Back in early 2011, we were impressed by the nine-speed gearbox made for Chrysler — it promised a double-digit bump in fuel economy and made even modern seven-speed transmissions look quaint. Now Volkswagen has gone one better, announcing that it will introduce a 10-speed dual clutch transmission that could hit the road as early as in the 2015 Passat.
With more gears to choose from, the engine can optimize its RPMs so that it saves fuel when in repose but can crank it up for enthusiastic driving.
VW Group Chairman Dr. Martin Winterkorn and design head Hans-Jakob Neusser said the new transmission will help meet the bold goal of improving fuel economy by 20 percent across the entire VW group model range — which includes the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Porsche brands. The automaker made the announcement at the International Motor Symposium, in Vienna, Austria, according to Road & Track.
This new 10-speed dual sequential gearbox will be capable, VW says, of handling up to 369 pound-feet of torque. That’s enough to work in the wonderfully over-the-top Golf R 400 seen above — if we should be so lucky.
At the symposium, VW also introduced a 236bhp four-cylinder diesel engine that could be paired with the new gearbox.
There are arguments about whether this will work. Michael Paul, executive vice president of auto engineering firm ZF Friedrichhafen, which made the nine-speed box for Chrysler, has said reaching double digits would require a completely new approach to the design.
But if any brand has the resources to prove him wrong, it’s the VW Group.