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Why is the ignition key on the right in almost all cars, but on the left in Porsches?

Porsche, a world-famous German automobile manufacturer, is known for its unique design and engineering features. The most important of these designs is that the ignition of Porsche models is on the left side.
 Why is the ignition key on the right in almost all cars, but on the left in Porsches?
READING NOW Why is the ignition key on the right in almost all cars, but on the left in Porsches?

While looking at this extraordinary design, have you ever thought about the reason behind it? In fact, while this idea is just a difference for some, it is based on a very useful idea for others.

Of course, it is obvious that this is one of the unique designs of the brand. However, we think that the only reason for this unusual design is not just aesthetic concerns. Let’s take a closer look at these factors together.

Porsche’s automobile production dates back to the early 20th century.

The brand has produced sporty and racing-oriented cars throughout this long history. Having the ignition on the left is one of Porsche’s historical design choices and has therefore become a characteristic feature of the brand. Since ancient times, racing cars have been designed to have the ignition switch on the left side. This design allows the driver to start the car quickly and comfortably and makes it easier to quickly gain control of the car during the race.

In old races like Le Mans (one of the world’s most famous sports car endurance races); Competitors would run to their vehicles before starting the race, and those who could run the vehicle the fastest would start the race first. The engineers of the Porsche team have also developed this practical idea that will save them time, even if only for seconds.

Porsche manages to hold the victory record at Le Mans with 19 wins. This record thus helps the brand demonstrate its ability in terms of reliability and speed and prove that they can think “outside the box”.

Under normal conditions, the right hand both starts the ignition and engages the gear.

Today, almost all vehicles have the ignition on the right. Since engaging the gear and starting the ignition at the same time would waste time in races, it was requested that the ignition be designed on the left and that both of them be controlled by two separate hands at the same time. This situation, which has become a tradition in Porsche models, has continued like this for years. We think it’s a very clever idea!

So what other alternative reasons might there be?

Of course, engineers could have designed it based solely on this idea. But this situation, which continues today, may ultimately have different reasons. One of these may be that having the ignition on the left helps the driver balance the car better, especially during high-speed corners or racing. This can be interpreted as part of the design to increase the driver’s control and steer the car precisely.

Of course, the last item was just our idea. When such a design was implemented for a competition in 1925, the contact designed on the left later became almost an identity of the brand.

Sources: WSJ, WG, Wheels

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