My memory is better than I remember... Jeep Grand Cherokee SUA (Sudden Unintended Acceleration) info. Them electronics is crazy things!

It wasn't a specific sequence of things, but there are some documented (even video taped) incidents. Is it a coincidence the pedal spacing was identical to the Audi? Dunno. But there is some speculation of faulty electronics.

My apologies, I notice some of these articles are written by lawyers... :)

-Boyo

http://www.safetyforum.com/sua/
http://www.strategicsafety.com/library/si002.htm

Boyo, (1) the articles you linked to are in fact written by plaintiffs' lawyers, and (2) although there's "speculation" of faulty electronics, the incidents for which an actual cause was found are those in which the driver mistakes the gas pedal for the brake pedal.

I guess that one could "argue" that running over a police officer after mistaking the gas pedal for the brake pedal isn't the driver's fault. Lawyers are trained to argue anything, after all. Maybe the pedals should be a foot apart, maybe the car shouldn't start or shift out of park unless the brake is applied, maybe there should be a lock button that prevents you from applying the gas pedal immediately after shifting gears, maybe there should be a recorded voice that says "are you sure you want to apply the [gas] [brake]", etc etc. And maybe one could go further and argue that not only is the driver without fault, but that the car maker should pay millions (which gets absorbed in new car prices and paid by the rest of us) or (like Audi) be driven out of the US market.

But that's a far cry from having cars that suddenly apply full throttle, overpower the brakes, and roar off on their own due to mysterious "faults" in the "electronics". That sort of claim is b-o-g-u-s.

daegucb,
Iwould try this on the 964/993/996 board. Most of us are in denial and won't part with our old beaters.:D
Seriously though, this board while frequented by the most users is very shallow in knowledge of the "new" 911.
If you want a serious answer this aint the place. I am sure someone on the other board can help. I posted some questions there when I was looking at a 964 and got good responses.
Good luck.

If the 996 is really a drive by wire, then it's impossable for the engine to over power the brakes. Once the brakes are depressed, the enging should cut out electronically. If you drive any drive by wire car, try to left foot brake while depressing the gas and see what happens. I forget sometimes and try to use that trick in my wife's VW Passat TDI. Mostly I try to use it to get a tailgater off my butt and it leads to an unintended brake test instead of just a "light up the brake lights with out loosing speed".

jyl - note judicious use of the word "speculation".... ;)

So if the throttle cuts off when the brake is depressed, how do you do heel-toe shifting?

-Boyo