At the heart of sports driving and the interaction between the driver and the IS is the quick selection and changing of gears. With its astonishing linear acceleration, the 8–speed SPDS (Sport Direct Shift) blends sharp response times with the outstanding smoothness and efficiency of eight gears. For drivers it offers the refined characteristics of two exciting worlds: an 8-speed automatic transmission for smooth gear changes and exceptional ride comfort in normal driving. Together with and 8-speed manual transmission controlled by the shift lever or paddle shift switches on the steering wheel for the quick response and direct control of authentic sports driving. In D position with Sport/Sport S or Sport S+ Mode, G AI (Artificial Intelligence) - SHIFT selects the optimum gear and downshift pattern in response to input from a G force sensor. In M position, it enables gear holding, as well as full lock-up shifting from 2nd through 8th gears.