Porsche has patented a special selector that allows an automatic transmission to be controlled through a lever moving according to the traditional “H-pattern” typical of manual gearboxes
In November 2024, Porsche filed a patent relating to a new gear selector system that only became publicly known in early 2026. To clarify, Porsche did not patent a new transmission, but rather a lever combined with a shift-by-wire system that controls gear engagement electronically.
If the driver leaves the lever in the “Drive” position, the transmission operates as a conventional automatic, with the control unit selecting the appropriate gear according to the vehicle’s operating conditions and the throttle input applied by the driver. However, by pressing a dedicated button, gearbox management switches to manual mode and must then be controlled directly by the driver — complete with clutch operation.
Porsche has not released detailed technical explanations, limiting itself to stating that the system is based on sensors and actuators that monitor the lever’s movements, while springs and small electric motors are intended to recreate the tactile sensation of gear engagement.
It should be noted that Porsche already offers two different types of automatic transmissions that can also be operated manually. The new system therefore appears aimed less at transforming an automatic into a manual transmission and more at reproducing for the driver the same feeling delivered by a traditional manual gearbox.
Should the system ever reach production, it will likely be paired with the “PDK” transmission, “Porsche Doppelkupplung,” a dual-clutch automated gearbox with parallel modules operated by an electrohydraulic mechanism. It offers eight gears — six performance-oriented ratios and two overdrive gears — and was developed with maximum shift speed and performance in mind.
Two drawings accompanying the Porsche patent filed in November 2024. Depending on whether the button selecting manual or automatic driving mode is activated, the torque-management path changes accordingly.
The current Porsche system appears similar to Koenigsegg’s “LST” system, “Light Speed Transmission.” It uses seven wet clutches instead of synchronizers and enables direct gear changes without intermediate shifts when the selected gears are far apart. It also weighs 30 kilograms less than a dual-clutch automatic transmission and, in the version installed on the “CC850” model, is paired with the “ESS” system, “Engage Shift System,” which combines a nine-speed automatic with a six-speed manual operated through an H-pattern lever.
Title: Porsche files new patent for special selector
Translation with ChatGPT
