of all the reviewers who'll save this for their last paragraph, softening all the other insults to tradition."

RKD in OKC

Key is on the right so as not to upset the Dentists wives.

stout

I used to think that, too, but now see it as debatable. There were some elements of the 928 that were very carefully crafted to be "Porsche"—though the key position (obviously) wasn't one of them.

FWIW, I like the key on the left better than the key on the right—especially if the car has a manual gearbox. But I can also see where it drives people crazy if they have more than just a Porsche to switch between, and luxury car customers in particular. Wonder if that didn't figure into the decision.

928 key is a work of art against 911 keys up to the 993.

I dig the Saab setup, and once read that it actually prevented some robbers from using one as a getaway car after a 7-11 stickup, or some such. They got the key from a customer in the store, but couldn't find where to put it in time to get away.

GT6ixer

Very interesting. Which is another reason the Brits got it wrong with the whole RHD thing. Unless they are a nation of left-handers. Don't know. I got to spend a few weeks in England for work years ago and paid particular attention to how crowds of people passed each other on the streets or other public places. And guess what, just like here the vast majority of people walk past everyone else on their left side not their right side. Entry doors and exit doors on the right side of each other. Up escalators to the right of down escalators and vise versa. So all of the time spent outside of a car the Brits pass people on their left yet they somehow decided that passing people on the right while driving made more sense. Odd to me.

I concur with the Saab guys and can say I really like mine and its quirks as well. But it took me at least a year to stop stabbing the steering column with the ignition key every time I went to start it.

worf928

And I wish that was still true. That the skills and results were valued. Unfortunately, this is now true for fewer things. More things are designed to look good in a picture.

Oh, ignition location: Don't care as long as my knee doesn't hit it.

I think the 928 would have been much more successful if the key was on the left.

Not.

New VW's have the key rotated 90-degrees relative to the fob when compared to last-gen. I get in CarChick's DD toaster GTI and I can't put the @#$%ing key in the ignition... wait... oh, right, rotate the fob in my hand to an unnatural and hard-to-hold angle then insert.

If I was a rich man....

or is it:

Burnin's too good for'em...

Points to those that recognize second quote.