ZF develops world’s first nine-speed automatic transmission

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By Tim Beissmann | January 12th, 2011

German transmission manufacturer ZF has developed the world’s first nine-speed automatic transmission for passenger vehicles equipped with a transversely mounted engine.

Similar to ZF’s eight-speed automatic gearbox – currently used in rear-wheel drive vehicles from Audi, Bentley, BMW, Range Rover and Rolls-Royce – the nine-speed will be better suited to premium front-wheel drive products.

ZF says the new transmission delivers extremely short shifting times and is exceptionally smooth, utilising electronic controls to select the right gear for the driving conditions, eliminating unnecessary stepping and constant shifting.

ZF President and CEO, Hans-Georg Harter, said the new nine-speed transmission would also offer enhanced driving performance and fuel economy over the brand’s conventional six-speed automatic.

“ZF’s new nine-speed enables significant fuel economy improvements and delivers excellent performance characteristics for front-wheel drive vehicles,” Mr Harter said.

He confirmed the new nine-speed transmission would be built at a new manufacturing plant in South Carolina.

Details of its application (i.e. which vehicles it will be used in) will be announced in the coming months, although upcoming Fiat and Chrysler products are already believed to be among the first to benefit from the new technology.

Linksy

This thing could sound like an opera singer if you make it jump aroung the gears.
t39

Looks like the Subaru Impreza might miss out again and stick to its 4sp.
PoisonEagle

I wonder if this is for BMW’s FWD products. Be cool if they bought out a 1-series sedan with that drivetrain. (to an eccentric kook like myself anyhow).
PoisonEagle

Hang on..doesn’t more ratios mean more gaps between shifts? that sounds like the engine loses torque down low. Unless its a DSG?

Shak

It has smart computers controlling the shift points that allow it to shift up or down two or more gears at a time. In that way, it can provide the economy benefits, while also being smooth, and also acting as a normal 6 or 7spd ‘box when it needs to.

vti07

When will we see a 5/6 speed auto in a certain popular small car, let alone a 9 speed?
subeylover

I dont get this 9 speed/race to 20 speed gearbox crap. How can you enjoy driving in tiptronic mode when it takes so makes strokes to change gears? 6 speeds is the perfect mix of close ratios and satisfying change in revs between cogs. With a 9 spd, if you only lose 300 revs per cog, then all u ever do is change gears – might as well be a cvt – pointless! I’ve driven a 7spd Golf and u have to change 2 gears at a time to avoid reaching for the gearshift every 2 seconds coz the ratios are too close.

Peter

agreed, though you dont lose revs when you change with the ZF. I have the ZF 6 speed with paddles, it launches in second normally and pretty much only shifts down if you give it a mighty boot or change manually, then it’s fun to flick through the gears with the paddles, but you’d wear out your fingers going through 9 gears, that is if you didnt shoot a piston through the block first not changing fast enough

Wayne Kerr

It should be either 6/7 speed auto or CVT. 8+ transmissions are getting ridiculous.
JR

Big deal , my 1996 Apollo mountain bike had 21 gears so there !

Eric

Yes but how many usble ratios dose it have??

http://holden paulb

ZF6 transmission is awsome,any improvment on that can only take us all forward
john

is that moving forward?

http://holden paulb

john,my confusion grows by the day as to why Australians are not buying Commodores and Falcons.It has to be that consumers are frightend by fuel economy with rising fuel prices.Any new transmission technologys that can improve the ride+ fuel economy of our OZ cars,has to be looked at

Able

“my confusion grows by the day as to why Australians are not buying Commodores and Falcons”

Please tell me that’s sarcasm…

http://holden paulb

Able,im serious.A friend of mine just bought a 1984 VK Commodore,they sold 133,000 of them.The market in that year sold 300,000.The % drop is massive

Reckless1

Given that the high end market this trannie is aimed at will be the high tech small engine turbo type of car, it seems stupid to have so many ratios.

These turbo engines typically have a wide flat torque spread from around 1800rpm to 4500rpm meaning 5 ratios is more than enough. I guess when driven with a feather throttle, the extra gears will deliver better economy as you trundle around the 50k suburbs in 8th gear at 750rpm……
topdog

With the way all these autos are going with heaps gears you would think it be better to just get rid of them ,And just keep refining the constant varibale auto box
Snowman

Why not design a better CVT transmissions when you’re having to have 9 gears in an automatic transmission? Surely would be easier
A

The current eight speed can’t possibly be getting used in any RWD Audis as there isn’t such a thing.

Devil’s Advocate

I think they should have said “north-south” mounted drivetrains. That would then includes the AWD “non-transverse” drivetrain Audis.
Many of the older “large” FWD Audis went against the trend by not transversely mounting their drivetrain. That worked against them in handling because the engine then had to be mounted ahead of the front wheels. It is only just over the last few years where Audi have finally reduced the “driving a lead tipped arrow” feel of their Quattro cars caused by that engine mounting position.

kj

eight speed automatic? Goodness I have enough trouble with the four speed automatic in our work ute!
Bimmerc

This kind of transmission (8speed/9speed) is design for those countries which there is no speed limit or very high limit on their motor way, such as Germany.
The maximum legal speed you can drive here is 110km/h, it is quite pointless really, or simply a show off asset.
Brett

After purcahsing a car with a CVT auto a few weeks back, I’ll never go back to a standard auto gearbox. Although it takes some getting used to, the CVT’s smoothness on takeoff and overtaking is amazing!

I can’t see 9 speed auto’s going too mainstream as the majority of cars will probably be CVT electric/hybrid in 5 years.
Nath746

7 Speeds are too many in my opinion. 6 Speed is perfect if the ratios are correct…