[Tycoon]

Transmission maker ZF has announced plans to launch an eight-speed automatic transmission by 2010. The gearbox will likely be used by BMW, VW and Ford, allowing them to counter similar offerings from Toyota and GM.

Called the "8HP," the transmission will first appear in the 2009 BMW 7-Series, which will be launched in late 2008. While ZF officially says the 8HP won't arrive until 2010, it's unlikely BMW has plans to ship the new 7er without it.

Volkswagen's Audi and Ford's Premier Automotive Group (Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo) are also expected to make use of the 8HP in large luxury cars and SUVs. BMW, the PAG, and Audi are also all expected to switch to dual-clutch automated manuals from Getrag or other suppliers for sports cars and smaller vehicles.

The 8HP will enable the companies who use it to compete with Toyota's Lexus division, which is currently the only automaker selling an 8-speed transmission, available on its - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER and - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER cars.

General Motors is also believed to planning cars with eight-speed transmissions. In September 2006, Leftlane - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER for the term "8Speed." GM is expected to market an eight-speed autobox for its Cadillac and Buick models.

From LLN: - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

[EnI]

Original press release:

ZF Develops Automatic 8-Speed Transmission
for Passenger Cars

• Presentation to 1,000 engineers at the Vienna Motor Symposium.
• Consumption savings of six percent thanks to the new transmission concept with improved efficiency.
• More power with same installation space.
• Kit system for future hybrid and all-wheel drives.

ZF has designed a new automatic transmission generation for passenger cars: With the automatic 8-speed transmission the chassis and driveline specialist succeeds once more in combining seemingly contradictory goals. The automatic ZF 8-speed transmission allows for additional fuel savings of approximately six percent compared with the already optimized automatic 6-speed transmission of the second generation. This is achieved above all by a completely new transmission concept. At the same time, the automatic 8-speed transmission transmits more power in comparison to the previous model, but still gets by with the same installation space and does not require more components. Last week, the new 8-speed transmission was presented for the first time at the 28th International Vienna Motor Symposium.

“Our main development target was to find a transmission concept which allows for significant additional fuel consumption reduction and thus offers tangible added value to our customers and drivers without making any compromises in terms of performance”, explains Dr. Michael Paul, ZF Executive Vice President, Technology and Group Executive of the Car Driveline Technology division. “The number of gears was not given top priority.”

Fuel consumption savings as development target

The new, more powerful ZF multi-ratio automatic transmission allows for consumption savings of six percent. This means that the excellent consumption values of the second-generation automatic ZF 6-speed transmission which entered volume production only in 2006 have been further improved considerably. To make it clear: Compared to an automatic 5-speed transmission which is still widely used today the consumption reduction amounts to approx. 14 %.

Two innovations are mainly responsible for these spectacular consumption values. Compared to the automatic 6-speed transmission, the basis of the new ZF automatic transmission generation is an entirely new transmission concept featuring four planetary gear sets and five shift elements. Only two shift elements are opened in each gear which leads to considerably lower drag losses. Besides the improved efficiency, this transmission concept features a higher total ratio. Modern torsional vibration damping systems in the torque converter also have a positive impact on consumption and CO2 emissions. These systems also allow for a quick lock-up of the converter clutch in the second generation automatic 6-speed transmission presented in 2006. Furthermore, ZF now uses a small vane cell pump mounted parallel to the axle.

Versatile combinations

Another development focus was the increase in performance. The power-to-weight ratio of the new automatic transmission is higher and can transmit a higher input torque at the same weight, in comparison to the previous model. The automatic 8-speed transmission gets by with the same installation space as the previous versions made by ZF. In terms of shift comfort, response and shifting speed, also the new automatic 8-speed transmission operates at the already very high level of the second generation of the automatic 6-speed transmission.

The equipment options offered with the new automatic 8-speed transmission for passenger car driveline technology are trend-setting. The new transmission has been designed in such a way that it can serve as a modular system for further starting and all-wheel concepts without changing the basic transmission concept. This way, a torque converter could be replaced by new clutches or could be omitted completely when an integrated starting clutch is used. The design engineers of the automatic 8-speed transmission have also paid attention to the compatibility with today’s and future ZF all-wheel concepts.

For the hybridization of the driveline, the automatic 8-speed transmission offers the possibility of implementing both a micro hybrid with a crankshaft starter generator and a full hybrid in the form of a parallel hybrid. All known hybrid functions can thus be implemented in combination with the new automatic 8-speed transmission.


Captions:

1.) The basis of the new ZF automatic transmission generation is an entirely new transmission concept featuring four planetary gear sets and five shift elements.
2.) Well-geared: Better transmission spreading and a significantly better internal efficiency allow for consumption savings of up to six percent in the new ZF automatic 8-speed transmission compared to the direct predecessor model with six speeds.

Source: ZF

[Just_me]

I rather see them presenting the new dual-clutch gearbox (DSG)

[Mr. M]

To those who criticised Lexus' 8-speeder... What do you say now?

[martinbo]

Exactly what I said back then - who well and truly needs eight gear ratios? Seven's already pushed it one step too far (I'm a firm believer that six well-spaced ratios are all that a good engine / transmission combination needs) and my question is: where will it all end? Will the next generations of automatic transmission have 10 ratios or 11 maybe?

In my experience and personal opinion, conventional automatic transmissions have a drive and shift quality of their own character. As the industry adds more ratios (hence narrowing the torque gap between gears by keeping the engine revs more closely spaced) automatic transmissions will begin to feel more like CVTs than distinctly "stepped" gear ratios. And I hate CVTs...

[Imhotep Evil]

Originally Posted by martinbo

Exactly what I said back then - who well and truly needs eight gear ratios? Seven's already pushed it one step too far (I'm a firm believer that six well-spaced ratios are all that a good engine / transmission combination needs) and my question is: where will it all end? Will the next generations of automatic transmission have 10 ratios or 11 maybe?

In my experience and personal opinion, conventional automatic transmissions have a drive and shift quality of their own character. As the industry adds more ratios (hence narrowing the torque gap between gears by keeping the engine revs more closely spaced) automatic transmissions will begin to feel more like CVTs than distinctly "stepped" gear ratios. And I hate CVTs...

shorter gear ratio + bragging rights ...

[Imhotep Evil]

Originally Posted by Just_me

I rather see them presenting the new dual-clutch gearbox (DSG)

There won't any dual-clutch gearbox for BMW from ZF, but a dual+sequential_all_in_one transmission.

[Mr. M]

Originally Posted by martinbo

In my experience and personal opinion, conventional automatic transmissions have a drive and shift quality of their own character. As the industry adds more ratios (hence narrowing the torque gap between gears by keeping the engine revs more closely spaced) automatic transmissions will begin to feel more like CVTs than distinctly "stepped" gear ratios. And I hate CVTs...

Marrying the smoothness of a CVT, while preserving some of the leeway of changing gears that an automatic transmission offers... That sounds so good to me.

If you want distinct "stepped" gear ratios, why not just go for a manual?

[martinbo]

Originally Posted by Mirage77

Marrying the smoothness of a CVT, while preserving some of the leeway of changing gears that an automatic transmission offers... That sounds so good to me.

If you want distinct "stepped" gear ratios, why not just go for a manual?

Y'know, there's a lot to be said for moving from manual transmissions to clutchless ones whilst still preserving the sensation of driving. But when it comes to CVTs, I feel that the driving experience is significantly diluted. They just feel eerie and completely uninvolving. Each to their own of course...

[Merc1]

Oh great, once Mercedes sees this in a BMW or Audi they'll feel compelled to come up with a 10-speeder!

M