ZF: First 9-Speed Automatic Transmission Revealed
01-11-2011 | 03:30 PM
#1
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The sizzle in the Steak
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ZF: First 9-Speed Automatic Transmission Revealed
The automotive industry has many different types of shows and events, ranging from the local car show, to the massive trade show that is known as SEMA, to the series of auto shows traditionally used only to house the latest products of the automakers themselves.
Not anymore, as ZF has decided to blend the lines of traditional show composition by having its own booth at the Detroit Auto Show in order to unveil its latest transmission – the world’s first nine-speed automatic transmission for vehicles utilizing a transversely mounted engine. In other words, ZF has introduced a transmission to power the increasingly prominent (80 percent of vehicle worldwide) front-wheel drive vehicles that are needed in order to optimize fuel economy in order to meet government mandated standards.
“Already a leader in technically advanced, fuel-saving multi-speed transmissions for rear-drive vehicles, ZF’s new nine-speed enables significant fuel economy improvements and delivers excellent performance characteristics for front-wheel-drive vehicles,” said Hans-Georg Harter, ZF’s President and CEO. In fact, ZF says that the new transmission will deliver an increase in fuel economy of over 10 percent in some applications.
Although the primary benefit of ZF’s new transmission is a dramatic improvement in fuel economy, the transmission producer also produces an increase in performance as well. One way it achieves that is through the use of a new shock absorber system in the torque converter, which makes a rapid lock-up of the converter clutch possible, and also means better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions.
ZF says that the new nine-speed front-transverse transmission will provide for “extremely short response and shifting times are clearly below the threshold of perception.” This means that double shifts and direct multiple gearshifts are also made possible. Despite making these claims, ZF has been a bit shy about getting into the technical aspects of the new transmission, but expect it to be a dual-clutch setup, and likely dry.
Production will begin in 2012 and will take place at ZF’s South Carolina factory, which will begin construction next month. The first use of this new transmission will be in a Chrysler product – or many – but it is unknown in exactly what.
Not anymore, as ZF has decided to blend the lines of traditional show composition by having its own booth at the Detroit Auto Show in order to unveil its latest transmission – the world’s first nine-speed automatic transmission for vehicles utilizing a transversely mounted engine. In other words, ZF has introduced a transmission to power the increasingly prominent (80 percent of vehicle worldwide) front-wheel drive vehicles that are needed in order to optimize fuel economy in order to meet government mandated standards.
“Already a leader in technically advanced, fuel-saving multi-speed transmissions for rear-drive vehicles, ZF’s new nine-speed enables significant fuel economy improvements and delivers excellent performance characteristics for front-wheel-drive vehicles,” said Hans-Georg Harter, ZF’s President and CEO. In fact, ZF says that the new transmission will deliver an increase in fuel economy of over 10 percent in some applications.
Although the primary benefit of ZF’s new transmission is a dramatic improvement in fuel economy, the transmission producer also produces an increase in performance as well. One way it achieves that is through the use of a new shock absorber system in the torque converter, which makes a rapid lock-up of the converter clutch possible, and also means better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions.
ZF says that the new nine-speed front-transverse transmission will provide for “extremely short response and shifting times are clearly below the threshold of perception.” This means that double shifts and direct multiple gearshifts are also made possible. Despite making these claims, ZF has been a bit shy about getting into the technical aspects of the new transmission, but expect it to be a dual-clutch setup, and likely dry.
Production will begin in 2012 and will take place at ZF’s South Carolina factory, which will begin construction next month. The first use of this new transmission will be in a Chrysler product – or many – but it is unknown in exactly what.
01-11-2011 | 03:32 PM
#2
Evil Mazda Driver
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 11,212
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From: Portland, Oregon
That thing is going to be constantly changing gears and Lexus's 8-speed has been criticized for similar drawbacks. Personally, I think six is all you need. My Santa Fe has a 6-speed auto and at 70 mph, it's snoozing at just a hair below 2,000 rpm.
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01-11-2011 | 04:07 PM
#11
Evil Mazda Driver
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From: Portland, Oregon
O rly? I was unaware of this change. I guess when I got that information from SSFTSX, I simply assumed he was spewing off random brainwaves. I didn't realize there was actually factual and intelligent information banging around in there.
01-11-2011 | 04:10 PM
#12
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From: Better Neighborhood, Arizona
Well it is hard to follow him, he rambles about side view mirrors and other inconsequential things.
01-11-2011 | 05:55 PM
#13
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From: Space Coast, FL
What they will do is what is done with modern BMW's. Basically the car never touches first gear in normal driving, it uses 2nd->6th. When the car is in sport mode, the car will use a VERY short 1st gear to get the rpms up quickly.
If anything, this 9 speed transmission will probably use 1st and 2nd gears as really short gears to get the car in it's powerband and get up to 60 MPH so it has phenomenal 0-60 times or 0-100 times. Then there is going to be an overlapping "3th-9th" gear so the car will have 6 speeds to use throughout regular driving for good fuel economy. Basically the car will start out in 3rd gear and so forth.
If anything, I hope that these 9spd transmissions shift quickly and shift properly rather than ZF's 6HP transmissions which can be a joke sometimes in terms of shifting quality and speed.
Last edited by csmeance; 01-11-2011 at 05:57 PM.
01-12-2011 | 12:42 AM
#16
Pro
Joined: Aug 2005
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This part is good news.
"its latest transmission – the world’s first nine-speed automatic transmission for vehicles utilizing a transversely mounted engine. In other words, ZF has introduced a transmission to power the increasingly prominent (80 percent of vehicle worldwide) front-wheel drive vehicles that are needed in order to optimize fuel economy in order to meet government mandated standards."
Although I wonder if 9 gears was really needed.
Gerhard Wagner had an interview on their own ZF website a few years ago where he clearly stated he believed more gears was more for marketing than anything.
"The new ZF automatic transmission has 8 speeds. Where will the competition for ever more speeds lead?
Wagner: According to our view, there is no advantage due solely to the addition of a speed. In terms of consumption and driving dynamics, the 7 and 8-speed transmissions currently are in no way superior to ZF's 6-speed transmissions. The equation of more with better does not necessarily apply here. The call for ever more speeds is something that is presumably driven more by marketing in many places, rather than by technical necessity."
http://www.zf.com/corporate/en/produ...interview.html
It will be interesting to see the engineering inside this new transmission when more info is released.
"its latest transmission – the world’s first nine-speed automatic transmission for vehicles utilizing a transversely mounted engine. In other words, ZF has introduced a transmission to power the increasingly prominent (80 percent of vehicle worldwide) front-wheel drive vehicles that are needed in order to optimize fuel economy in order to meet government mandated standards."
Although I wonder if 9 gears was really needed.
Gerhard Wagner had an interview on their own ZF website a few years ago where he clearly stated he believed more gears was more for marketing than anything.
"The new ZF automatic transmission has 8 speeds. Where will the competition for ever more speeds lead?
Wagner: According to our view, there is no advantage due solely to the addition of a speed. In terms of consumption and driving dynamics, the 7 and 8-speed transmissions currently are in no way superior to ZF's 6-speed transmissions. The equation of more with better does not necessarily apply here. The call for ever more speeds is something that is presumably driven more by marketing in many places, rather than by technical necessity."
http://www.zf.com/corporate/en/produ...interview.html
It will be interesting to see the engineering inside this new transmission when more info is released.
01-12-2011 | 01:31 AM
#17
The Third Ball
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01-12-2011 | 02:04 PM
#20
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The call for ever more speeds is something that is presumably driven more by marketing in many places, rather than by technical necessity
01-12-2011 | 02:30 PM
#21
Oderint dum metuant.
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Lake Wylie
^Technically, they don't. But, most people think that more/bigger is better. The salesman saying it has a 9-speed tranny vs. the competition's 7-speed makes it sound like it's better to most people. 1) It has more. 2) Why would he bring it up if it wasn't a good thing? You have to remember, most people are stupid.
01-12-2011 | 05:43 PM
#24
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From: Appleton WI
It has its purposes. It will (if built good so that it doesnt zap more power than necessary) it could very well improve mileage for the average driver. Those that have a heavier foot may see it searching around more for the proper gear. Hopefully there is some logic to the programing that will learn style and select gear choices better. If it is a DSG even better!
07-10-2012 | 01:36 PM
#25
Safety Car
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From: NC
The End
Remember the Powerglide? An automatic with 2 forward speeds, it's almost inconceivable today that such a transmission was ever state of the art. Why, we've heard plenty of grumbling from the peanut gallery about Honda and its continued widespread use of a 5-speed automatic when most of the rest of the world is offering 6 speeds. And then there are those carmakers engaging in the mine-is-bigger-than-yours battle of transmissions that resulted in 8-speed automatics in cars like the Chrysler 300 and Hyundai Genesis pictured above.
German transmission supplier ZF has a 9-speed automatic that will be introduced next year, and reports have said Hyundai is looking to pack 10 forward gears into a forthcoming gearbox. What's next? Cars with as many gears as mountain bikes?
That's unlikely, says ZF North American president Julio Caspari, who tells Automotive News that the gear race is "close to the limit." AN says Caspari thinks marketing may be a bigger factor than engineering when it comes to developing transmissions with additional gears, citing just an 11% difference between the best transmissions today and a theoretically perfect unit.
Caspari questions the cost-effectiveness of building a so-called "perfect" transmission, saying that further friction reduction would require expensive materials, like ceramic ball bearings.
07-10-2012 | 02:29 PM
#26
Instructor
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From: Dover, DE
I think that CVT's are the future once they get them "dialed in". Infinite ratios has to be the future. In a perfect world a CVT with software that simulates real shifts which can be adjusted by the driver for different shift patterns.
07-10-2012 | 04:49 PM
#29
6G TLX-S
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From: YVR
07-10-2012 | 06:14 PM
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07-10-2012 | 10:51 PM
#33
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