Tiptronic Transmission = ??



Tipsy Transformer?

 Hi Drivers,

So you have a car with a Tiptronic Transmission and you're wondering what the heck that is?  Well in a nutshell it's an automatic transmission that can be controlled like a manual transmission - but without the clutch.  It mimics the movement of a sequential gearbox (rather than shifting in a H pattern the driver just shifts up, eliminating the need for thinking about where to shift or any risk of accidentally shifting into the wrong gear). 

The term "tiptronic" was coined by Porsche but now used widely among car manufacturers. 

In a regular automatic car a computer decides when it's time to shift to the next gear, but in a vehicle with a tiptronic transmission the driver is given this control.  Typically cars with tiptronic transmissions have your regular automatic shifter that allows you to slide out of drive into "manual" mode. 

The purpose of the tiptronic transmission is to give the driver greater control over the vehicle (ability to shift down etc.) while maintaining the ease of an automatice drive. 

If you're about to go on a test drive and want to try it out - or you have a car with a tiptronic transmission but have been putting off using it - here's how to do it.  You can move into the "manual" mode from a stopped position or mid-drive.  The car will automatically be in whatever the appropriate gear is for the speed you are currently going.  As you speed up push the shifter up once to shift up one gear.  Want to gear down for a bit more power, push the shifter down once to shift down a gear.  Special bonus - no stalling!

Happy Driving!