Brace Yourselves: 11-Speed Triple Clutch Gearboxes Are On The Way
We’ve only just wrapped our heads around the idea of nine and 10-speed automatic gearboxes, but manufacturers are far from done when it comes to adding new ratios.
Last year news emerged that Honda had patented an 11-speed, triple clutch transmission, and now Car is reporting that General Motors is proposing its own 11-speed ‘box.
Like the Honda unit, the GM gearbox has three clutches, and it has two reverse ratios in addition to the 11 forward gears. GM already produces a 10-speed transmission (below), currently seeing service in everything from the Chevrolet Tahoe to the Camaro ZL1.
Ford and Lexus also have 10-speed ‘boxes and Mercedes now has a nine-speed unit across much of its range, so what’s behind the new obsession with offering a mountain bike-like selection of cogs to choose from? As you’d probably expect, it’s all about efficiency.
More cogs makes it easier for the ever more clever gearbox control units to keep the engine speed at the most efficient point possible, whatever speed you’re doing. This new generation of 11-speeders will apparently be good for a five per cent fuel economy improvement, amid worldwide efforts to drastically reduce carbon emissions by 2025.
What are your thoughts on the incoming wave of many-cogged gearboxes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section…
Source: Car
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Why do they eaven make automatic? Make some manual bro…
My 3 speed auto is seeming more and more inadequate.
What’s the point of having two reverse gears?
You rarly go over 2k rpm in reverse, do you?
Perhaps the point is to have one really short reverse gear to minimise clutch slippage, reducing wear. And then I imagine the 2nd reverse gear would be for somewhat faster reversing, but still a fairly short gear.
The 8 speed ZF box in my Charger is great, goes from 80mph to 100mph with an increase of 500RPM in 8th. I can only imagine more gears….
So does that mean that fast and furious gear changes will actually make sense now?
yup
What the duck is the point
“Not double clutching like you should”…
This will keep increasing till the point in which we just switch to CVT
Theyre getting closer and closer to what they use in 18-Wheelers. Volvo and Mack I-Shift/M-Drive are 12 speed autos if i remember correctly.
FAF did it before it was cool