Transmissions
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An electric car doesn't need a clutch, but GM's potentially developing one anyway.
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Enjoy a deep dive on the Koenigsegg Jesko's 1,600-hp V-8
Company founder Christian von Koenigsegg walks us through the Koenigsegg Jesko's V-8 engine and unique Light Speed Transmission.
Stephen Edelstein -
Toyota developing Direct Automatic Transmission for motorsports
Toyota's DAT transmission is meant to attract new people to motorsports, but it could also make the brand's sports cars more fun.
Stephen Edelstein -
Porsche's PDK transmission goes back to 1980s race cars
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.
Stephen Edelstein -
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 -
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 difference will be unique clutch and torque converter specifications matched to the torque capacity of the Stingray’s naturally aspirated V-8. The advanced transmission, which also features paddle shifters, can execute shifts up to eight-hundredths of a second quicker than those of the PDK...
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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: New Turbo Engines, 8-Speed DCT With Torque Converter
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...
John Voelcker -
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 -
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 stalling moments could be a thing of the past if automakers implement the eClutch, developed by Bosch. eClutch essentially makes the clutch redundant for the process of pulling away and rolling to a halt. From that alone, you can see the benefits--no more stalling due to imprecise clutch control...
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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 -
Mercedes-Benz Releases Details On 9G-TRONIC Nine-Speed Auto
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...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
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 -
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 the 55 gearboxes mostly for the benefit of the vintage racing crowd. The new (old) gearbox is now being produced through a collaboration between BMW Classic and ZF. ZF, appropriately enough, purchased a division of the original gearbox manufacturer for the 328, Hurth, in the 1990s. Reproduced from a...
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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 Veyron Gearbox Order Extended Through To The End Of 2014
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...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
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