1989: Tiptronic

From 1989, Porsche offered an innovative gearbox in the 964 series 911 – the Tiptronic, the perfect synthesis of comfort and sportiness. The driving data was only marginally lower than that of the same vehicles with manual 5 or 6-speed gearboxes. The Tiptronic was an automatic gearbox with intelligent shift programmes and the option for individual manual intervention. In addition to the conventional selector lever positions, it also featured a second parallel gate in which simply tapping on the selector lever changed the gear immediately. “Tapping” the lever forwards shifted up a gear and “tapping” it backwards shifted down, as long as the engine speed limits were not exceeded. If you forgot to shift up, the gearbox automatically shifted to the next gear up when the permitted maximum engine speed was reached. The electronics system had five shift programmes. The programme with the most favourable shifting points was activated, depending on the temperament of the driver and the traffic situation. The engine speed was reduced temporarily by retarding the ignition point to facilitate smoother gear changes.