All-New Porsche 911 Uses Microphone Sensor to Prevent Hydroplaning

Hydroplaning can be a problem on wet roads. And yes, the Philippines has a lot of them. Rainy season starts from June and ends around October in the country, so we perpetually encounter wet roads for almost half of the entire year.

And when there are wet roads, there's a tendency for a car to hydroplane due to reduced traction on the road.

The new Porsche 911 can be the answer to this problem. According to RoadandTrack.com, its 992-generation 2020 911 has a new feature that would make any karaoke lover jump for joy: a microphone.

Yes, a microphone. Well, almost. And according to Porsche, it's the solution to preventing your car from hydroplaning.

Here's how it works: the car has sensors placed near the front wheel wells. These sensors, which act like a microphone, can detect the road's level of dampness (or wetness), compare it with a car's speed, and suggest to the driver if he should engage in 'Wet Mode.'

Skeptical minds might argue that 'wet' doesn't have a sound, but Porsche would vehemently disagree. According to August Achleitner, chief engineer for the new 911, they can "detect very well how much water is on the road."

"We found out during pre-development investigations that the noise of the road and the surface causes different frequencies in the wheelhouse."

Once the Wet Mode detects a damp road, it softens the throttle response, reduces engine torque, and increases the sensitivity of its stability control and anti-brake locking system. All these factors give the vehicle greater resistance at this time, reducing its tendency to hydroplane.

Drivers can easily get out of this mode by deactivating the traction control and other features. That way, they can go back to being the adrenaline-junkie, sports car enthusiasts they were meant to be.