Porsche’s iconic Sport Chrono Package, a $2,400 upgrade available on models like the 911, might soon see a more accessible addition. According to a new European Patent Office filing, Porsche plans to offer a standalone stopwatch arrangement, allowing drivers to track lap times without purchasing the full package. Unlike the current package, which cannot be retrofitted, this new feature could be an aftermarket solution that brings timing features to any Porsche, and possibly even other brands, at a yet-undisclosed price.
Current Sport Chrono Package Features
If car buyers add the Sport Chrono Package as an optional extra on a current model like the 911, they receive a fully integrated system that comes with features such as:
- Launch control
- Sport Response button
- Special shift paddles
- Chronograph unit on the dashboard
- Sport Plus driving mode
- PSM Sport mode
- Porsche Track Precision app
- Built-in telemetry to analyze your lap performance, and more.
Isolating the Timing Features
For Porsche owners without the Sport Chrono Package, tracking lap times has relied on a passenger or trackside spectator timing you. Porsche wants to solve this problem by supplying a retrofit stopwatch arrangement that can be added to any of its models or, indeed, any other interested brands. While buyers wouldn’t get any of the hardware or vehicle-integrated software, they would enjoy a precision-timing stopwatch.
System components include a digital and analog stopwatch and a housing that allows the two stopwatches to be mounted side by side on the dashboard via special mounting brackets. The digital stopwatch provides precision, while the analog stopwatch adds redundancy and some visual appeal.
Bringing Precision Lap Timing To All Drivers
We think this is a brilliant new idea from Porsche, allowing owners of older Porsches to get the benefits of driver-operated precision track timing. Porsche’s proposal to license this system to other automakers could further expand its appeal to people who want precision in-car timing without having to resort to manual handheld stopwatches.
