If a Porsche Taycan passes you on the freeway, does it make a sound?
It does if the buyer paid $500 for the "Electric Sport Sound" upgrade Porsche is offering on its new electric vehicle.
The brand's online configurator says the feature "enhances the vehicle's own sound and makes it sound even more emotional — both outside and inside the vehicle."
The Taycan, like other EVs, doesn't naturally produce the roaring engine sounds that sports car drivers are used to. Silent electric motors also pose a danger to pedestrians, bicyclists and blind people, which is why safety regulators have ordered automakers to add artificial sounds for when the vehicles are moving at less than 18.6 mph.
Porsche's $500 solution addresses that problem while also helping customers be heard, seen and envied at any speed.
