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ZF working on eight-speed auto : Car Advice | News Blog

ZF working on eight-speed auto

May 7, 2007 by Alborz Fallah  




One of the world’s largest vehicle driveline and chassis component suppliers, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, most often referred to as just ZF, has shown the world an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission to rival the new eight-speed systems from Toyota (Lexus LS460).

Currently cars like the Ford Falcon are driven via the ZF six-speed auto gearbox, other manufacturers which use ZF gearboxes include BMW, Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo. ZF claims the new eight-speed gearbox will be up to 6% more fuel economical than the current six-speed systems and up to 14% more fuel economical than five-speed autos.

It appears that the game of “more gears is better” is in full stretch, to those in the motor industry the eight-speed automatic gearbox has long been the holy grail of all marketing tools, currently Holden still offers the dinasour fours-speed auto in its base model omega.

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,” said ZF’s executive vice-president, technology and group executive of the car driveline technology division, Dr Michael Paul.

Currently cars like the Ford Falcon are driven via the ZF six-speed auto gearbox, other manufacturers which use ZF gearboxes include BMW, Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo. ZF claims the new eight-speed gearbox will be up to 6% more fuel economical than the current six-speed systems.

ZF EightSpeed

It appears that the game of “more gears is better” is in full stretch, to those in the motor industry the eight-speed automatic gearbox has long been the holy grail of all marketing tools, currently Holden still offers the dinasour fours-speed auto in its base model omega.

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,” said ZF’s executive vice-president, technology and group executive of the car driveline technology division, Dr Michael Paul.

Will the new Ford Falcon come with an eight-speed auto? Unlikely, the new ZF8 will be in testing for sometime before it will find itself in the humble falcon. However, an eight-speed auto falcon (and territory) is now more likely than ever!

ZF has built the new gearbox for all applications, including rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive and hybrid powertrains.

Cars that might be driven via the new eight-speed gearbox include :

  • Australia’s own Fords Falcon and Territory.
  • BMW’s 1,3,5,7,8, X3/5, Z Series.
  • Jaguar’s S-Type, XJ and XK.
  • Land Rover’s Range Rover Vogue and Sport.
  • Audi’s A4, A5, A6, A8 and Q5/Q7.
  • Volvo’s S80, XC90.

The future of manual transmissions in your everyday family car has taken yet another blow.

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Comments

4 Responses to “ZF working on eight-speed auto”
  1. Sam says:

    gotta love lots of gears :) great fuel consumption, better ride

  2. JDM says:

    keywords being “just shown” ..

    to rival Lexus.. so something Lexus has already been offering to its customers and these guys just catch up with it… interesting.

    Still won’t make me buy something other than a Lexus (provided I’m in the market with the budget for such a car)

  3. Peter Lorry says:

    Lexus vehicles are fantastic. I own a IS250 (baby Lexus) and it has been absolutely terrific.

  4. glenn says:

    Have a turbo territory ghia [that's a mouthful!] with the ZF 6 spd auto
    It’s a beauty
    Combo of great engine, chassis and driveline works magnificently
    I know SUV’s aren’t green but this is used for business and pleasure
    But for its capability I’d have to have two vehicles
    So one TTG is greener than a Ute and a corolla

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