 Foreword
It performs its duties inconspicuously. Once the most important development stages had been completed, there were really only two options: manual and automatic shifting. More, such as the
number of gears, could not be selected at that time.
And suddenly, as the combustion engine slowly approaches the end of its life, transmissions are back in the spotlight. Cars can have up to 10 gears, trucks up to 16, and possibly even more. You can shift gears manually,
semi-automatically, or fully automatically. The latter can even be based on sliding gears with a central clutch or clutches, or planetary gears with clutches for almost every gear.
And ultimately, you drive mainly along the maximum traction curve, saving fuel and reducing stress. Or you always use the same gear, meaning you don't shift gears manually or electrically because you are powered by an
electric motor. So before the transmission disappears with its many variants, it really revs up one last time.
Fuel economy and ease of operation were the motives that helped change manual transmissions and planetary automatic transmissions in the 1980s. The latter were first optimized in the control system by replacing the
hydraulic system with an electronic one. This opened up more possibilities, including later networking with the engine.
The continuously variable automatic transmission made its brief debut in Europe, for example, but was hardly ever well received here. We are too accustomed to a certain synchronicity between engine speed and
driving speed. Attempts to retrofit this type of automatic system with steps proved counterproductive. Suddenly, the actual advantage had been lost. What is new is Toyota's attempt to combine both in a single transmission,
depending on the position of the accelerator pedal.
The dual-clutch transmission fared much better. Despite higher costs, it prevailed over the simple sequential transmission. The chance to shift gears without interrupting the flow of power is too tempting. The actual
breakthrough came with the transverse engine, and has since been transferred to the longitudinal engine in its application. But here too, Lamborghini, for example, faces competition from a new type of sequential
transmission. The overall euphoria has been dampened somewhat because the gear changes are obviously not quite as smooth as with the automatic transmission without
losing any of its sportiness.
The latter has also changed significantly. The number of aisles initially increased without requiring any major construction work. And then there was the overrunning clutch, which, now equipped with more discs, can
obviously save fuel without you even noticing. The actual torque converter is now only needed for starting. Often there is even more than one gentle cycle. And since they can be easily extended in longitudinal engines,
electric motors are now being added, resulting in a relatively unspectacular hybrid.
| 
