Koenigsegg has a history of incredible automotive engineering feats. In the early 2000s, they were the first to make a production supercar powered by bioethanol, or a version of E85 as we know it today. In the last few years, they have turned their attention to transmissions, reinventing them specifically. The "light speed" 9-speed automatic in the Jesko was unlike anything we have seen before, featuring compound gears and seven clutches to provide shifts that were nearly deserving of its marketing-heavy name.

Now though, the power-hungry Swedes are back at it again with a brilliant creation called the "shift by wire" transmission that is a 9-speed automatic and a 6-speed manual in one.

The new shift by wire example is based on the initial light speed gearbox from a few years go and has the same general layout.

With traditional dual-clutch transmissions in nearly every supercar on sale today, the gears are connected on two shafts, and it is the computer’s job to anticipate which gear will be selected next via the paddle shifters on or behind the steering wheel. When you pull a paddle, one of the clutches releases from the old gear, while the second clutch simultaneously engages the one you just selected.

Koenigsegg’s transmission does not work like that. It has three shafts, each with two gears connected to them. The big catch is that they are all engaged simultaneously and gear changes are a result of engaging and disengaging any of its seven clutches. That means you can go from, for example, 9th to 4th without bothering with gears 8, 7, 6, and 5 because all that happens is a series of clutches disengage, and one engages, but nothing moves around.

The manual function of the gearbox is just as tricky, as Koenigsegg did not detail how the clutch or shifter are physically connected to the gearbox. However, the CEO, Christian Von Koenigsegg, did say both the clutch and shifter provide real, tactile, authentic-feeling feedback to the driver, even though the heavy lifting will surely be done electronically.

Something else to point out - since the gears are not being changed mechanically, the gear ratios can be electronically changed, depending on what drive mode you are in. It also seems as if you can seamlessly change from manual to automatic mode by moving the shifter in the "D" slot instead of the 1st-6th gear slots.

Probably not for a while, as Koenigsegg has an official patent on the technology. But it does show other car manufacturers that a gearbox can be automatic and manual at the same time.

Perhaps it will breathe new life into the dying manual gearbox segment. If you could spec any sports car, say a Miata or Supra with this kind of gearbox, you would not have to pick a transmission and live with it for the rest of your days. If you are on a back road, row the gears yourself, if you are cruising on the freeway, just pop it into drive.

Assuming the technology eventually becomes cheap enough, it could become widespread as people that may like the idea of a manual, but do not know how to drive a manual car, would be all over this. It would be a perfect test bed for people to learn to drive a stick.