mackinaw Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 From today's Automotive News: "Also today, Ford announced plans to add an eight-speed automatic transmission, a move that allows it to keep pace with premium carmakers -- such as BMW, which offers it in the 5 series -- and Detroit rival Chrysler, which will bring such a gearbox to its flagship 300 sedan. Ford did not say which vehicles will get the transmission. "The company also announced plans to build its next transmission for hybrid vehicles in-house, with production ramping up early next year. The electronic CVT will be built in suburban Detroit." More here: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110602/OEM05/110609965/1193 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papilgee4evaeva Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Hmm... so the $64,000 question is... transverse or longitudinal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSFan00 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 I've been wondering about this for a bit. If hybrids are a standard option Ford wants to incorporate to future architectures (seems to be), then would this lend itself to more RWD-orientation? I mean, power has to come from a battery (in the back), and from an engine in the front, so why not add the gearbox/transmission just to one end (oh btw, the lighter one is probably the back)? You can standardize hybrid powertrain/transmissions more easily across vehicles in this way; it's the front/ICE/passenger compartment that can be more easily tailored/changed then. Thinking of that mono-tube Cobra chassis from a few months back... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Glad to see official news along with the 1.0L EcoBoost to stop the speculation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havelock Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Hmm... so the $64,000 question is... transverse or longitudinal? A quick search for Ford transmission at uspto.gov results in a few patents dealing with 8-speed transmissions for 4x4s, such as this one: . http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=21&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=Ford.ASNM.&s2=transmission.TI.&OS=AN/Ford+AND+TTL/transmission&RS=AN/Ford+AND+TTL/transmission This suggests at least one 8-speed transmission will be for longitudinal engines. Ford may or may not have an 8-speed transmission for transverse engines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 That's a clever transmission design. Hope they build it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY93SHO Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2011/06/ford-announces-new-8-speed-transmission-split-cooling-system.html Here's some more reading, also some talk of a "split cooling" system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT-Keith Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I hope it's a planetary design for a new Lincoln flagship and Mustang, and also transverse for all of the D4 and CDx SKUs. I would love this in a next-gen D4 Explorer with the 2L Duratec turbo... How does 30+ MPG sound? My mother has an '05 Explorer and she only gets 15MPG highway and is paying $500/month on a 60 month finance... I'm trying to talk her into a '11 Explorer or a next-gen EUCD2 Fusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ice-capades Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Although BMW and other manufacturers have talked publicly about 8-speed transitions, it's good to see that Ford is announcing their intention to engineer and build the new 8-speed transmission in-house. As the upcoming CAFE requirements come up everyone's going to be looking at any any every way to increase the EPA/MPG fuel economy numbers. As we've seen in recent years, the newer automatic transmissions have higher MPG ratings which can only lead one to think about how many manual gears future buyers wil be willing to shift through. Case in point is the future Mustang GT transmission mix as our dealership sells 95% of GT's with the manual transmissions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 It is for the F-150. why? becuase it is cheaper to develop fancy transmissions for the Full-size truck market than it is to strip 1000lbs from a full size truck and lose capability. on the other thand it is cheaper to use lighter materials and reduce some capability from uni-body cars to meet CAFE needs. espcailly since ford does not have a product for buyers to downsize to, they have to invest in a one size fits all F-150, not a more reasonable stance of XL, L, M, and S pickup trucks. There will be a point where automakers will have no choice but to reduce capability to meet efficiency needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aneekr Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Case in point is the future Mustang GT transmission mix as our dealership sells 95% of GT's with the manual transmissions. 95% is very impressive for any vehicle that can be ordered with either manual or automatic transmissions! :shades: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawaiicarguy Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Glad to see them developing it in house.....but I think they could get Spinal Tap to introduce it "This one goes to 11!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Everyone has completely missed of of the key components ! The built in input torque sensor !! It might take a few years to get optimal results from this sensor (I would love to see the physics of the sensor), but it promises much more accurate data than the current calculated/implied engine torque calculations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mettech Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Glad to see them developing it in house.....but I think they could get Spinal Tap to introduce it "This one goes to 11!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbVKWCpNFhY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aneekr Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 For transverse (FF) applications, Ford should consider sourcing the ZF Friedrichshafen 9-speed automatic, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheetMetalJoe Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Where will they manufacture this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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