PORSCHE

Porsche wants to offer an automatic transmission that is…manual

Porsche has patented a gearbox that is as curious as it is strange. Simultaneously, it aims to please the most traditional drivers, who prefer manual gearboxes, as well as those who prefer the faster and more efficient dual-clutch automatic gearboxes. The decision to design this new gearbox was made public through patent registration, when the German manufacturer of the Volkswagen Group filed the registration.

Designing a gearbox that is simultaneously automatic and manual is more complex than it may seem at first glance. Obviously, this is not a gearbox like many already on the market, where the dual-clutch system ensures the automatic selection of different ratios, without driver intervention, so that in the next moment, if you want to engage in a more sporty driving experience, you can opt for manual use of the gearbox, selecting the ratios via the paddles next to the steering wheel or by operating the lever. In Porsche's case, the objective goes further. The brand intends to offer a gearbox in which the driver only needs to select Drive, Reverse, and Neutral if they want to move forward, backward, or put the car in neutral, with the driver also having the option of a second selector where the gears are distributed in an "H" pattern, selectable via the lever.

For most drivers, even those of sports cars, gearboxes need to be fast and precise, which leads more and more sports car users to opt for dual-clutch automatics. Perhaps for this reason, about 15 years ago Porsche decided to remove the six-speed manual gearboxes from its most representative model, the 911 GT3, making only the seven-speed PDK automatic available. The reaction from potential customers was immediate and very negative, which led Porsche to reverse course and reinstate the manual gearboxes. With this new gearbox, the German brand intends to please everyone, offering a two-in-one solution to suit all types of preferences.

The idea of ​​a gearbox that is simultaneously automatic and manual is not new, since back in 2022 the ever-surprising engineer Christian Koenigsegg, founder of the Swedish hypercar manufacturer bearing his name, produced two models equipped with this type of gearbox. We are referring to the Koenigsegg CC850 and Koenigsegg Chimera, both of which associate this innovative (and still unique) gearbox with engines with well over 1000 hp.

There is not much information about the gearbox that Porsche patented, but it will certainly be a bulky, heavy and expensive solution, three characteristics that customers who purchase Koenigsegg vehicles can easily accept (the CC850 is sold for 4.2 million euros and the Chimera for more than 9.2 million), but which buyers of Porsche models will have more difficulty accepting. To give you an idea of ​​the complexity, Koenigsegg's two-in-one gearbox has six individual clutches, gears distributed across three shafts, and a great deal of electronics and servo motors to provide a highly realistic feel when operating the clutch pedal and gear selector in manual mode.

It will be interesting to see how closely Porsche's manual/automatic gearbox approaches the one conceived by the Swedish manufacturer, and the German brand's engineers have surprised us more than once by creating simple and reliable solutions to complex problems. A good example was the variable valve timing system, which performed its function perfectly despite using only the timing chain tensioner.

Autonews and Mundoquatrorodas