Many cars have this with the touch screen, sport mode, eco mode, etc. Some will even learn from your driving behaviour and calibrate to that.
The change is functionally instant, and when the original post talked about mapping it’s really a bunch of graphs and curves that dictate behaviour over the full range of rpm of the engine. You can switch maps on the fly by loading different basically spread sheets into the computer. Factory cars are calibrated for general use and epa standards, but you could make all kinds of special settings for various conditions.
My knowledge of this is dated, haven’t been in the industry since 2000, but the basics haven’t changed.
Older Porsches had a physical button on the floor under the gas pedal that you’d trigger when you floored it, putting it in spaz mode.
The truth is, how you drive has a bigger impact on fuel efficiency than anything else, don’t accelerate aggressively, and stay below 65 mph. Wind drag above 50 mph is by far the greatest impact on fuel efficiency. Internal combustion engines are generally most efficient between 1800 and 2500 rpm, so if you keep your cruising speed there you’ll get the longest range on road trips, but obviously it’ll take that much longer.
a physical button on the floor under the gas pedal
I had an E30 BMW with one of those. Push the button and the automatic transmission would immediately downshift, and the engine would spin up in a hurry. Spaz mode was fun.
Many cars have this with the touch screen, sport mode, eco mode, etc. Some will even learn from your driving behaviour and calibrate to that.
The change is functionally instant, and when the original post talked about mapping it’s really a bunch of graphs and curves that dictate behaviour over the full range of rpm of the engine. You can switch maps on the fly by loading different basically spread sheets into the computer. Factory cars are calibrated for general use and epa standards, but you could make all kinds of special settings for various conditions.
My knowledge of this is dated, haven’t been in the industry since 2000, but the basics haven’t changed.
Older Porsches had a physical button on the floor under the gas pedal that you’d trigger when you floored it, putting it in spaz mode.
The truth is, how you drive has a bigger impact on fuel efficiency than anything else, don’t accelerate aggressively, and stay below 65 mph. Wind drag above 50 mph is by far the greatest impact on fuel efficiency. Internal combustion engines are generally most efficient between 1800 and 2500 rpm, so if you keep your cruising speed there you’ll get the longest range on road trips, but obviously it’ll take that much longer.
I had an E30 BMW with one of those. Push the button and the automatic transmission would immediately downshift, and the engine would spin up in a hurry. Spaz mode was fun.