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http://wardsauto.com/print/technology/new-9-speed-pushes-tech-limit-gm-says
Like the old 6-speed units, which GM refined over the years and expects to continue applying to its vehicles into the near future, the 9-speed was developed through a partnership with crosstown rival Ford.
Both automakers also derive 10-speed variants from the work. Ford brought that gearbox to market recently in the F-150 large pickup, while GM got first dibs on the 9-speed. GM's first application of the 10-speed will be in the '17 Chevy Camaro ZL1, a 640-hp supercharged version of the sports coupe due later this year in the U.S.
[...] In-house logics software inside a 32-bit transmission control module handles all shift events for smooth, precise ratio changes, GM says. It also monitors transmission performance and compensates for wear in parts such as the clutch plate to maintain consistent performance over time.
"This transmission shifts very smoothly, very precisely," Kline says.
The controller is mounted outside the gearbox to reduce packaging and manufacturing complexity, and it pulls vehicle-specific calibration from the cloud to be added to the core program as the car or truck exits the assembly line. It also enables manual shift control and grade logic, GM says.
The 9T50 features a wider 7.6:1 overall ratio, compared with 6.0:1 in its 6-speed predecessor, a deep 4.69 first gear for off-the-line performance and a tall 0.62 top gear for fuel-efficient, low-rpm highway cruising and optimal NVH.
Sixth gear is equivalent to eighth gear on the new transmission, too, so compared with the 6-speed the 9-speed offers two fuel-saving overdrive gears. Seventh gear is the direct-drive gear, while ninth gear is in use up to 52% of the time.
While the article doesn't say, my guess is that the design is also optimized for automatic/robotic assembly — even though the manufacturing plant is in Mexico.
(Score: 2) by Nerdfest on Tuesday January 03 2017, @03:09PM
I'm hoping this is more reliable than my friends Fiesta transmission. It's failed every six months in the last three years. They've extended the warranty to 15 years or something, but it's obviously flawed and they can't seem to either get it right or replace it with a different transmission. It's nice the warranty was extended, but it's extremely inconvenient.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 03 2017, @03:50PM
The Fiesta has always been Ford's cheapest crapbox.
It has always fallen apart. I wouldn't judge Ford's better cars by using the Fiesta as a yardstick.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 03 2017, @03:55PM
they put plastic timing components in the late 90's explorers and mountaineers and they do break like you would expect plastic to break inside a hot engine. they have no shame.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Nerdfest on Tuesday January 03 2017, @05:59PM
I would think the way their cheapest car would be the *best* way to measure them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 03 2017, @09:14PM
Why would you think that? Their cheapest car is going to have their crudest parts. It is going to be manufactured in their cheapest Third World plant. In some cases (not with the Fiesta), the car is just a rebadged import made by a different cheap foreign automaker.
I would like to understand your reasoning.
(Score: 4, Informative) by sjames on Tuesday January 03 2017, @09:59PM
The real measure of someone isn't the best they've ever done, but how low will they go.