Patent ID: 7121979

Claim:
A powertrain ( 1 , 3 , 9 ) for a motor vehicle, comprising an internal combustion engine ( 1 ) and an input shaft ( 7 ) to a stagegeared gearbox ( 9 ) connected to the engine crankshaft ( 2 ) by way of a multi-disc clutch ( 3 ), the gearbox having at least one direct gear and at least one indirect gear with intermeshing toothed gears ( 12 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ,), a control element ( 45 , 48 ) having at least one engine control function, the control element registering input signals representing the gear selected and various engine and vehicle data, which as a minimum cover the engine speed or revolutions of the input shaft or the vehicle speed, and the control element ( 45 , 48 ) being configured, in response to an input signal indicating that a direct gear is engaged, to be capable of controlling the engine ( 1 ) so that the engine can deliver a higher maximum permitted torque than when the direct gear is not engaged, the control element is further configured to allow the increase in the maximum permitted torque only if the efficiency of the gearbox ( 9 ) with direct gear engaged and increased maximum permitted engine output torque is superior to the efficiency of the gearbox ( 9 ) when any of the indirect gears ( 12 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ,) having a lower maximum permitted engine output torque are engaged.