BMW rules out the use of 9- and 10-speed gearboxes

BMW has announced that it will not use automatic gearboxes with more than 8 ratios in the future.

This announcement comes at a time when automatic transmissions are undergoing an almost exponential increase in the number of speeds.

Only a few years ago, 6-speed gearboxes already seemed advanced and complex enough to be set as the limit. However, a few years ago the progressive rise in the number of speeds began, always seeking efficiency and driving pleasure. Today, it is rare to find a manufacturer that does not offer an automatic alternative with 7, 8, or even 9 speeds, such as Mercedes-Benz or Jaguar Land-Rover.

However, BMW has been using 8-speed automatic transmissions for years (torque converter type, manufactured by the specialist ZF). The German brand has set 8 speeds as its ceiling, since according to the company, between an 8-speed gearbox and a 9- or 10-speed one, the final benefit is practically nil, while adding complexity and weight to the transmissions.

This approach, which is of course very respectable, contrasts with that of other manufacturers such as VW, which has already announced that it is working on a dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) with 10 speeds, which will be fitted to many models of the German group in the not-too-distant future. At present, and as we noted earlier, the maximum number of speeds available is 9, found in Mercedes-Benz with its 9G-Tronic, and Jaguar Land-Rover, with its ZF unit.

Source | autoexpress.co.uk