Quick quiz - Why is the key to the left of the steering wheel?

[Jim Rockford]

My understanding is it's homage to Le Mans cars that used left hand ignition to shave fractions of a second in the start sequence. Seems rather absurd given the race is twenty four hours, but whatever who am I to protest.

It's a real pain in the ass though when you've been programmed all your life on daily driver cars with it on the right side of the column, and you constantly enter the car and make a motion towards the wrong side.

[husker boxster]

Have you noticed the key is on the right in RHD / British versions of the Boxster? Guess Porsche wants the people with the wheel on the wrong side to get going tenths of a second faster too.

[husker boxster]

Originally Posted by hainam134567d1

upppppppppppppppppppppp phụ chủ thớt

I think he cussed at me.

[Flavor 987S]

Originally Posted by Mark_T

I always thought that it was on the left so that if you crashed on the track the marshall could reach in and shut off the car.

Race cars all have a clearly marked exterior kill switch. They use that. Not the ignition.

[Retroman1969]

I've always heard/read that it was tradition going back to the LeMans cars as well.
Does anyone else find themselves automatically stabbing the key into the left (or right) side of the dash when they get in another car?

[BIGJake111]

Originally Posted by Retroman1969

I've always heard/read that it was tradition going back to the LeMans cars as well.
Does anyone else find themselves automatically stabbing the key into the left (or right) side of the dash when they get in another car?

Yes lol. I think there is a mark by now on the dash of the other cars in the family. Get in, get the belt with the right hand as my left hand stabs the key into the dash lol. At least half the time I end up genuinely confused.

[RedTele58]

Originally Posted by Retroman1969

Does anyone else find themselves automatically stabbing the key into the left (or right) side of the dash when they get in another car?

And when I drive either my Suburban or my truck, I'm always reaching for the center console for the window switches.

[BIGJake111]

Originally Posted by RedTele58

And when I drive either my Suburban or my truck, I'm always reaching for the center console for the window switches.

I really do think that of all the things these cars do right. what they do best is ergonomics. People complain about the interior of 9X6 Porsche's but everything is just in the perfect place.

Reach down and lower both windows at once with index and middle finger.

turn the intermittent wiper gauge thing with the right hand.

The trunk release is extremely easy to grab while getting out of the car.

Sitting comfortably in the seat my wrists are right on top of the wheel when arms extended making the driving position perfect.

The location of the shifter in relation to everything else.

Even the way my elbow fits perfectly into the divot of the door pocket cover.

Whoever is responsible for the ergonomics in the boxster is a legend.

[CraigM]

Originally Posted by RedTele58

And when I drive either my Suburban or my truck, I'm always reaching for the center console for the window switches.

When I'm in our Sequoia, I can never find the button to put the top down...


ETA: I think that's my modern, less cool Le Mans start - left hand turning key, right hand grabbing latch for the top.

[Luv2Box]

Somebody finally did something for us lefties.:dance:

[BoxsterSteve]

Originally Posted by Luv2Box

Somebody finally did something for us lefties.:dance:

If it's not actually a LeMans racing tradition thing, I'll go with the southpaw tribute too.

[jdraupp]

Originally Posted by RedTele58

And when I drive either my Suburban or my truck, I'm always reaching for the center console for the window switches.

More broadly when I drove stick everytime I got into the car I immediately put my right foot on the brake and went to depress the clutch with my left foot. You look pretty dumb doing that when you get into a car that doesn't have one.

[Giller]

Originally Posted by RedTele58

And when I drive either my Suburban or my truck, I'm always reaching for the center console for the window switches.

Always hated the window controls in the middle....fortunately, they moved them on the new rides to the door.

The switches in the middle always reminded me of my wife's old winter beater Pontiac Sunfire. Crappy car - so anything remotely the same as that brought back bad memories!

[j.fro]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g63iM83Nwdc

[rick3000]

Originally Posted by Retroman1969

Does anyone else find themselves automatically stabbing the key into the left (or right) side of the dash when they get in another car?

All the time.

[Flavor 987S]

If you read old Porsche history books, you'll see it has nothing to do with the old Le Mans start. But that's a great story to tell. Porsche has simply stated, that's just the side they put the ignition switch on. Almost weekly, I try to start my Ford Explorer with the push button on the left. Duuuuuuu.

[hushypushy]

Here it is straight from Porsche. This is the quick start guide to a 2014 Cayenne:

[Flavor 987S]

Originally Posted by hushypushy

Here it is straight from Porsche. This is the quick start guide to a 2014 Cayenne:

That's from the guys in Marketing. The history books say otherwise. But it's a good story.

[mikesz]

Lemans running start days I heard. Could start the car with left hand and shift with right hand. Course there is that damn steering wheel teeth maybe?