How the shift of the gearbox has changed since the introduction of the first automobile. The first automobiles had very simple gearboxes that had no synchromesh to ensure a smooth gear change.

The need for a transmission in an automobile is a consequence of the characteristics of the internal combustion engine. Engines typically operate over a range of 600 to about 7000 rpm, while the car’s wheels rotate between 0 rpm and around 1800 rpm. To keep engine torque at an optimum to maintain a vehicle’s road speed is the work of the gearbox.

A Tiptronic transmission is a transmission that allows both fully automatic and clutchless-manual gear shifting. The tiptronic gearbox can operate just like the common type of automatic transmission, but it also allows the driver to override the automatic mode by moving the shift lever into a second (Tiptronic) shift gate equipped with two spring-loaded positions: “upshift” and “downshift”. If the tiptronic gate is selected, the driver takes over most of the shifting decisions, which would otherwise be performed by the transmission’s computer. On some motor vehicles that boast a tiptronic transmission, the upshift and downshift operations can be commanded by pushbuttons or paddle shifters installed on the steering wheel with an optional display in the instrument panel indicating the current gear selection.

Tiptronic transmissions are smooth, and swift in their motion. As the gear shift is performed by the gearbox computer, there is no need for any embarrassing moments in the gear shift –like the infamous stall at the lights.We hope that helps answer the question ‘What is What is Tiptronic?’!

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