BMW Boss Says Manuals and DCTs are on the Way Out (Automatics are in)

[Gecko]

BMW M exec says dual-clutch, manual transmissions on their way out

There was a time when opting for the manual transmission, and later the dual-clutch transmission, over an automatic was a no-brainer for anyone serious about performance driving.

The choice of transmission isn’t so straightforward these days as modern automatics are shifting much quicker than before and are just as fuel-efficient as or even more frugal than the alternatives.

But it seems, at least among the automakers, the winner has already been decided: the conventional torque converter-based automatic.

Speaking with Drive, Peter Quintus, Vice President for Sales and Marketing at BMW M, said he expects manual and dual-clutch transmissions to be phased out in the coming years. He also said that he wasn’t sure if a manual transmission would even be offered on the next-generation M3 and M4 due later this decade.

The issue with manual transmissions, apart from their low take up rate, he explained, is their lack of durability when paired with high-torque engines. He described the current heavy-duty manual transmissions that can handle high torque as being “heavy” and having shift quality that was “awful.”

As for dual-clutch transmissions, Quintus said the advantages they once offered over an automatic, such as their lighter weight and superior shift speed, were no longer apparent. Audi has also determined that dual-clutch transmissions can’t reliably handle high-torque loads and is reverting to automatic transmissions for its own high-performance cars.

There’s also the issue of cars switching to electrified powertrains and adopting self-driving capability, two technologies where automakers tend to favor automatic transmissions over the alternatives.

Source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/...-clutch-manual-transmissions-on-their-way-out


... has Lexus been right all along?

 

[mikeavelli]

Audi just dumped the dual clutch in the S4 for an automatic.....

 

[Ian Schmidt]

Wow. Contrast this with 5 years ago when all the press was saying the DCT was the savior of the automobile and VAG was leading the way.

 

[mmcartalk]

One other factor (that the article didn't seem to mention) is that dual-clutch transmissions can be difficult and complex to repair or service. Many service-technicians don't like them because they require so much work, even though (depending on the dealership) they sometimes get paid more for long or complex jobs. And that, of course, can also affect how much it costs for the manufacturer to do warranty-work on them.

 

[mmcartalk]

Wow. Contrast this with 5 years ago when all the press was saying the DCT was the savior of the automobile and VAG was leading the way.

I've sampled a number of DCTs, and, from my experience, the original ones (not necessary the later ones) from VW/Audi seemed to be the best. Efficient, quick-accelerating, instant-shifting, smooth as butter under virtually all conditions (they started up from rest as smoothly as a traditional torque-converter automatic)...you couldn't feel them shift even under sport/manual conditions. The worst were probably the Bog-O-Matic units used in the Ford Focus and Fiesta.....unreliable, bogged down on initial start-up almost like the engine wasn't getting enough fuel, and occasionally vibrated (Consumer Reports verified that with a high customer-complaint rate). Most of the others were somewhere in the middle.

 

[IS-SV]

Not surprising given questionable durability and reliability too.

 

[Benny1908]

The new M5 will also have the 8-speed ZF

 

[mmcartalk]

I've sampled a number of DCTs, and, from my experience, the original ones (not necessary the later ones) from VW/Audi seemed to be the best. Efficient, quick-accelerating, instant-shifting, smooth as butter under virtually all conditions (they started up from rest as smoothly as a traditional torque-converter automatic)...you couldn't feel them shift even under sport/manual conditions.

BTW, I didn't know this at the time, but an engineer pointed out to me that the original VW/Audi DCT units used a wet-clutch (the reason for their smoothness)...later versions used a dry-clutch, which is not as smooth, but more efficient.