No-lift shifting looks as if a easy idea. As an alternative of lifting off the throttle whereas shifting a guide transmission, you simply hold your proper foot planted. However there’s extra to it than that, particularly with turbocharged engines, as detailed on this video from Engineering Defined.

A handful of manufacturing automobiles have supplied no-lift shifting options from the manufacturing facility, starting from the Chevrolet Cobalt SS to the present Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing.

Within the Cadillac, there is a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V-6, a sort of engine the place a no-lift shift may be notably useful for sustaining increase. Nonetheless, if the automobile is not arrange for it, you additionally danger harm to the transmission. Retaining your foot on the throttle raises engine pace, placing loads of additional load on the clutch when its time to re-engage.

One method to keep increase with out permitting the engine and transmission speeds to get out of sync is by retarding the ignition. This enables for elevated exhaust strain to maintain the turbo spooled up with out spinning the crankshaft quicker. A gasoline cutoff ensures the engine would not rev previous its redline, whereas the turbo’s waste gate is stored closed to harness the added strain being generated. 

Cadillac’s no-lift shift system additionally retains the consumption bypass valve closed. This is able to usually open when off throttle to stop extra air strain from increase within the consumption and getting pushed again into the turbocharger, a phenomenon generally known as “turbo surge.”

Within the CT4-V Blackwing, each the throttle and bypass valves keep open whereas no-lift shifting, guaranteeing there’s loads of increase able to go when the clutch re-engages.

The Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing additionally has no-lift shifting, however that doubtless produces much less profit with the bigger sedan’s supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 as a result of there are not any turbos to maintain spooled up. But it surely does imply you possibly can hold your proper foot down whereas operating by the automobiles, which is cool it doesn’t matter what engine you’ve got.