Ford has applied for a patent for a remote engine rotation system.
Remote engine starting has been around for some time, but a patent application published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on May 5 describes turning the engine over idle speed at rest. This will be controlled by a device such as a smartphone, according to the app.
The purpose of this is to make noise. Ford has noted that a major part of the appeal of performance cars is their engines. The ability to crank the engine on command allows owners to enjoy the roar of the V-8 (Ford used the Mustang to illustrate this idea) even more. So it’s basically the opposite of the present Mustang’s Quiet Exhaust Mode.
Ford remote engine patent image
The system can even open the exhaust valve or crank the engine for a certain amount of time and up to a specific rpm, according to the application.
This isn’t just for internal combustion cars. Ford notes that the absence of noise in electric cars could make them less appealing to enthusiasts. So instead of actual engine rotation, the same system could be used to play the sound of engine rotation through vehicle-mounted speakers to create a similar effect, according to the automaker.
It’s unclear if the system will ever enter production, as Ford tends to take a shotgun approach to patent applications. The automaker also recently filed a patent for sand ladder truck and a tank spin feature that seems like a response to the trick-taking features of the Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer EV. But Ford has not discussed plans to use any of these patents on production vehicles.
