rdfs:comment
| - Manumatic is a portmanteau of the words manual and automatic, that applies to a class of automotive transmissions. Manumatic refers to an automatic transmission that allows convenient driver control of gear selection. This type of transmission was introduced in the 1990s. For most of automotive history, automatic transmissions already allowed some control of gear selection using the console or column shifter. Manumatics enhanced this feature by providing either steering wheel mounted paddle shifters or a modified shift lever for more convenient operation. Different car manufacturers have been using a variety of labels for their manumatic transmissions, such as 'Tiptronic', 'Geartronic', 'Touchshift', 'Sporttronic', 'clutchless-manual' and others.
|
abstract
| - Manumatic is a portmanteau of the words manual and automatic, that applies to a class of automotive transmissions. Manumatic refers to an automatic transmission that allows convenient driver control of gear selection. This type of transmission was introduced in the 1990s. For most of automotive history, automatic transmissions already allowed some control of gear selection using the console or column shifter. Manumatics enhanced this feature by providing either steering wheel mounted paddle shifters or a modified shift lever for more convenient operation. Different car manufacturers have been using a variety of labels for their manumatic transmissions, such as 'Tiptronic', 'Geartronic', 'Touchshift', 'Sporttronic', 'clutchless-manual' and others. A manumatic differs from a semi-automatic transmission in its method of power transfer from the engine to the transmission. A manumatic uses a torque converter, like a traditional automatic transmission, while a semi-automatic transmission uses a clutch (or multiple clutches), like a traditional manual transmission. Therefore, a semi-automatic transmission offers a more direct connection between the engine and wheels than a manumatic and is preferred in high performance driving applications. A manumatic is often preferred for street use because its fluid coupling makes it easier for the transmission to consistently perform smooth shifts. Some manumatic and semi-automatic transmissions allow the driver to have full control of gear selection, while many will intervene by shifting automatically at the low end and/or high end of the engine's operating range, depending on throttle position. Manumatics and most semi-automatic transmissions also provide the option of operating in the same manner as a conventional automatic transmission by allowing the transmission's computer to select gear changes.
|