A Foot Massage While You Drive, Could It Be? [ Weekly Car News Round Up]

This week's world of auto news turned out some interesting developments. Here are a few we thought were worth recapping! 

 

A foot massage in a car? Could it be?

According to Autoblog this week, Jalopnik spotted a foot massage patent application filed by GM in February of this year. If this means anything is unclear. Autoblog mentions that car brands are known to patent ideas without actually acting on them. Nonetheless, the foot massager would involve a mechanism that uses small cushions that inflate in a pre-programmed sequence via an air pump. It is unclear in the documentation where this foot massager would reside in the car. Well, I guess there is nothing we can do but wait and see.

 

Cars may be heading towards greener horizons.

This week, both Volvo and Porsche shared that their respective brand will pave the way for a more eco-friendly and sustainable future. Volvo announced that it would 2030 they will remove all cars with an internal combustion engine as well as hybrids. Similarly, Porsche revealed that though it would not be converting to full electric. it would be looking to prolong the life of internal combustion cars by investing heavily into synthetic fuel production. This will allow Porsche drivers to hang on to their cars with the knowledge that the synthetic fuels will be compatible with their car without any modification necessary. 

 

Porsche's Taycan 4S is raising money for a good cause in the most vibrant way.

Starting April 6, 2021 a Taycan 4S will be auctioned off at the RM Sotheby's auction house. The proceeds will help support artists as well as organizations that help those most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Other than it being the new Taycan 4S, what makes this Porsche the choice for this auction? It is because this particular Taycan 4S features a whimsical vinyl wrap with art by NYC-based artist Richard Phillips. 

 

There's one Porsche that Americans prefer to drive a stick shift.

Statistically manual transmissions are preferred over automatics in the US. However recently, this fact came as a surprise for Porsche, because it turns out that to their surprise fans of the GT3 prefer their car with a manual transmission. According to the Autoblog who covered the story, the 7-speed PDK  - dual-clutch automatic- may accelerate faster but the manual transmission provides a more meaningful connection between the driver and the machine.

 

That's it for this week! See you next Friday!