GM makes another investment in new six-speed automatics
General Motors upped this week's total investment in its new six-speed automatics to $500 million with Thursday's announcement that it was investing over $330 million in an upgrade to its Warren, Michigan plant, which will produce compact FWD and AWD models of the new transmission.All told, GM's investment in the design, development and production of the new model automatics now stands at $1.7 billion.
The Warren plant will produce the new Hydra-Matic 6T70 and 6T75 six-speeds (pictured at right) for GM's midsize sedans and crossovers, including the Saturn Aura, Pontiac G6, Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave. The new transmission debuts in 2007 models.
As in the bigger versions of the six-speed, a low first gear improves launch performance while an overdrive sixth gear boosts highway fuel economy.
The the mechanical elements of the new transaxle were co-developed by GM and (gasp!) Ford, but the controls, calibrations and operation of the transmission are unique to each company.
[Source: GM]
Related:
GM invests another $170 million in shift to six-speed automatics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Noah 4:42PM (6/01/2006)
This isn't the first time those two have worked together on a tranny.
You'd think it'd be cheaper to just make a 6 speed manual and litle robotic controls to manage the clutch and the shifter... If someone knows why this would somehow be more expensive than developing a $1.7B automatic please let me know. Even if they sell 10,000,000 cars with this tranny because of production costs I can't imagine they'll break even. Oh wait no they won't that's why their losing money.
--Noah
Reply
Vinny 4:47PM (6/01/2006)
Chrysler, the king of transmissions, was not involved?
Reply
not important 5:17PM (6/01/2006)
i bet 1.7 billion buys one hell of an automatic transmission
Reply
Andys120 5:58PM (6/01/2006)
I wonder if it wouldn't be cheaper to build a CVT rather than a 6 or 7 speed A/T but I guess the jury is still out as to whether the CVT will work in anything with more torque than a Subaru Justy.
Reply
nailz420 8:39PM (6/01/2006)
@not important
Yes, I bet it practically shifts on its own...
Reply
gbh 12:21AM (6/02/2006)
Actually, the factory will be rather expensive. If they do it right, it will be just this side of a 'clean-room' environment.
A/Ts often die early deaths because of cardboard dust (and other airborne particulate matter) in the plant during assembly.
Especially as many A/Ts are coming with "100K mile" fluid in them, cleanliness is absolutely imperative to trans life.
Reply
Bob 9:20AM (6/02/2006)
I'll be really interested when GM, Toyota and other companies start bolt 6 speed autos to more 4 cylinders. So often the 5 and 6 speeds are reserved for bigger engines. Maybe it won't offer a huge improvement in a 4 cylinder, but it seems like a person wanting to save gas would want that combination.
Reply
Noah 11:00AM (6/02/2006)
RE #4 Andys120
There are a number of vehicle's you perhaps didn't know had CVTs (at least available)
Nissan Murano
Ford fivehundred
Audi A4
All of those are also available without a cvt as well.
There are also plenty of industrial applications that use steel belt drive CVTs with torque numbers that would boggle your mind. The problem isn't that CVTs don't work it's that Subaru and to a point Audi gave them a bad rap. I had one in a motorcycle (I just sold last night *sniffle) that worked FANTASTIC.
Reply
6-Speed 12:52PM (9/20/2006)
A manual 6-speed is much better than automatics.
I hate to drive automatics. I feel like a robot.
Reply