Porsche appears to be developing a gearbox that can function as both an automatic and a manual. As traditional manuals become increasingly difficult to justify amid tightening emissions regulations, this so-called “Frankenstein” setup could offer the best of both worlds. Crucially, this isn’t for an electric vehicle (EV), but a genuine mechanical transmission designed to preserve driver engagement in the age of hyper-efficient automatics.
The development came to light after CarBuzz uncovered a patent filed with Germany’s Patent and Trademark Office in August 2024, which was only recently published on March 3, 2026.
The filing detailed a shift-by-wire gear selector that operates like a standard automatic gearbox. The report shows that the selector can move forward and backwards, cycling through drive (D), neutral (N), and reverse (P), as well as numbered gears like on a traditional H-pattern shifter — similar to the Engage Shift System (ESS) gearbox on the Koenigsegg CC850.
Speaking of which, how is it different to that system? In the CC850, the shifter is laid out in a standard H-pattern layout with an automatic Drive (D) mode integrated into it. Porsche’s way of doing it is, of course, quite a bit different.
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It has the standard Drive (D), Reverse (R), Neutral (N), and Park (P), but right next to it is the H pattern shifter moving from first to sixth gear. The gearbox will be operated via shift-by-wire, allowing for both automatic and manual modes to coexist in one.
“In the H-pattern operating mode, gear shift stages, i.e., gears of the vehicle transmission, can be selected directly – analogous to a conventional (mechanical) H-pattern – by moving the selector lever forward and backwards in combination with moving it left and right,” Porsche explained in the filing.
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Just like many things operated “by wire”, things tend to lose quite a bit of feel, such as braking and steering by wire. Porsche has thought about that and have included sensors to track the lever’s movements, with springs and electric motors recreating the feel of shifting a traditional H-pattern gearbox. This allows for a manual-like experience regardless of what type of transmission lies underneath
While this sounds super exciting, especially for us car enthusiasts, it remains just a patent for now, with no guarantee of reaching production. With Porsche reportedly facing a 98% drop in operating profits in 2025, developments like this could take longer to materialise — if they do at all.
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