Transmission ratios arms race?

[Laconian]

What precipitated, or enabled, the recent growth in transmission speeds? I remember when the SE-R had a 6-speed and it was absolutely amazing that a cheap car could have such a feature. Now it's nothing special. And automatic transmissions - Chrysler has NINE speeds? So, what caused this? Spec sheet arms races? Fighting to maintain fuel economy standards in the face of weight bloat? Computer technology? Manufacturing technology? The discovery of a large cache of gearanium?

[FoMoJo]

Fuel efficiency...but 9 speeds is just stupid .  Might as well just go variable.

[93JC]

Marketing pap, trying to create more em-pee-gees.

I don't know what the programming is like but I bet Chrysler's nine-speed will skip a whole bunch of gears depending on the use at the time.

[GoCougs]

All those gears provide a larger gear ratio spread = better fuel economy and performance. The tighter the RPM band in which an engine operates the more efficient and better performing it will be; plus it affords a lazier top gear (or two) for cruising efficiency.

CVTs have some efficiency issues and aren't quite up to the task of cost effectively handling big power.

[Madman]

Be a real man and learn how to use one of these!

[GoCougs]

Be a real man and learn how to use one of these!

"Marketing pap."

[Soup DeVille]

"Marketing pap."

Perhaps moving 80,000 pounds or more with a 400 HP engine requires a more efficient application of power?

[sportyaccordy]

Fuel efficiency...but 9 speeds is just stupid .  Might as well just go variable.

I think the planetary system makes it pretty simple

And CVT doesn't have as wide a spread of gears, or torque capacity.

[Vinsanity]

I just came back from the LA Auto Show. Did a lot of test drives, including one in a Chrysler 300 with the 8-speed autobox. While playing with the flappy paddles (as I usually like to do during test drives), I learned that the car cruises 35 mph in 6th gear. That's absurd. Not to mention a lot of flappy-paddling.

[Raza]

I hate the 8 speed in my dad's LS460.  And I also hate that in manual mode, it will shift up (say you're in 6th doing 50, it'll shift to 8th) and not tell you; the display will remain the gear that you shifted into, not the one the transmission shifted itself into.  The car has so much power, but it never feels fast because the dumb transmission goes from 8th to 6th, then says "Okay, maybe this guy wants 4th.  No?  3rd!?  Madman!  You're driving this car as if it had 386 horsepower V8!"  And by the time it sorts that out, you've already crawled (well, not crawled) to where you want to go and have to let off. 

I hate it.  Automatics are bad, but these million speed ones just make them worse.  6 gears, at most, is what you need.

[2o6]

I can get with an auto with a super tall freeway cryuse gear for good economy.

[MexicoCityM3]

The 8 speed in the new 1 & 3 series is fantastic. I'ce driven both and find no fault. If anything, that box feels better than a DSG box to me. Shifts are crisp and immediate. First autobox that I will seriously consider getting over a manual.

[SVT666]

My G has 7 speeds.   It only sees 7th on the highway.

[Laconian]

There's surely room for flappy paddles to improve. I would like to see a design where you could grab a handful of paddle and pull it WAY back, which would tell the transmission "go within 2000 rpm of redline NOW!"

[2o6]

There's surely room for flappy paddles to improve. I would like to see a design where you could grab a handful of paddle and pull it WAY back, which would tell the transmission "go within 2000 rpm of redline NOW!"

I always thought this would be useful for a CVT tranny, hold the paddle to retard the transmission in a lower ratio.

[Rich]

There's surely room for flappy paddles to improve. I would like to see a design where you could grab a handful of paddle and pull it WAY back, which would tell the transmission "go within 2000 rpm of redline NOW!"

I always thought this would be useful for a CVT tranny, hold the paddle to retard the transmission in a lower ratio.

Behold:

The future

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVURsxuwy_E

[2o6]

Behold:

The future

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVURsxuwy_E

What if you're lazy?

[Rich]

What if you're lazy?

Then you wouldn't be bothered to move a damn paddle either! 

[2o6]

Then you wouldn't be bothered to move a damn paddle either! 

Not true! 

[Laconian]

No good for shitty stop and go around here. My boyfriend was seriously grumpy on evenings where traffic was bad, even using the excellent clutch+stick like the Accord had.

[Rich]

No good for shitty stop and go around here. My boyfriend was seriously grumpy on evenings where traffic was bad, even using the excellent clutch+stick like the Accord had.

No job could ever pay me enough to drive in that crap.  Well, unless I was paid enough for a helo ride into work everyday.

[Laconian]

No job could ever pay me enough to drive in that crap.  Well, unless I was paid enough for a helo ride into work everyday.

Well, he does get paid pretty well...

[Rich]

Well, he does get paid pretty well...

[SVT666]

No job could ever pay me enough to drive in that crap.  Well, unless I was paid enough for a helo ride into work everyday.

Seattle's traffic is the worst I have ever experienced....anywhere.

[Speed_Racer]

For me, what makes an auto trans great is how well it selects the right gear at the right time for the right situation.

A 9-speed is no good if it's never in the right gear, hunts while climbing, etc.

[Rupert]

Aye. I'd rather a really good three-speed than a sloppy eight-speed.

[AutobahnSHO]

No good for shitty stop and go around here. My boyfriend was seriously grumpy on evenings where traffic was bad, even using the excellent clutch+stick like the Accord had.

I can take the interstate and add 3 miles to my commute or just take a 4lane highway plus lots of lights.
If I'm already kinda tired I just take the interstate- less tardedness so I don't get home so burnt out. And that's with a stick or auto.

BTW, I cannot describe the endless joy of waking up in the morning and going through the internal "Which car should I take to work?" dialog.   It's so sweet to get to pick. I'm sure it's what keeps Leno types jazzed up...

[MexicoCityM3]

Aye. I'd rather a really good three-speed than a sloppy eight-speed.

Come on Rupert, that fleet on your sig is from 1985. Wouldn't expect you to dig newfangled car tech.

[2o6]

Three-speed? It's a car, not a ceiling fan.

[Soup DeVille]

Three-speed? It's a car, not a ceiling fan.

Three-speeds worked just fine for many many years on a great variety of vehicles.

Oh, and my ceiling fan has infinitely variable speeds.