Transmissions
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Transmission engineer Rainer Wüst started working on dual-clutch transmissions in the 1980s and an early version of what would become the PDK appeared in 956 and 962 race cars.
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BMW M boss: The manual transmission is too popular to ditch
Buyers of the redesigned BMW M2 will be able to choose between a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Hyundai developed a manual transmission without a clutch pedal
A new Hyundai manual transmission allows drivers to work a gearshift but not a clutch.
Stephen Edelstein -
Eight-Speed Auto Confirmed For 2015 Chevy Corvette Stingray
Chevrolet has confirmed that its lightning-fast 8L90 eight-speed automatic introduced on the 2015 Corvette Z06 will also be available on the 2015 Corvette Stingray, when sales of the latter commence this fall (the supercharged Z06 isn’t due in showrooms until early next year). The only...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
GM 8-Speed In Corvette Z06 Shifts Faster Than Porsche PDK; Here's How
With the new 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 that was introduced this past week at the Detroit Auto Show, GM raises the threat level to the bragging rights of virtually every other supercar in the world. And while performance numbers are still months away, there were plenty of interesting details...
Bengt Halvorson -
2015 Corvette To Feature Eight-Speed Auto, According To SAE Paper
The latest C7 Corvette is one of the most capable sports cars on the planet, but in the tech department it's letdown slightly by its available six-speed auto. That may not be the case for long, however, as a paper published by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) claims an eight-speed...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Honda announced three new direct-injected and turbocharged engines, plus an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with the interesting addition of a torque converter, during a two-day media event before the Tokyo Motor Show that opens Wednesday. Each of the engines, along with the new transmission, were available for reporters to drive in prototype vehicles, interspersed with presentations on a variety of other technology initiatives. Honda showed off its array of new technologies during a two-day media event that traveled from Honda's headquarters in Tokyo to the company's R&D center and...
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How The 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid Drives Without A Transmission
The 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid replaces a conventional transmission with two electric motors and an electronic clutch pack.
Stephen Edelstein -
New Gearless Gearbox Technology Previewed: Video
A group of Dutch inventors has developed a gearbox they say could revolutionize the automotive and bike industries. Developed by Parts Services Holland and called the Controlled Rotation System (CRS), it does away with one of the main components of a gearbox--the gears themselves. However, the team...
Antony Ingram -
Never Stall Again Thanks To Bosch eClutch
Just five percent of new vehicles in the U.S. are sold with a manual transmission these days--a small band of enthusiasts or the penny-pinching keeping the increasingly archaic but undeniably fun stick-shift alive. Technology can still play a part in the humble manual though--and those embarrassing...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Range Rover Evoque: Driving The New Nine-Speed Automatic
Not so long ago, a five-speed automatic transmission was pretty advanced--but we're in a new age now. Six speeds is the norm now even in smaller cars--when they're not fitted with continuously variable transmissions (CVTs), anyhow--and even the eight-speed automatic pioneered by Lexus a decade ago...
John Voelcker -
Mercedes Nine-Speed Auto To Make U.S. Debut In 2015 CLS-Class: Report
This week, Mercedes-Benz revealed details on a new nine-speed automatic transmission it’s just introduced in its E-Class sedan and wagon overseas. Called the 9G-TRONIC, the new transmission has been developed in-house and is said to boost fuel economy while also improving drivetrain...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Following the recent news that the E-Class, at least in Europe, is now available with a nine-speed automatic transmission, Mercedes-Benz has released the full details on its latest cog-swapper and confirmed that it will be available in most of its models in the coming years. Currently, the new transmission, which is called the 9G-TRONIC, is available exclusively in the E350 BlueTEC sedan and wagon. Mercedes says it can be fitted to rear- and all-wheel-drive cars, and that it also works with hybrid and plug-in hybrid applications. The higher number of gears and the broader gear ratio spread...
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Mercedes-Benz Quietly Introduces Nine-Speed Auto In E-Class
Mercedes-Benz has quietly added a new nine-speed automatic to its E-Class range, though the option is not yet available in the U.S. The transmission, labeled a 9G-TRONIC, is selectable on the configurator of the automaker’s German website and so far is only available with E350 BlueTEC trim...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
10-Speed DSG Among Volkswagen’s Future Tech
Given the proliferation of announcements for eight-, nine- and even 10-speed automatic gearboxes of late, it would appear the world’s major automakers were giving up on dual-clutch technology, which remains stuck at seven forward gears. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, as...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
75-Year-Old BMW 328 Gearbox Re-Creation Now Available
BMW announced today that it will build 55 examples of a reproduction gearbox for the iconic BMW 328. There aren't many applications for a modern-day copy of a 75-year old gearbox from a BMW 328. There aren't even very many BMW 328s; only 464 were built over its run from 1936-1940. BMW is offering...
Nelson Ireson -
Ford And GM To Jointly Develop Nine- And Ten-Speed Automatics
Ford and General Motors will jointly develop new nine- and ten-speed automatic transmissions, marking the third time this decade that the two auto giants have collaborated on such a project. Previous developments included six- and eight-speed automatics used across dozens of vehicles from Ford...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Land Rover’s Range Rover Evoque Adopts ZF Nine-Speed Auto
Land Rover’s stylish Range Rover Evoque will be one of the first models available with ZF’s new nine-speed automatic transmission designed for transverse applications, i.e. cars based on front-wheel-drive architectures. The nine-speed-equipped Range Rover Evoque will be on display next...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Bugatti has extended the order for its Veyron supercar’s unique seven-speed dual-clutch transmission through to the end of 2014. This adds another year of production for the transmission, which previously was ordered by Bugatti only until the end of 2013. This also raises the important question of where exactly the additional transmissions will be ending up. As of January, 2012, when the last order was made, Bugatti still had 105 build slots for its Veyron Grand Sport. All 300 Veyron coupes, including the limited edition Veyron Super Sport models, have been accounted for. It’s...
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The Cadillac ATS Wants To Be Your PAL
Just when you think you have every automotive acronym figured out, General Motors goes and invents a new one. In this case it’s “PAL,” which stands for “Performance Algorithm Liftfoot,” and we think you’re going to like what PAL can do for you. If you’ve...
Kurt Ernst -
Xtrac Develops Hybridized Automated Manual For Performance Cars
Xtrac, a British engineering firm that specializes in vehicle transmission and driveline technology, and is supplier to a number of Formula One teams as well as performance brands such as Pagani, has come out with a new transmission it says will help revolutionize supercar design. Xtrac calls its...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2014 Corvette To Get Eight-Speed Aisin Automatic: Report
General Motors is hard at work developing eight-speed transmissions for both transverse (front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive) and longitudinal (rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive) applications, which will ensure the brand’s competitiveness with others in terms of both performance and fuel...
Kurt Ernst -
ZF CEO Says Nine Speeds Are The 'Natural Limit'
For decades, automatic transmissions had three or four speeds, which were deemed sufficient to provide reasonable acceleration and fuel economy. Then came the five speed automatic, which was standard issue on most cars until just a few years back. Then, the race for more gears in the transmission...
Kurt Ernst -
2013 Dodge Dart Rallye DDCT: Quick Drive Of Dual-Clutch Automatic
The 2013 Dodge Dart is one of the most eagerly anticipated models of the new model year—not just because it’s the first model to be developed under pooled Fiat and Chrysler engineering resources, but because it represents a return to form for Dodge compact cars. That said, the Dart is...
Bengt Halvorson