8-speed automatics sound like a lot of work if you have a sport shift, LOL.

E65/E66 = whale, and a disgrace.

The E38 was PERFECT. Hopefully they will go back to the sleek styling. I’m sure they realized their mistakes

Anyone know if this is torque converter based like a traditional automatic?

Next up: 10 speed transmissions. They’ll replace the steering wheel with handlebars. On the left bar there will be a lever controlling the front two gears and on the right a lever for the back 5.

18-speed please!!! LOL!!

What efficiencies/advantages are gained by having a transmission with that many gears?

Better gas milleage, less engine work, smoother acceleration.

But nothing beats a 6spd manual.

My attention is on Direct drive electrics to be honest.

But the main advantage is mainly performance. A higher top gear means, usually a higher top speed, efficiency comes from having the engine work much less hard at cruise. Good for trips but not really much else unless you have a high revving engine. lower low gears means you don’t have to rev as much just to get going.

I know I’m missing a few points so anyone feel free to fill them in.

But For the most part, it’s the new “V12″. It’ll be a prestige feature, most people will not need 8 gears. Those that do will likely have thinly veiled race cars posing as streetcars. and in virtually all cases they will be Automatics because they are just faster (than any human) and easier to operate (no clutch to burn up unless you are that inept), but will have manual shift modes.

In the long run, simplicity will win out. But that is still decades away, I think.

A sport-shift automatic just sounds like a pain in the ass though. I don’t really want to shift every 5MPH.

nice name 8HP. I bet it gives you 8 additional horsepower

Yeah, i get the very slight incremental increases in power and fuel economy… but after each gear there is a diminishing rate of return. Doesn’t it get to the point where time should be better spent on other technologies… i dunno. I guess its a numbers game. My euro lux has more gears than yours, so that means I am better than you.

The whole 8-speed thing is designed much more for selling cars than any actual mechanical purpose. There’s really no need for anything greater than a 6-speed transmission, unless an engine has a seriously ****ty powerband.

Perhaps the “who has the most gears” race is replacing the “who has the most horsepower” race amongst the Germans.

Oh, and it’s nice to see that homeboy can cut and paste the same comment into every article. And for a moment there I though he wasn’t technically savvy.

Buenos,
Pay no mind to him. Period. He just wants attention.

homeboy take your homophobia and shove it where you really want it, up your own ass

well, 6 speed, 7 speed, or 8 speed……. doesnt matter cuz im all for it. Anything to save GAS!!

For those whos worrying about shifting the button too many times in short time for 8 speed manumatic….. don’t use it. Put it in drive and go.
Rarely drivers ever go into manumatic mode. Maybe…. 3% of the entire driving time of the lease or purchase term.

This is very good for bigger cars with engines over 5.0 liters. Much better mileage and (we hope) better response and gear holding when in manual shift mode.

I don’t see myself getting an automatic for a long time, however. I’ve never liked them in anything but a full size rear drive luxury sedan. Currently there are so many kinds of cars to choose from which do offer a 5-speed or 6-speed manual… why kill the fun?

I think this is a great development, though. Automatics have always been limited by having fewer gears than manuals and slow response to driver intention.

Actually, here’s my thinking on current transmission technology:

Manuals, for the longest time they have perfromed the best in economy applications (for cheap cost) and in sportscar/racing applications due to the driver having near total control of the engine’s speed and power output at any given point on a race track.

F-1 derived technologies going into newer automatic transmission designs, notably DSG like transmissions, and paddle-shifted clutchless manuals that can operate in auto modes are now capable of outdoing a human driver’s ability to select the best gear and rpm to achieve the fastest lap time possible with just a traditional manual.

Already, some of the best supercars in the world have done away with pedal and stick operated manual transmissions. This is good and it’s the future as long as a car intended for sports driving still allows the driver override control.

What I feel about traditional manuals is that they will stay in some niche markets because some folks will still prefer them. Yes, they may no longer be the best transmission for a racing application any longer but people may still want them on some models just because it makes the driving experience so much more interactive and fun than when driving an automatic, CVT, DSG or any variation on a transmission that does all the gearshifting for you.

I think this is especially true in low-powered sports vehicles where the sensation of doing your own shifting can distract you from the reality of how slow your car is in comparison to, say, a Lamborghini which no longer uses a manual transmission but has such voluminous power and handling at 500+ horsepower that the “no fun” factor of not having a manual transmission all but disappears for most drivers.

Personally, there are certain cars I would only want to drive with a manual transmission. That is my own preference and taste. That’s the point, though. Today it’s really just a matter of wanting the sensation of a gearshift lever in your palm or not. Some automatics are actually getting very good these days. Not all but some. In all but the most lackluster cars, they will get better.

Still, personally, I prefer a clutch pedal and gearshift or maybe paddle shifters (as long as they hold the gear I tell them to for as long as I tell them to).

I suppose it’d kinda make sense in an auto transmission… if it shifts smoothly enough. A lot of auto equipped cars always seem to be hunting for the correct gear your right foot’s asking for. Space the ratios out nice and even and you’d never have the scenario of wishing for another gear. I’m sure most of us who’ve ever driven an automatic can recall at least one moment when they wished for an extra gear – higher or lower – or better spaced ratios.

That said, I hate automatics. Give me a 6 speed manual any day.

The reason I state concern about this being a traditional automatic is because torque converters and TCMs leave a lot to be desired in many cars. My GTP has a 6-speed automatic transmission with manumatic mode, and there are good and bad things to this tranny. Like most automatics, I don’t really care for the way it gear-searches in Drive, so I usually keep it in Manual. It performs excellently in manual mode, and one of the best parts is it won’t upshift on me if I redline. *But*, it still does sometimes think for itself far too much when shifting, especially downward. Overall I love it, but I can’t help but think that if it had 8 gears, I’d be spending half my time dealing with shift hesitation. I hope an 8-speed DCT is in the works.

7,8,10 speed autos. Why doesn’t everyone just go to CVTs since that is in effect where it is heading? Not that I like CVTs….

Id much rather just have them all perfect the 6-speed – but id buy a manual anyway, so whatever.

and CVT’s just arent the same, theyve been abandoned by almost everyone whos tried them except for Nissan, and maybe an Audi here or there.

CVT’s are inherently weak in design, which is why you don’t see them applied in pick-ups etc. where heavy duty transmissions are a must.

Any fuel efficiency gains found in a CVT are also lost in that same CVT. The hydraulic pressure needed to operate them makes up for the work being saved.

CVT = Junk

Same as FWD junk ideas brought into this country.

Die CVT……Die.