What about my point of trying the upgrade for the cheap monthly fee before paying the lifetime fee for the upgrade? Whether it’s a hardware upgrade or software configuration, I tend to like any try-before-you-buy scenario of expensive options.
Ah, the value proposition there would be:
1) You could test configurations before buying, or subsequent to it.
2) You could purchase a vehicle at a lower price point if you chose not to take advantage of the upgrade.
3) Resell value could potentially be higher, as the base model is already configurable to a different level of performance or value. Or conversely, buying a vehicle that could be optioned for modest performance for a teenage driver.
That said… I’m still stuck the notion that the vehicle drivetrains are identical, just a software configuration is the difference. The precedent is in the marketplace today for drivers to have different driving modes (it will likely seem counterintuitive to suggest paying more). The eagerness for subscription revenue also seems cheesy.
I think some consumers will find a way to hack it for free. My son races two VW’s in autocross. Along with performance parts, he plugs his laptop into the OBD port and adjusts parameters to better suit his needs. Tuning vehicles today includes software, it’s the norm.