automatic transmission
Top 12 Car Features that Sound New but Actually Aren’t
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A dozen seemingly high-tech automotive innovations that are older than you might expect.
Lotus Sells Out, Offers Exige S with Automatic
In an effort to make its products more appealing to a broader audience Lotus has expanded its Exige range by offering a model with an automatic transmission.
EPA Makes BMW Correct MINI Fuel-Economy Figures
Hyundai and Ford aren’t the only manufacturers that have been forced to revise their fuel-economy scores. Now BMW is joining this hall of shame.
TRANS WARS Episode III: Revenge of the Shift
Welcome to the final installment of Trans Wars, a three-part miniseries exploring the automatic transmission. So far we’ve compared torque-converter and dual-clutch units, but these two gearboxes aren’t the only ones on the market today.
TRANS WARS Episode II: Attack of the Clutches
In yesterday’s installment of Trans Wars we explored the benefits and downsides of conventional automatic gearboxes, ones that feature fluid-filled torque converters. This type of transmission has been around for more than 50 years; it works well and has pretty much become the industry standard.
TRANS WARS Episode I: The Phantom Pedal
Join us for a three-part miniseries exploring the ins and outs of automatic transmissions. For the first installment we celebrate heritage by tipping our hats to a great motoring tradition that’s as American as baseball, apple pie and Oldsmobile. This is Trans Wars!
2015 Corvette Gains Eight-Speed Automatic
The 2015 Corvette Stingray will automatically be better than the 2014 model.
CVTs to Account for 25 Percent of Automatics Soon
Clearing a room of automotive enthusiasts is easy. Just lecture them on how “amazing” the continuously-variable transmission in your car is.
Nine-Speed Automatics Will ‘Dominate’ Market: ZF CEO
Nine-speed automatic transmissions are still new, but German manufacturer ZF sees them becoming the future norm in North America.
Shifting Trends: Is the Manual Transmission Doomed?
Manual transmissions have always been idolized and are generally reserved for the ultimate sporty-cars, but how does a stick shift compare to its automated counterpart?
CVTs Expected to More than Double by 2016
Frequently thought of as a boring alternative to an automatic transmission, usage of the the continuously-variable transmission (CVT) is expected to more than double by 2016.
2013 Lotus Evora S Adds Six-Speed Automatic Transmission Option
For the 2013 model year, Lotus will be adding a six-speed automatic option to its Evora S model when it becomes available starting this October.
Race to Add Transmission Gears ‘Close to the Limit’ Says ZF President
Most automotive enthusiasts can remember when an automaker first introduced the idea of a six-speed automatic transmission to the market, and nowadays modern vehicles sport as many as eight gears, with Hyundai even rumored to be working on a 10-speed.
Dodge Dart Will Get Hyundai Transmission
Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik recently confirmed that they’ll be supplying Chrysler with the six-speed automatic transmission that will be found in the new Dodge Dart. The announcement gets our attention since Chrysler and Hyundai recently split from the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA) which also involved Japanese automaker, Mitsubishi. As a result from…
Audi Cutting Back On Manuals For Europe
Audi drivers across the pond are getting the short end of the stick, or to be more precise: no stick at all. What’s all this stick business, you may ask? The new version of the Audi S4 and S5 will only be available with an automatic transmission in Europe, cue the snickers and sneers from North American…
Honda Recalls 1.5 Million Accord, CR-V and Element Models
Honda has launched a recall for about 1.5 million vehicles in the United States to update the software that controls the automatic transmission. The recall will include the 2005-10 4 cylinder Accord, 2007-10 CR-V and 2005-08 Element models. The issue surrounds a bearing in the automatic transmission system that was not built with sufficient strength and as a result,…
GM Recalls 6,800 Compact Pickups
General Motors has recalled 6,800 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickup trucks. Apparently the transmission shift lever was not properly finished and as a result, might not display the correct gear on the PRNDL bar. NHTSA said the pickups do not comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 114, “Theft Protection”. This may appear…
Chrysler To Invest $843 Million In Transmission Plant, 9-Speed Automatic To Be Built
Chrysler announced an $843 million investment in its Indiana transmission plant as it prepares to build a 9-speed automatic transmission front front-drive vehicles. The announcement comes on the heels of General Motors announcement of a $2 billion infusion into a number of plants, including $200 million for upgrades to its Toledo, Ohio plant to build…
2012 BMW M5, M6 to Come Exclusively With an Automatic Transmission
BMW purists, grab your pitchforks, light your torches and march on Munich. Why? Because the new M5 won’t have a manual transmission. Worse still, it won’t even get a dual-clutch setup, but a true Mercedes-Benz style slushbox. According to a report by Motor Trend, BMW engineers planned to use the Getrag M Dual Clutch Transmission…
Hyundai Plans 10-Speed Transmissions, 50 MPG CAFE Rating
At today’s Michigan tech briefing, Hyundai announced plans for new transmissions, including a 10 speed automatic, and ambitious fuel economy targets. Hyundai claimed that a 10 speed automatic would be part of their overall strategy for 2016 through 2020, along with cylinder deactivation. Even more enticing, Hyundai confirmed that a dual clutch transmission would be…
Subaru Impreza WRX STI Gets Automatic Gearbox For Australian Market
Mitsubishi‘s Lancer Evolution offers a dual-clutch gearbox on their top of the line MR model, but Subaru only offers a manual gearbox on their flagship Impreza WRX STI. But that’s about to change in Australia, where the STI will soon be available with a 5-speed automatic. According to Subaru Australia, demand for an automatic WRX…
