- An intricate transmission like this could work with hybrid powertrains.
- A patent shows a transmission that operates in auto and manual modes.
- Drivers could also shift through the gears with paddle shifters.
When Ferrari revived the manual transmission in the limited-run 12 Cilindri Manuale, car enthusiasts celebrated. However, some of that excitement started to die down when it was revealed it isn’t a traditional stick shift, but an add-on shifter to Ferrari’s existing dual-clutch system.
Likely because Ferrari couldn’t justify the cost of developing an all-new manual transmission from scratch, it created a system with no mechanical connection between the shifter, clutch pedal, and the transmission. When the clutch pedal is depressed, sensors transmit a signal to the transmission control unit, ordering it to shift gears. It may not be the kind of manual many of us grew up driving, but it’s better than nothing. As it turns out, Porsche may be working on a similar transmission.
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A recent patent filing made with the European Patent Office by Porsche depicts one of its dual-clutch automatic transmissions also equipped with a clutch pedal and a shifter. In standard operation, the setup would operate just like any normal auto.
Porsche appears to have taken a page out of Koenigsegg’s playbook. In the CC850, with its complex automatic-meets-manual transmission, the driver can shift through the gears using steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Porsche’s patent describes a similar setup, noting gears could also be selected by shifting the selector backward and forward.
A Transmission That Does It All
When a driver wants the full manual driving experience, they could engage a different mode that activates the clutch pedal and allows the shifter to operate in a traditional H-pattern.
Perhaps the most compelling thing about Porsche’s system is that the patent says it could work with both traditional combustion and hybrid models. Currently, the hybrid system used in models like the 911 T-Hybrid is incompatible with a manual transmission as the electric motor is integrated directly into the dual-clutch transmission.
Last month, Porsche Cars North America chief executive Timo Resch acknowledged that while the current hybrid won’t work with a manual, he expressed hope Porsche’s engineers could find a solution. This patent appears to be that solution.
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