heyitsme

DETROIT -- A new line of aluminum-intensive 6-speed automatic transmissions for rear-wheel-drive vehicles is under development at the Powertrain Group of General Motors Corp. for introduction in 2005.

The transmissions will be the first of their kind at GM, which is expected to build them in high volumes in Willow Run, Mich. If the new drives are produced in volumes of 500,000 per year, they will consume more than 35 million pounds of aluminum annually.

Most of the light metal for the cases, side covers, valve and pump bodies, sprocket supports, accumulator housings and other components of the transmissions are expected to be made of secondary die casting alloy A380.

In addition to the aluminum parts, the transmissions are expected to make considerable use of steel and powder metal components made from steel bar, rod, and iron and steel powders, according to GM sources here.

Several models of different sizes and torque-handling capacities are planned by GM for the new transmission line, known in GM's inner circles as the X13R, X14R, X15R and X16R units. One or more will be built at GM's Strasbourg, France, transmission plant, as well as at Willow Run.

GM's plans mark a turn in the big automaker's transmission design strategy for achieving fuel-economy improvements in its rear-wheel-drive vehicles, including Cadillac cars, sports wagons, GMC pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, and similar vehicles from Chevrolet. According to some GM sources here, the 6-speed automatics could provide fuel-economy gains of between 5 and 8 percent over today's 4-speed automatics in such vehicles.

GM's transmission strategy brightens the automotive market picture for suppliers of secondary aluminum and their customers in the parts-casting business. In addition, the new transmissions are expected to have a higher parts and metals content than current automatics do.

GM also recently signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop an all-new automatic 6-speed transmission with Ford Motor Co. for front-wheel-drive vehicles. The new transmissions built under that program will be produced in high volumes, with a high content of aluminum die-casting alloy, steel and powder metal.

With two new families of 6-speed automatics in the works, suppliers of aluminum scrap, secondary specification casting alloy, steel bar, rod and powder metals to GM and its transmission parts vendors can look forward to some new and promising business opportunities.

Forged and machined steel components made from bar and rod stock for use in the new transmissions are likely to include shafts, gears, bearing parts, rings, levers and clutch parts. Powder iron and steel components could include gears and gear carriers, converter and synchronizer hubs, oil pump rotors, clutch plates and collars, stators, sleeves and spacers.



OVERVIEW
¶Product strategy builds on a common
architecture to minimize structural costs:
¶Product strategy and flexible manufacturing
system enable all four
variants to be built in the same
manufacturing facility.
¶Four variants cover a broad range of
vehicle applications and torque range.
¶A high level of part commonality exists
between variants.
BENEFITS:
¶Benchmark unit cost
¶Benchmark quality, reliability, durability
¶Benchmark shift feel
¶Performance improvement of 4 – 7% over
current automatic transmission products.
¶Fuel economy improvement of 1 – 4% over
current automatic transmission products
¶Next-generation tow/haul mode feature

gavriil

So there's your 6 speed auto tranny for the C6. I am sure we'll see it in even Pontiacs and other Chevy cars. All Cadillac cars will get that, I am sure.

I read a similar report for Ford the other day. So we'll see it in Lincolns and other Ford cars (I am sure Vovlos will get them).

So bottom line, the 2 firms decided to build the tranny together for FWD cars but separately for RWD cars. Hmmm... I wonder why.