Drive by wire?
03-23-2003, 01:10 PM
#1
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Drive by wire?
I drove a Cayenne S yesterday and have a question. Does this vehicle use drive-by-wire technology for its throttle? I noticed a huge lag between when my foot depressed the gas pedal and the time when the truck actually started to move. It was quite disconcerting to say the least. Otherwise, the drive went well and I really enjoyed playing with the rotory control for the power sunroof! 
03-23-2003, 05:25 PM
#2
Racer
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Chicago
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I believe so, the vehicles's software learns how you drive over time. I didn't feel any delay when I test drove. The car had been driven all morning. All the rough starting and lunging I am hoping goes away as the driver (me) drives it. I have to catch up with Jim Lamb on the board and get an owners perspective. I am looking at delivery in about two weeks.
03-24-2003, 01:10 AM
#3
It's drive-by-wire. It adapts to driver input and vehicle handling. Given the usually reserved test drives, the truck is doubtless completely confused by a short trip with grand-ma, then a short trip with lead-foot-Larry, then a short trip with another person etc. I found the throttle response in both S and Turbo to be better than any other SUV short of after-market modified trucks including the ML55 and X5 4.6is, but you might find that, if you're not used to suffering with a 5000lb a slip-o-matic transmission and a "quick but comfy" throttle calibration, it will, say in comparison to '69 912 or a 2.5 Boxster, feel like the "wire" in drive-by-wire has a little too much resistance.
I didn't experience lunging, although it is q tad quick from idle, which, like the RR '03, seems to be to give the truck a feeling of quickness and agility. I couldn't describe either Cayenne engine as rough, quite the contrary, I found both to be a little subdued. I can't wait for an X50/51 sort of a package for both cars.
A feel miles in any car your foot adapts to the pedals. I found the brakes on both S and Turbo to be a little "grabby" but the third drive in the S and I realised I'd adjusted to the very firm pedal (very firm by truck standards) and yet I couldn't feel the panic assist feature and it feels like the brakes are always somehow pre-pressurised. But they certainly haul down the truck from "no, that wasn't me, officer" speeds and does so very calmly. Arguably the FX (yeah, I keep mentioning that ... um ... what is it? ... errr ... cross-dresser?) has at least the same brakes for its weight (despite looking completely wimpy by comparison) and Infiniti has done some interesting things (pre-pressurised by forward-looking laser obstacle detection for you, Mr Jetson) and an assist in the suspension to prevent nose-dive under brakes. Very effective and quite subtle.
Still, the weight transfer in the Cayenne was noticeable and made me wonder what I could do if I got rid of this damn salesman and started to trick the trick air suspension.
I'm not convinced the Servotronic steering is appropriate for spirited driving -- it didn't feel as direct or communicative as the standard power assist and I did have one or two instances where it gave too much assist at lower speeds, around 40mph and maybe contributed to the plow-on understeer I've mentioned in the Turbo (that I didn't experience on the same turn in the S with standard steering) but early days. I'm sure the next few updates to the car, combined with what we're already seeing from the usual after-market companies will deliver quantum leaps in performance and handling.
I didn't experience lunging, although it is q tad quick from idle, which, like the RR '03, seems to be to give the truck a feeling of quickness and agility. I couldn't describe either Cayenne engine as rough, quite the contrary, I found both to be a little subdued. I can't wait for an X50/51 sort of a package for both cars.
A feel miles in any car your foot adapts to the pedals. I found the brakes on both S and Turbo to be a little "grabby" but the third drive in the S and I realised I'd adjusted to the very firm pedal (very firm by truck standards) and yet I couldn't feel the panic assist feature and it feels like the brakes are always somehow pre-pressurised. But they certainly haul down the truck from "no, that wasn't me, officer" speeds and does so very calmly. Arguably the FX (yeah, I keep mentioning that ... um ... what is it? ... errr ... cross-dresser?) has at least the same brakes for its weight (despite looking completely wimpy by comparison) and Infiniti has done some interesting things (pre-pressurised by forward-looking laser obstacle detection for you, Mr Jetson) and an assist in the suspension to prevent nose-dive under brakes. Very effective and quite subtle.
Still, the weight transfer in the Cayenne was noticeable and made me wonder what I could do if I got rid of this damn salesman and started to trick the trick air suspension.
I'm not convinced the Servotronic steering is appropriate for spirited driving -- it didn't feel as direct or communicative as the standard power assist and I did have one or two instances where it gave too much assist at lower speeds, around 40mph and maybe contributed to the plow-on understeer I've mentioned in the Turbo (that I didn't experience on the same turn in the S with standard steering) but early days. I'm sure the next few updates to the car, combined with what we're already seeing from the usual after-market companies will deliver quantum leaps in performance and handling.
