I really like Porsche key design (w/ the exception of the Cayenne) Simple, subtle and clean.

 

as long as it starts my car I could give a **** what it looks like. It would be nice if the damned thing would chirp or something to let me know it is locked. The lights blinking is not good enough cause I have to look back at the car to see if it locked or not. Kinda makes you look like a douche admiring your car as you walk away rather than looking to see if it locked.

 

Thus the need for a dedicated lock and unlock button.

 

I've had the same thought...could definitely make you look like "that guy".

 

Why do cars still have keys these days? Seems silly with the wide variety of technology available now. I guess it's fun to "insert" something and turn it to start a car, but so was the hand crank, I suppose.

 

The lower the technology, the fewer things to go wrong, and thus the higher the reliability - the desired attribute of an ignition interface.

I don't believe it was ever "fun" to use a hand crank. A key in the ignition turned to "on" was still required, I believe.

 

Perfectly stated. This is my only gripe with the key.

 

The SmartTop device will allow you to program a beep out of it when you lock the car. (I consider that a must-have device for cabriolet owners)

Quote:
Originally Posted by JJB236
...

We should get this thread over to the Porsche customer feedback in Germany to have our keys replaced...

Porsche DOES check out this site, along with others..

 

Porsche should lower their prices or give current owners a $20K discount on their next Porsche purchase. Hey as long as they're reading!

Oh and make sure the Turbo remains the king.

 

I have to agree that when I was first handed the keys I was disappointed. It feels like Porsche outsourced the manufacturing to a cheap Chinese toy company.

 

Have you ever been to Zuffenhausen and had a look inside the Porsche factory? Or how about the old museum? Did you notice that it looks nothing like the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart? The word "humility" should come to mind. The one thing people should never forget about Porsche is that they are not trying to impress people the same way the other car companies are. I remember when Porsche would come out with HP and 0-60 numbers, and they were always conservative. It's not that Porsche doesn't care about the key. It's that Porsche's philosophy has always been to underestimate and overdeliver. If you take a look at the styling of the car, you should see that it resembles a VW bug. Is that hot? No. Do women drool over it? No. But you get in and drive it, and the true meaning shines through.

So my point is, Porsche wants the uninitiated to look at the car, see the key, and not be impressed. And Porsche wants those customers who are the type to say, "Well, maybe there is something else to this car? I'll get in and find out."

 

The Porsche key is anything but low tech. Although it turns, it's all electronic. I had to replace a key and it cost $250 or so...

 

I installed one last year and it is soooo cool. I like opening the top from afar and watch the onlookers gaze in amazement. Well, I guess I'm one of "those guys." Plus it beeps when you lock/unlock, like you said. There was a group buy before, perhaps it's time for another one...

 

My former BMW M3 key was bulky as ours but has some neat features that would be nice if we had.
1. The battery in the Keyfob is charged when it is in the ignition.
2. There is a mempry chip inside that when placed is a special cradle at the BMW dealership downloads information on your car. (Mileage, vin# and some other things)

A feature I would like to see would be the addition of an RFID that would automatically unlock and lock the doors as you approached and as you left. Unfortunately the Germans are not too hi-tech and we won't be seeing this for awhile. Hell, why do we not have a standard BT interface or a GPS worth a darn? My $500 Garmin is leaps and bounds better than the $2,000 PCM one. Bottom line, electronic features we would like simply are not the Germans fortay.

 

Can someone give me the "SmartTop" link again? Maybe that will assuage some of my functional dislikes on the key. Did I also read that the dealer can program the key/car interface so that a longer press is necessary to pop the hood? Or was that another after-market fix?

Kevin