.....compass heading in either the instrument panel or the touch screen? The navigation map can be used to determine heading if the map option of North/Up is selected. Seriously? My S-Type 2002 displayed a compass heading in the rear view mirror and every vehicle owned since then has had it somewhere constantly visible.

What am I missing? Where is the compass heading?

Desert Hiker

 

The concept of North/South for directional assistance has gone the way of the manual transmission. We're about due for a magnetic pole reversal anyway, so Miami will shortly be far north of New York City.

 

Only ever had that once on a Mitsubishi 4wd. Was totally pointless and I never used it.

 

Interesting . . . It's also been in almost every car I've had for the last 20-30 years.

I use it all the time, but my training and pilot experience imprinted me on the importance of constant attention to my headings, which be a life or death matter.

 

Must be an American thing to have them in cars.

For me in a vehicle a compass heading is generally a bit pointless for navigation as you have to stick to roads and they double back on themselves and change direction etc. a GPS/sat nav is much more useful as is a general knowledge of the Main roads.

I keep a manual compass in my 4x4. But that's really mostly for an emergency when I might need to navigate on foot. If I find myself traversing a trackless desert (which I have done) then a compass heading becomes more useful, but I have an iPad mounted on the dash of my 4x4 which has a compass, GPS, a chart plotter and many other navigation aids for that.

I can honestly say that if there was one in my F, I would never look at it.

 

Oh, you're absolutely right--don't really need it in a car because the roads go where they go, and it's a good practice to stay on them. I only meant I look at the compass heading constantly out of habits developed flying airplanes.

 

Yes, well,in an aeroplane I can definitely see how that might be useful

 

Indeed, there is a sense that the world is entering a period of disorientation, that will likely be followed by a period of reorientation.

Desert Hiker

 

....as an hiker and backpacker, a compass is a constant companion. It's a source of comfort and safety; however, I would also never admit to becoming disoriented on roadways. OTOH, my wife really benefits from it. It's been years to retrain her from thinking "it's on the left", to "it's on the east side".....to avoid the (often wrong) assumption of the direction of approach.

And yes, there's an old fashioned compass in each of our vehicles along with other road trip essentials.

Desert Hiker

 

All of my airplanes had compasses, but none of my cars ever did (nor artificial horizons or altimeters). Though, I could have used an artificial horizon at Nelson Ledges once.

 

My wife is directionally challenged and has to have the letters L and R stamped on her dash board. However, tell her something is located next to Nordstrom's, she has no difficulty finding her way.

 

I like a compass in a car, and I do look at it regularly. Living in the US west, there are many places where internet connections are not available so we lose that communication ability. Also, Google Earth is not available in many areas, and we're left with a CD map only which has many inaccuracies. The satellites are always there of course, but I have been on windy mining roads and even some highways where the computer got totally disoriented and it took a few minutes to get sorted out. I like to know my heading. Guess a portable in-car compass will be in my future when it arrives.

 

We had a Toyota FJ with an artificial horizon of sorts, although it was called an inclinometer.

 

There's an app for that
Don't think it's an American thing, 991 also has compass heading option (assuming it's also avail on the German editions).
It comes in handy when you are in the middle of nowhere and making sure you are going north, not south

 

Hopefully you're also constantly checking your speed and altitude too?

 

That's right ... I do have an "artificial horizon" in the FJ40.

 

Yes, both. In my Audi's with Google Earth, I have a read-out of instantaneous elevation which I enjoy driving around these Rockies. Does the F-Type have that?

 

Yes, those are rather important as well.

 

Yes my app does, altitude, lat, long, speed, compass heading and more.

I suspect Porsche puts it in because it's an American thing, the U.S. Is the largest car market in the world, or at least it used to be, China might beat you now. In have only ever seen it as separate from the Sat Nav on one car here although I'm sure there are more, but it is not common.

 

I have an altimeter in my Touareg. I actually kind of like it.