An extraordinary yet subtle change is taking place in today's cars. For the first time in history automakers are providing as many transmission as engine choices. The new BMW 6-Series, for example, offers just one V-8 engine, but buyers can choose from a 6-speed manual, a 6-speed automatic, or a 6-speed electronically-shifted manual transmission.
Order an Audi A4 and depending on engine, take your pick from a 5-speed manual, 5-speed automatic, 6-speed manual, or gearless CVT (continuously variable transmission). Even some of the lower-priced cars now let you select from more than the basic 5-speed /4-speed menu. Ford's Focus comes with a choice of 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, or 4-speed automatic.
What's behind this proliferation of transmissions? It's partly a matter of matching engine power with gears in order to obtain the best combination of fuel economy and performance. The change also comes as a result of manufacturers experimenting with radical concepts like CVT while backing their hunches with conventional systems because consumers are slow to accept ideas that don't conform to traditional driving experiences. And finally, there's the age-old game of segmenting markets to attract more customers.
One wonders if all this is really necessary. While enthusiasts may understand the differences the average car buyer is merely confused and wants nothing more than to put the gear lever in drive, motoring away without giving a further thought to the transmission.
It's not so long ago that we managed to find our way through five manual gears after years of mastering four; now we have to deal with stirring our way through six. As my good friend and fellow journalist Jim Kenzie put it, "one more gear to get lost in." Those of us who test new cars for a living eventually get to try all these systems; I'm now accustomed to shifting smoothly with a 6-speed manual after approaching it with considerable trepidation during the first few attempts. I suppose if I went back to an old 4-speeder I'd think something was missing. Still, for most driving situations, five forward speeds seems more than adequate.
But it's with the automatic transmission that the most changes have occured, led by computer-based electronics which give it a "brain" that recognises driving situations and adjusts almost instantly. In this case the added gears are a real benefit, for automatics have always lagged behind manuals in efficiency. Whatever number of gears a car's manual transmission came with, the automatic option always had one less. And with many cars it still does, the manufacturer assuming that since the buyer doesn't know the difference, why bother with the cost of that extra gear?
The advent of 5-speed and 6-speed automatics means that performance, both acceleration and fuel economy, is now equal to most manuals. Gradually the cost of such systems will come down to the point where we can expect to see them in everything from economy compacts to mid-range family sedans. Meanwhile, in an attempt to appease enthusiast types who like the convenience of an automatic but prefer to control their own destiny, we've seen a proliferation of manually shifted automatics. Controlled by buttons on the steering wheel spokes or, in some cases, gear levers that can be flicked up-and-down or right-to-left, they allow the driver to shift at will.
My experience with these gimmicks, an opinion shared by other automobile journalists, is that the automatic can do the job just as well if left alone. Besides, a big part of the fun when driving a manual comes with the ability to manipulate the clutch. On the other hand, some performance cars are now offered with a sequential shifter based on Formula One racing technology. Small paddles on the front and back of the steering wheel merely have to be flicked with a finger to shift gears. But there's no question of going from, say, fifth to third; "sequential" means exactly that. Gears shift in split-seconds with this system.
In the long run I think you'll see wide-spread adaptation of the CVT. It's far less complex than a conventional automatic and more efficient, to boot. There are no real gears, only a pulley and a pair of cones. As the car accelerates the pulley adjusts its position on the cones, matching engine revs to road speed. In use, the engine maintains a more-or-less constant rpm and when standing in traffic doesn't cause the car to creep forward.
To accommodate drivers who expect to hear a change in engine revs, some automakers force a computer-simulated gear change and even add a little "creep" at standstill. Silly, but that's the way it is with a finnicky public. They'll get used to it eventually. Meanwhile this new phenomonen of multiple transmission options, especially when there's no choice of engines, will continue to amuse and confuse. More gears, anyone?
