Porsche Virtual Roads: From the street to the screen

Driver Guides  General Guides 

Imagine driving along the most amazing road in a Porsche. For most people it'll never happen; for some it may be a once in a lifetime experience; a few might get to do it every day. But Porsche has decided that's not good enough and we should all be able to drive that road as many times as we like…..without even getting in a car.

The aim of the Virtual Roads project is to offer drivers the opportunity to quickly and easily choose their favourite routes from real life and transfer them into a video game. All users need is a smartphone app.

"If you ask people what they think is the most beautiful road, everyone has their own, very personal route in mind. The characteristics of the topography are what make a route particularly attractive, regardless of whether it is a unique Alpine pass or a legendary coastal road," says Robert Ader, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Porsche.

"We want to trigger these great memories with a much simpler digitalisation process that allows anyone to drive their favourite route virtually."

Usually developing a new video game requires months of tracks being scanned by experts using lasers before they can be accurately rendered on screen.

Porsche hopes that when the app is fully developed it will allow drivers to record any route on their smartphone, which simply needs positioning behind the windscreen.





The file for each unique route generated using the new application can then be downloaded and played on a compatible racing game.

Racing games generally allow the user to choose any car for their virtual drive and the simulation is based on the power output and handling of the chosen vehicle.

The characteristics of the route are also simulated as much as possible, whether mimicking an uneven road surface with vibration or letting drivers that approach a corner too fast feel themselves slide off the road. Ambitious drivers can use the simulations to tackle particularly demanding routes in a sports car, improve their lap times and compete with others without any risk.

The technology can also be used for a wide range of other scenarios.

The routes can be experienced again and again by anyone with the appropriate equipment or via a smartphone. Drivers will be able to enjoy a trip along the US west coast or a spectacular ride around the track of the GP Ice Race in Zell am See. Even routes that are closed to the general public or only open on designated days can be experienced and shared.

Even if you never get to actually drive the real car on the real road it still sounds like a huge amount of fun, as well as a pretty impressive piece of technology.

And should you want to drive a real Porsche on a real road, then we have some great Porsche leasing deals to help you do just that.

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