September7
General Motors might not be the first company that comes to mind when thinking about high-tech gadgets and gizmos. But a new trademark filing suggests The General might be planning to go after technology-obsessed Lexus with an eight speed transmission of its own. On August 8th, GM registered the name “8 Speed” (pictured) in reference to automobile transmissions. To us, this can only mean one thing. Currently, Lexus is the only automaker with an eight speed transmission. Might GM’s Cadillac and Buick brands be getting ready to fight back? Pictured right is the styled text intended for the trademark (low-resolution only).
Could be a 4speed tranny with overdrive on all four gears
Wow, nothing but good news from GM lately.
The 8-speed transmission seems like over kill, but it shows that GM will continue to update products and develop new technologies. I hope they only put it in Buick and Cadillac though, maybe a high end Corvette if needed.
8 speed….do it really necessary???
s peed
GM can produce good products when they put their mind to it — but they’re ALWAYS late to the party.
By the time the CTS-V came out, it was on-par with the Audi S4, and the BMW M3… which were both about to be re-designed within the next few years. The CTS-V was two or three years late.
Now they just trademarked an 8-speed transmisson. They lost to Lexus in the race to development. They also lost to Audi, which developed the first variable-gear transmisson (infinate # of gears) with it’s CVT transmisson.
If GM was still in school, they’d be copying the ideas of the students next to them, and bringing crib notes to the exam… which they’d show up an hour late for.
The early 90s Subaru Justy came with a CVT transmission so I’m not sure Audi has won that race.
8 speeds does two things: bragging rights and the ability to further optimize engine performance.
The real issue is what type of antiquated pushrod engine are they gonna mate the 8-speed to? And then what crappy platform are they gonna stuff it into?
You have to be able to put together the whole package.
Just to clarify for “ehhh?” … The reason why we complain about this is that GM should be devoting their resources to other areas such as design and reliability … hopefully in attempt to salvage the company. The reason why we dont complain when Lexus introduces it is because it is to be expected. I would rather GM stick with an old 4 speed and like Madcapp says “put together the whole package”. Once that is accomplished then certainly you can proceed ahead and develop your 32 speed gearbox.
GM, great move. Ignore the dumb asses that are against it.
Meh, I think it was stupid when Lexus did it & I think it’s stupid now. If GM can get the programming of this right then I will change my tune, but until then I’ll continue to think that 8 speeds is overkill for 99.9% of the cars out there.
Madcapp, I think GM is working very hard on “the whole package” as evidence by each new product they put out being 10x better than the last. They still have a ways to go, but they’re catching up fast.
Yes, but those cheating students are sometimes the most successful in the real world after they left school.
I’ve heard good things about the Lexus 8 speed, here’s to hoping GM can do the same. And in a world where people want high horsepower with good mileage, I think this is a very good thing. The addition of the 6 speed was a boost, imagine with two more gears. I think we could see trucks getting high 20’s in the mpg and still having 350 hp-ish.
Joey, I’d rather see a higher power CVT than a standard AT though. It’s getting popular with the smaller Japanese cars outside US, in fact the only CVT is offered for the Fit. The initial response and fuel economy are excellent. Now if Honda can do the same as Audi and Nissan, it’d be nice…
as a Japanes car fan, I gotta say i’m impressed with GM
Everybody here is under the assumption that the 8 speed will be used for sedans or sports cars. It’ll be use to optimized full size SUVs and light trucks. 8 speeds handles a torquey engine and smooths acceleration for enhanced performance and better fuel economy on larger vehicles.
not trying to piss you off.. more like i just might be an idiot.. but i don’t see how having 8 gears could have anything to do with smoother acceleration and fuel efficiency.. please elaborate?
I guess if 8 speed can save some gas…then 12 speed in the horizon will save a lot more…let’s who will get to 12 speed first!!!! Could it be Ford?
I don’t think Americans can do CVT’s, I’ve driven a Caliber and its aweful. Maybe that’s just because Chrysler can’t figure anything out correctly. I don’t know though.
I’m holding out for a 10 speed.
One way an 8 speed could save gas is by keeping the RPM’s lower making the engine do less work.
If a 5 speed shifts at say 4k rpm a 8 speed might shift at 3k rpm (fake example lets not get picky) you get the point.
I am not saying its a good idea, I am no engineer, but in theory it makes sense, howeevr there would be a point where more gears would sart to hurt gas mileage and you would get diminishing returns.
How many gears do you need before a CVT is more logical? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for more gears that can make better use of the engine, but I think there is a point where a normal tranny should be swapped out for a CVT (i.e. I don’t think a 10 or 12 speed tranny would really make sense).
One good thing about all of the advancments in transmissions lately is they are able to better use a smaller engine with less hp and better gas mileage. Maybe we don’t need big 300hp V8s when a 250hp V6 with an 8 speed would give compareable performance.
AuDub-
8 speed smoothens acceleration much like a CVT transmission. That is, the next gear is pre-engaged as you accelerate so that shifting comes at an earlier RPM making the engine consume less gas, especially if you’re talking about a heavy vehicle or a vehicle that is towing something heavy. Think 18-wheelers. For more info on transmissions, use wikipedia.org.
sorry, wikipedia won’t do for me.. i guess i’ll do some research on it.
but for now, i see where your (plural) logics lie, but i just can’t seem to grasp it; with the same engine, with the same top speed, i don’t see how having more gears can save gas. you can always switch gears early and cruise at a low RPM, that’s ALWAYS been one advantage of having a manual car.
This will be good for economy and further enhances the technical design overall. If it is reliable it will be a nice little move for GM, but not terribly substantial.
The issue with CVT is that they use belts on adjustable pulleys rather than gears. Those belts can slip whereas gears can’t. Most current implementations of CVTs have been in small cars like the aforementioned Fit. The technology has a way to go before it is reliable enough for common use in larger vehicles.
AuDub-
completely agreed on the manuals point. All my cars are stick.
RIchard, if Audi can use a CVT on their 255HP 3.2 engine reliably then the technology has reached a point where it can be used for most applications. I just wish more and more manufacturers would develop their versions for bigger engines.
Big Deal! 8 speed! My bicycle is a 24 speed!
Good for you. Can you haul 5,000 lbs?
Didn’t think so…
Veda, You make my point. Audi has CVT and Volkswagen and Porshe don’t. Even for these Audi cousins, CVT is not reliable enough for common use in larger vehicles.
Actually I can. Pretty big legs.
I didn’t care for the 8-speed when Lexus announced it, and my opinion hasn’t changed. The current 6-speed autos already have very smooth gear changes (virtually imperceptible) and very close gear ratios. I thought the M-B’s 7-speeder was enough already.
o who cares? its all the same crap.
Actually MB’s 7 AT was critized for having to change gears too often. I say, go CVT all the way. It’s the future.
Geez, Audi/VW is already working on 8-speed DSG transmissions.
I don’t see how this is any more than a “keeping up with the Jones’s” move.
I don’t wanna be wanting to work on that tranny. Or paying for it.
[...] O site das notícias não muito “certas” descobriu algumas coisinhas interessantes sobre o mundo automotivo que foram encontradas usando uns meios, digamos, obscuros. Primeiro, a General Motors patenteou o termo “8 speed”, para usar futuramente com uma transmissão de oito velocidades. Este detalhe colocaria suas marcas premium, como Buick e Cadillac, junto com a Lexus, na briga pelos câmbios mais modernos e eficientes, como o do LS460. [...]
Que…Yo no complainte?
No quebero Taco Bell?
What’s the point?