Porsche has filed a new patent for a transmission system that could give drivers three different ways to operate the gearbox in a single vehicle. The design builds on an earlier Porsche patent and appears to take inspiration from systems used by the Koenigsegg CC850 and Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale.
Porsche’s New Patent Adds a Third Driving Mode
The Koenigsegg CC850, first seen in 2022, introduced a multi-clutch transmission that allowed drivers to operate the gearbox as either an automatic or a manual. Ferrari introduced a similar concept this year with the 12Cilindri Manuale and its shift-by-wire system.
Porsche’s latest patent, discovered by CarMoses at the European Patent Office, takes the concept further. Porsche previously filed a similar patent that was discovered earlier this year, but the new filing adds another way for the driver to control the transmission.
While the Ferrari 12Cilindri can operate as an automatic or simulated manual, and the Koenigsegg CC850 also allows drivers to shift using paddles behind the wheel, Porsche’s system would add sequential-style shifting by moving the shifter forward and backward.
The patent describes a clutch pedal that can disconnect the clutch when the vehicle is operating in automatic or sequential modes. Porsche’s previous patent did not mention a clutch pedal, making this a further development of the concept.
Magnetorheological Actuators Could Add Shifter Feedback
Porsche’s patent also describes magnetorheological actuators inside the shifter. These components would help the lever provide a sense of mechanical resistance even though it would not be directly connected to the transmission.
The steering-wheel paddles could also be used to adjust how sporty the shifts feel, presumably through a menu on the driver cluster.
Because the system offers multiple operating options, Porsche’s patent indicates that a wheel-mounted dial could allow the driver to select the desired mode. The available choices would include manual, sequential, paddle-shifted and fully automatic operation.
Why Porsche’s Transmission Patent Matters
The recently launched 2027 Porsche 911 Carrera S has a manual transmission, and Porsche could build a manual Panamera if a wealthy customer really wanted one. However, no Porsche hybrid product is currently offered with a manual transmission.
Porsche said a few weeks ago that it is not yet possible to combine a manual transmission with the T-Hybrid system. That caveat may have been an allusion to the patents Porsche has been filing.
Porsche knows that customers love its manual transmissions, while the automaker also needs to meet upcoming emissions targets. The patented system could allow Porsche to combine the efficiency of a hybrid with an automatic transmission and the engagement of a manual.
The approach could do so without redesigning the T-Hybrid’s transmission-integrated electric motor, according to the patent’s described concept.
