Even after reading the stellar reviews of the racetrack and overall performance of the new double-clutch automated manual transmissions on the Evo X and GT-R, some enthusiasts are still holding out for ye olde fashion manual transmissions. Well, better get used to it folks - this is more than the wave of the future: it's already here today and is actively offered and promoted on the latest leading-edge cars.
The double-clutch automated manual offers every possible advantage to the overall performance envelope of the car. It shifts better and faster than any human can, and almost always produce better mileage and/or emissions (2 areas which will improve as further experience is gained). And it can be electronically tuned to produce fantastic results on the racetrack when teamed with multi-dimensional accelerometers and related sensors.
In the future you'll see fewer old-style manual transmissions offered in performance cars. The days of manufacturers investing in old-style transmissions are ending. Ask Getrag, Tremac, Aisen, Borg-Warner, and other companies what they are working on and you'll hear all about this type of transmission. The only exceptions are where the market will not bear the cost of development due to low price and low volume. For example, given the very limited sales volume of vehicles using the Tremac TR-6060, a replacement by an automated manual would be years off because of these limitations.
New for 2009 are offerings for the BMW M3 and Porsche 911 (which also picks up direct injection for 2009 - another advanced technology that offers every benefits).
DrivingEnthusiast.net offers an extensive BMW press release as well as 10 super high-res images of the transmission so that readers can study it in detail. A sample image is shown to the right.
Follow the link http://www.DrivingEnthusiast.net/sec-bmw/ (suggest <right click> and <open in new tab>) to the new BMW section and look under Drivetrains for full detailed information.
