Porsche reveals HVAC tech details of 911 drop-top

Promotional materials from car manufacturers rarely go into detail regarding the HVAC or thermal management technology of their products but high-end German brands such as Porsche and Audi sometimes publish something for VASA members to geek out on.

The latest Porsche 911 Cabriolet is one such example. The company says its cabin temperature sensors are ‘slowly suppressed’ as the soft-top roof is opened in order to manage the “many additional influences” that are added during top-down driving.

In addition, the climate control system processes around 350 signals are every half a second “in coordination with 20 external and 20 internal interfaces” in order to “continuously calculate the optimum air temperature, air outlet volume, and air distribution in the open-top interior”.

Among the inputs considered are the temperature of vent air, outside air and engine coolant plus engine speed, vehicle speed and sunlight. On that last point, Porsche claims the system “reacts to practically every cloud in the sky with a control adjustment”.

For those lucky enough to enjoy the pleasures of a convertible 911, this all results in “a cozy veil of heat without having the unpleasant sensation of air being blown in their faces” during cooler weather, and “surrounded by a pleasant freshness” if it’s hot outside.

As Porsche puts it, freed from the chore of manually adjusting their car’s climate settings, occupants are at liberty to “remember their sunscreen and sunglasses — and enjoy the drive”.