VW announces dual clutch automatic 10-speed transmission for its automotive vehicles

Volkswagen development chief Heinz-Jakob Neusser has announced at the ongoing International Motor Symposium, in Vienna, Austria, that the company is set to debut a world first 10 speed automatic transmission, which should VW Group Chairman Dr. Martin Winterkorn, boasted, help the company meet its goal of increasing mileage across its line of vehicles by 20 percent over the next several years.

As automakers continue to seek new ways to improve gas mileage they have stretched the bounds of conventional thinking, in some cases using new exotic light materials, in others, adding more gears to the transmission. Doing so allows the car or truck to make the most efficient use of the power coming from the engine. Anyone who has ridden a multi-speed bicycle can attest to the energy savings when traveling long distances, or attempting to ride faster than those on an old-fashioned single gear bike.

The company plans to use the new transmission on virtually its entire line of vehicles, which has grown in recent years as the company has purchased brands such as Bentley, Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini and Bugatti. The new transmission will be capable, company reps said, of withstanding torque up to 369-pound feet, which means it should work in powerful cars such as VW's Golf R 400. The new transmission will also work in both all wheel and front wheel drive vehicles and in both longitudinal and transverse engine layouts in four, six or eight cylinder configurations.

The specifics of the new transmission have not yet been released, but reps for the company said it has been designed to work with the company's MQB modular-transversal architecture, which has moved slowly to most of the company's vehicles. Other car makers have announced vehicles with higher gear speeds, with many expected to release nine-speed configurations, leaving VW as the only one with ten.

VW also announced at the symposium, the development of a 235bph diesel engine—with just four cylinders it would make a good match for the new transmission, likely offering very high mileage. Dubbed the EA288, it will have dual turbo-chargers, delivering a full 280 horse power—a likely candidate for the next generation Passat.

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