Porsche’s trademarked name for its automatic transmission with manual-style gear selection, launched in 1990, is Tiptronic.
Porsche introduced Tiptronic in the 964-generation 911, with the system offered from 1990. It combined the convenience of a conventional automatic gearbox with a driver-selectable manual mode. The driver could move the selector into a separate gate and request upshifts or downshifts without operating a clutch pedal.
The transmission was a four-speed automatic built by ZF Friedrichshafen, and its electronic control allowed the car to make shifts automatically in normal driving. Tiptronic therefore was not a conventional manual transmission and did not give the driver direct mechanical control of a clutch. Later versions added steering-wheel controls, making manual gear requests quicker during spirited driving.
DSG is Volkswagen Group terminology for a dual-clutch transmission, while Multitronic was associated with Audi’s continuously variable transmission. Steptronic is BMW’s name for a similar manual-mode automatic. Tiptronic began as a Porsche name but was later used under license or by related brands, so the term is not limited to Porsche cars today.