GM developing 8-speed gearbox

Um, Lexus called. They want their 8-speed transmission back!

Let the flame war begin!

— Bill (View Profile)

Posted on 10/17/2007 11:17:34 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

LOL. Forget Lexus, VW were the real pioneers here, they started the dual clutch transmission revolution. This is just GM trying to be competitive in a market that will soon be ruled by cars with dual clutch transmissions. It has some good benefits.

— BMWM (View Profile)

Posted on 10/17/2007 11:41:37 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

I once owned a 10 speed bicycle.

— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/17/2007 1:08:26 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

it is rumored that this 8spd tranny will end up in some German couterparts of the Bavarian kind, BMW with a GM tranny

however, many attest that manual boxes are the way to go...i guess this just further proves the disappointment to come from future sport oriented vehicles using an 8spd dual clutch tranny.

— r15mohd (View Profile)

Posted on 10/17/2007 3:05:39 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

funny to hear another GM soon to be failed attempt, considering that their 6 speed gear box is a P.O.S. what's new?

— BigShow50 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2007 5:20:32 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

For god sake, GM still has 4-speed automatics in about half of their vehicles! Just get ride of the 4-speeds and give shoppers 6-speed automatics. Maybe it is just still the 1980s (at GM)?

— jamesfletcher2 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2007 5:37:58 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

First, few automakers make their own transmissions these days. Aisin, Borg Warner, Tremec, ZF, and others supply trannies to multiple manufacturers. Remove your badge-tinted-lenses before talking about transmissions.

For those who don't know, GM's Hydramatic transmissions were amongst the toughest slushboxes you could buy. Custom shops seek them out when doing conversions because they can handle serious power. In fact, many dragsters today use them because their equivalent manual transmissions just don't hold up in hard use.

For engines with a broad torque band, a 4-speed with the proper ratios is just fine for many drivers. Don't forget that 0-60 accelerations use only one or two gears, and most speed limits in North America are about 35, 50, and 70 mph. Thus, the engine can be matched perfectly to a 4-speed tranny for optimal fuel economy in real-world conditions. Compare the fuel economy of a 4-speed Buick to, say, an Acura with a 6-speed and smaller engine. Not as different as you'd think!

Now, if peak performance on a complex road course is what you seek, well, yes, more gears would always be better ... until you factor in weight and cost. In my experience, with the flexible power of modern engines, 6 or 7 speeds is more than enough. 8 might be overkill. We shall see...

— moto (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2007 7:36:41 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1