What term describes an automatic that lets the driver request shifts with paddles or plus-minus controls? Manumatic. The term describes an automatic transmission with a manual-request mode, usually operated by steering-wheel paddles or “+” and “−” controls.
A manumatic system gives the driver more influence over shift timing without requiring a clutch pedal. The driver can request an upshift or downshift for acceleration, engine braking, or improved control on a slippery road. The transmission’s computer still normally protects the engine by rejecting a request that could cause stalling or excessive revolutions.
The idea has roots in earlier automatic systems that let drivers hold lower gears or prevent overdrive, but modern manumatic functions offer more direct requests. Manufacturers market similar systems under many proprietary names, including Tiptronic and Sportronic, so the name on a dashboard may not be “manumatic.”
It is easy to mistake manumatic for a manual transmission. A conventional manual requires the driver to operate both a gear selector and clutch. A manumatic remains an automatic system, even when the driver chooses the desired shift through paddles or a separate selector gate.