Photo: Catalin Garmacea
UPDATE: We see ourselves forced to introduce a new Porsche acronym. Despite this being a virtual one, its consequences will sit at the core of the development of future Porsche abbreviations we'll see at work on the road. Ladies and gentlemen racers, without further ado, we give you PWLM: Porsche Wins Le Mans.
The 2015 Porsche win at the Circuit de la Sarthe is a 1-2 success. It's the 17th win for the Germans, one that comes after a long absence from the track. Porsche hasn't took home the Le Mans laurels since 1998, but we have a feeling they're striving to make these a standard feature.
We’ve spent the last couple of hours making sure the Porsche name hasn’t been translated into the acronym language by the Zuffenhausen engineers. With the cryptic minds of these Germans, you can never be sure. Nevertheless, since we couldn’t find anything, we thought we could at least give you a complete guide to the Porsche acronyms that do exist.
When Porsche’s high-end status meets the typical German passion for precise labelling and optional features, you end up with the most complex system of this kind. In other words, this could very well be timed trivia material on some forum out there.
We’ll be navigating through Porsche’s alphabet soup together in the paragraphs below. The acronyms are listed in alphabetical disziplin.
PAA Porsche Active Aerodynamics: active front spoiler and rear wing that work in 3 stages. This can be found on the 911 Turbo and the 918 Spyder.
PAS Porsche Active Safe: working with the adaptive cruise control, this active safety system visually and audibly alerts the driver when the vehicle approaches the car in front too quickly. It will even go as far as jerking the brakes and boosting the pressure applied by the driver.
PASM Porsche Active Suspension Management: this is an active damping system that offers multiple settings, adapting to both the driving style and the road conditions.
PCC Porsche Car Connect: one of the newest systems on the company’s map, this is a smartphone app that offers statistics such as fuel efficiency data while also allowing you to remotely close the windows, for instance.
In addition, the feature includes the PVTS Porsche Vehicle Tracking System. This can help owners locate stolen vehicles in many parts of Europe. There’s also a PVTS Plus, which brings extra vehicle identification codes.
By the way, Porsche has been offering the PVTS vehicle location service for years. This comes as an accessory from Porsche Tequipment’s genuine accessory arm, covering vast portions of Europe and Russia.
PCCB Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake: sampled in the 911 Turbo S pic above, this is Porsche’s carbon-ceramic braking system. Aside from the extra fading resistance, the special discs are 50 % lighter than similarly-sized standard rotors.
To the best of our knowledge, Porsche is currently the only carmaker in the world to also offer such a feature on an SUV. Nevertheless, the Cayenne will soon share the optional feature with the 2016 Audi SQ7, which is set to arrive by the end of 2015.
PCM Porsche Communication Management: this infotainment interface currently offers both button and touch-screen control. In addition, Porsche’s Exclusive division will happily paint its surrounding trim in pretty much any hue you desire.
PDCC Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control: one of the most enticing chassis features offered by Porsche, this includes active stabiliser bars. As a result, you can have extra comfort when you need it and superior handling when required.
PDK Porsche Doppelkupplung: the company’s seven-ration double-clutch transmission nowadays features Launch Control and a Coasting function.
PDLS Porsche Dynamic Light System: working with Bi-Xenon™ headlights, the feature offers dynamic cornering lights, as well as adjusting the lighting according to the vehicle speed and weather.
PDLS Plus LED: working with LED headlights, the system expands the capacities of the one described above. Thus, it offers a Dynamic high beam function that switches between high and low beam in order not to dazzle other drivers. On the Panamera and Macan, the system also includes Intersection Assistant. The latter works with the navigation systems to turn on the cornering lights when you come across crossings or junctions.
POSIP Porsche Side Impact Protection System: the carmaker’s side airbag system.
PSM Porsche Stability Management: this is ESP in Porsche language.
PTM Porsche Traction Management: refers to the active all-wheel drive system, which obviously brings massive differences according to the model it is installed on.
PTV Porsche Torque Vectoring: the system applies braking to the inner rear wheel while cornering, working together with a mechanical differential lock.
PTV Plus Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus: the application mentioned above, upgraded to join forces with an electronically-controlled mechanical rear locking differential.
TPMS Tire Pressure Monitoring System: it’s as simple as that.
Aside from the ones listed above, there are other categories of Porsche acronyms. The first includes the systems that are just as complex as the rest, but haven’t been branded in the same fashion due to various reasons, such as co-development with third party companies. The Rear Axle Steering on the 911 Turbo and the 911 GT3 is an example as good as any.
Then we have the retired acronyms. It all starts with systems that have been upgraded and rebranded, such as the PDAS Porsche Dynamische Allrad Steuerung active all-wheel drive system of the 90s. We also have items such as the PSE Porsche Sports Exhaust, which still exists, but has lost its dedicated acronym.
In addition, we have a very limited group of designations that seem to flow within Volkswagen Group, such as Tiptronic. Audi used to brands its torque converter automatics using this, but it has started to move away from the name in favor of Porsche.
In its overwhelming neat-and-tidy operations, Porsche also lists matters such as VTG Variable Turbine Geometry. Sure, the 997 911 Turbo may have been the first production petrol car to introduce this, but other carmakers use a similar nomenclature for their diesel powerplants. As a result, we haven’t listed such acronyms above.
Given the complexity of Porsche’s labeling affairs, you really couldn’t blame anybody for getting lost in the maze. Now you can.
We’ll be navigating through Porsche’s alphabet soup together in the paragraphs below. The acronyms are listed in alphabetical disziplin.
PAA Porsche Active Aerodynamics: active front spoiler and rear wing that work in 3 stages. This can be found on the 911 Turbo and the 918 Spyder.
PAS Porsche Active Safe: working with the adaptive cruise control, this active safety system visually and audibly alerts the driver when the vehicle approaches the car in front too quickly. It will even go as far as jerking the brakes and boosting the pressure applied by the driver.
PASM Porsche Active Suspension Management: this is an active damping system that offers multiple settings, adapting to both the driving style and the road conditions.
PCC Porsche Car Connect: one of the newest systems on the company’s map, this is a smartphone app that offers statistics such as fuel efficiency data while also allowing you to remotely close the windows, for instance.
In addition, the feature includes the PVTS Porsche Vehicle Tracking System. This can help owners locate stolen vehicles in many parts of Europe. There’s also a PVTS Plus, which brings extra vehicle identification codes.
By the way, Porsche has been offering the PVTS vehicle location service for years. This comes as an accessory from Porsche Tequipment’s genuine accessory arm, covering vast portions of Europe and Russia.
PCCB Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake: sampled in the 911 Turbo S pic above, this is Porsche’s carbon-ceramic braking system. Aside from the extra fading resistance, the special discs are 50 % lighter than similarly-sized standard rotors.
To the best of our knowledge, Porsche is currently the only carmaker in the world to also offer such a feature on an SUV. Nevertheless, the Cayenne will soon share the optional feature with the 2016 Audi SQ7, which is set to arrive by the end of 2015.
PCM Porsche Communication Management: this infotainment interface currently offers both button and touch-screen control. In addition, Porsche’s Exclusive division will happily paint its surrounding trim in pretty much any hue you desire.
PDCC Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control: one of the most enticing chassis features offered by Porsche, this includes active stabiliser bars. As a result, you can have extra comfort when you need it and superior handling when required.
PDK Porsche Doppelkupplung: the company’s seven-ration double-clutch transmission nowadays features Launch Control and a Coasting function.
PDLS Porsche Dynamic Light System: working with Bi-Xenon™ headlights, the feature offers dynamic cornering lights, as well as adjusting the lighting according to the vehicle speed and weather.
PDLS Plus LED: working with LED headlights, the system expands the capacities of the one described above. Thus, it offers a Dynamic high beam function that switches between high and low beam in order not to dazzle other drivers. On the Panamera and Macan, the system also includes Intersection Assistant. The latter works with the navigation systems to turn on the cornering lights when you come across crossings or junctions.
POSIP Porsche Side Impact Protection System: the carmaker’s side airbag system.
PSM Porsche Stability Management: this is ESP in Porsche language.
PTM Porsche Traction Management: refers to the active all-wheel drive system, which obviously brings massive differences according to the model it is installed on.
PTV Porsche Torque Vectoring: the system applies braking to the inner rear wheel while cornering, working together with a mechanical differential lock.
PTV Plus Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus: the application mentioned above, upgraded to join forces with an electronically-controlled mechanical rear locking differential.
TPMS Tire Pressure Monitoring System: it’s as simple as that.
Aside from the ones listed above, there are other categories of Porsche acronyms. The first includes the systems that are just as complex as the rest, but haven’t been branded in the same fashion due to various reasons, such as co-development with third party companies. The Rear Axle Steering on the 911 Turbo and the 911 GT3 is an example as good as any.
Then we have the retired acronyms. It all starts with systems that have been upgraded and rebranded, such as the PDAS Porsche Dynamische Allrad Steuerung active all-wheel drive system of the 90s. We also have items such as the PSE Porsche Sports Exhaust, which still exists, but has lost its dedicated acronym.
In addition, we have a very limited group of designations that seem to flow within Volkswagen Group, such as Tiptronic. Audi used to brands its torque converter automatics using this, but it has started to move away from the name in favor of Porsche.
In its overwhelming neat-and-tidy operations, Porsche also lists matters such as VTG Variable Turbine Geometry. Sure, the 997 911 Turbo may have been the first production petrol car to introduce this, but other carmakers use a similar nomenclature for their diesel powerplants. As a result, we haven’t listed such acronyms above.
Given the complexity of Porsche’s labeling affairs, you really couldn’t blame anybody for getting lost in the maze. Now you can.
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