While automakers like Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover plan the rollout of nine- and even ten-speed transmissions, Klaus Frolich, BMW’s head of small and midsize cars, says BMW will maintain its current gearbox lineup, which includes an eight-speed auto, seven-speed dual-clutch and six-speed manual.
Although good for marketing, Frolich notes that moving from an eight-speed transmission to a nine-speed doesn’t provide many tangible benefits. In addition to being more complex to make, BMW’s testing has revealed that the extra cog doesn’t provide much in the way of efficiency gains.
“We ran some tests,” Frolich told Auto Express. “The [efficiency] difference between an automatic with six speeds and eight speeds is seven or eight percent, which is a good result. But the benefit for nine speeds [instead of eight] is almost zero percent. Plus, it adds weight, complexity and cost, and with turbocharged engines you have a good spread of torque, so [drivers] do not want to have the gearbox constantly changing its mind.”
Although manual transmissions have fallen out of favor in recent years, Frolich confirmed that BMW will continue to offer a three-pedal option for the foreseeable future.
“Of course, with a manual you are slower, but it is more emotional; it now says ‘I am a serious driver, I am a connoisseur’,” he said. “So, we will continue [to offer a manual] even if only ten per cent of customers want it. That is why we offer a manual M5 sedan in North America. It is stupid – the development costs are huge – but we will keep doing it as long as the customer wants it.”
Leave a Reply