Tiptronic & Tiptronic S

The Tiptronic is the predecessor of the PDK and is also a so-called stepped automatic.

The first Tiptronic was mounted in the Porsche 964 built in 1989. So it was quite a step toward the future for Porsche to start using a piece of electronics in the transmission.

Since that time many Porsche’s have been equipped with this automatic transmission both in the 2 and 4 wheel drive Porsche’s these automatic transmissions became very sought after by Porsche enthusiasts.

The Tiptronic S was first used in the Porsche 993 and had the addition of being able to shift gears with paddles on the steering wheel, this was by means of an electronic signal and was a great leap in technology.

The Tiptronic was initially conceived to be used only in motor racing to allow very fast gear changes without losing too much time between changes. However, the Tiptronic was programmed in such a way that at too many revs it will automatically upshift to prevent engine damage.