With the arrival of EV powertrains, we've seen some crossover from virtual gaming to reality, rather than the other way around.
It happened with the Ioniq 5 N's N e-Shift when Hyundai became the first to admit that for sports cars a howling high-performance combustion engine and mechanical gearbox were going to be a tough act to follow. Porsche designed its E-Shift system to spice up the Taycan, as BMW will with the M3 EV due in 2027.
Walk through the mists of time and the psychology of why these virtual stepped-shift systems are now a must-have becomes clear. Back in the day, there was a choice of manual gearboxes or unappealing torque-converter gearboxes known as slush 'boxes for the lack of positivity of their snail-pace shifts. Manuals were a talking point among drivers, whether the gate was precise or not, the engagement slick or clunky, the throw of the gearlever long or excitingly short. These details could make or break any chance of a perfect driving experience.
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