Here's the thing: Automatic-transmission vehicles aren't necessarily tested at wide-open throttle.
![california drivers test manual california drivers test manual](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511mz1U4vnL.jpg)
Manual-transmission vehicles are tested in either second or third gear given the GT3's curb weight and power output, the procedure calls for third. SAE J1470 aims to measure "the highest noise level consistent with urban driving." The exact testing method varies based on vehicle size, power output, peak acceleration rate, and gearing, but generally, it involves a full-throttle run starting at 50 km/h (31 mph) and continuing until the engine reaches its peak-power rpm. But basically, the test boils down to this: A vehicle accelerates past a microphone, and the sound pressure level, in decibels, is recorded.
#California drivers test manual code#
The California Code of Regulations specifies that highway vehicles must pass a drive-by noise test designed by the Society of Automotive Engineers-specifically, SAE J1470, "Measurement of Noise Emitted by Accelerating Highway Vehicles." This SAE paper goes into extreme detail explaining the design and layout of the ideal testing environment, the proper arrangement of the measuring equipment, the exact condition of the vehicle to be tested, and on and on.
![california drivers test manual california drivers test manual](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/5B8AAOSwr9ReObnb/s-l300.jpg)
It's a factor of the way the test is performed-and which testing method California chooses to employ.Ģ022 Porsche 911 GT3 Runs Sub-7s on the 'Ring According to a Porsche spokesperson, the GT3 passes California's drive-by noise test when equipped with the PDK seven-speed dual-clutch automatic with the six-speed stick, it fails. Buried at the bottom of Porsche's press release was a jarring, disappointing admission: "The seven-speed PDK gearbox will be the only transmission offered in California with the 911 GT3." That's right: The six-speed manual, a no-cost option that would seem to be ideal in the raw, visceral, naturally aspirated GT3, can't be sold in California, the state where you'd expect to see the greatest number of this sports car sold. Porsche revealed the 2022 911 GT3 Touring this week-a comfier, more subtle version of the razor-sharp new GT3 that was introduced earlier this year.
#California drivers test manual manual#
We're working to find out exactly how Porsche and the California Highway Patrol solved this problem so quickly, but the bottom line is, when the 992-generation GT3 goes on sale this fall, the manual transmission will be available in all 50 states. "The work in the past week by the California DMV and California Highway Patrol to find a solution has been appreciated and helped to identify an appropriate regulatory path forward."īelow is our original reporting from June 16, explaining in detail how California tests vehicle drive-by noise, and why the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 might pass the test with an automatic transmission, but fail with a manual. "Following consultations with California authorities, Porsche Cars North America is pleased to confirm that its dealers will be able to sell the new 911 GT3 with a six-speed manual gearbox-meaning that, when the first cars arrive in the fall, they can be legally registered and driven in all 50 states," Porsche said in a statement. Manual-transmission GT3s can now be sold in the state.
![california drivers test manual california drivers test manual](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7c/38/72/7c38721ba9cdd590653921c9791fa5e2.jpg)
That has since changed: On June 22nd, a Porsche spokesperson contacted Road & Track and confirmed that Porsche has reached a solution with the state of California. Editor's Note, June 23, 2021, 10:00 AM: This article was originally published on June 16, 2021, after Porsche announced that the manual GT3 would not be available in California.