What is tap shift and how do I know if I have it??

I test drove 2 different GP's. A '97 and a '03.
The '97 had a small button on the side of the shifter and the '03 didnt. What is this button for? I bought the '03
thanks

Speedbird

Tap shift became available in '04 on the Comp. G's. It is a paddle on each side of the steering wheel that allows you to "manually" shift without taking your hands off the wheel.

The Button you noticed in the earlier model was a "Performance Shift" button. That button puts the car into a bit more aggressive running pattern for better "driving excitement". They eliminated the button in '01 and programmed the PCM to run with the slightly more aggressive tables constantly.

Hi Speedbird,

The little button on the side of the shifter on the '97 is for performance shift. My '98 has the same thing. Don't know for sure, but I think your '03 has performance shift on all the time.

Tap shift is something completely different. On my '05 GTP Comp G, the tap shift is on the sterring wheel. When you put the shifter in 'M', you can go through 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th using the tap shift. There's no 1, 2, or 3 on the shifter.

Don