Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz might dump its transmissions
Unlike many carmakers, Mercedes-Benz has traditionally built its own transmissions . It has even supplied them to others, such the slushbox that they sold to Porsche for the 928. Economic realities could soon cause that to change, as the team from soon-to-be Daimler AG investigates outsourcing transmission production to other companies. Mercedes wants transmissions that will help the fuel efficiency of their next generation A, B, and C-Classes, such as eight-speed dual clutch units. Rather than spend the resources developing its own. it might just purchase such a unit from a company like Getrag or ZF, according to a report in Auto Motor und Sport.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
SPG 7:40PM (8/30/2007)
Awesome, tradition sucks.
This is a good of an idea for their image and reputation as the 9-7x was for Saab.
Woo Hoo.
Now to convince GM to start making metal Corvettes.
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Don 1:15AM (8/31/2007)
Lol! Great post.
I was thinking the same thing about tradition.
El Calor 7:45PM (8/30/2007)
An eight-speed would be awesome!
http://www.BenzForum.com
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Zach 7:55PM (8/30/2007)
excessive? What will 8 do that 6 can't?
Don 1:17AM (8/31/2007)
It's all about being able to advertise your 8-speed transmission.
MikeW 10:16AM (8/31/2007)
They already have a 6:1 ratio spread 7 speed automatic.
So it is only logical to go to 8 ratios, and knowing Mercedes, they will only do something like a 6.6:1 ratio spread, when the LS460's 8 speed auto has 6.7:1, and the new ZF 8 speed has 7:1.
and it will probably continue the tradition of two reverse gears.
I was hoping MB was going to make a 9 speed auto.
http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/mb/MaschElem/e-automat.php?druck
John 8:00PM (8/30/2007)
Most automakers still produce their own slushboxes for their cars (unlike manual transmissions, which are largely outsourced these days).
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Nick 8:09PM (8/30/2007)
The 6-speed ZF auto in the new 3-series is amazing. If they can make an auto with a torque converter that good, I'd love to see a dual-clutch offering.
Isn't the VAG DSG that everybody loves from Borg-Warner, though? The Getrag SMG in the E46 M3 wasn't exactly a success.
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zach 10:20PM (8/30/2007)
DSG is, in fact, a Borg-Warner design.... although, I'm not sure who actually manufactures it.
(and it is a sublime piece of engineering by the way... trust me)
Kevin 9:13PM (8/30/2007)
This could be a good move for Mercedes; as much as I love their products (grown up with them and almost exclusively with them, learned to drive in one, first three cars were Mercedes, currently looking for a black, low-mileage '91 560SEC... but I digress), their transmissions have been problematic for a long time, the auto 'boxes in particular.
They're nowhere near as robust as say, the GM autos that BMW was using for a while (and note that the THM is a good enough transmission that it can be found in some Rolls Royce products) or the ZF transmissions in current BMWs.
If this move makes the transmissions more reliable (which it ought to), it'll remove a major weak point in their cars.
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Ineedatracknow 9:17PM (8/30/2007)
If I am paying for a MB, I want a MB! Not parts from another manufacturer.
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paul34 11:14PM (8/30/2007)
Welcome to globalization. I'm sure many parts in MBs are already outsourced!
zach 12:23AM (8/31/2007)
Really?
Who do you think makes the stereo, climate control system, ECU, upholstery, and countless other components of your precious Benz?
You clearly have no clue how many automotive parts/systems are outsourced.
Don 1:19AM (8/31/2007)
You mean you don't want a Benz with a Chery transmission?
Huh. Imagine that.
omar 9:40PM (8/30/2007)
Mercedes finally joins the crowd. Its good to make ur own parts, but Volvo still makes its transmissions in connection with GETRAG and Haldex in Koping, Sweden. But the other transmission units come from Aisin Seki of Japan.
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Dave 10:12PM (8/30/2007)
Some things are best outsourced.
Theyre gonna be licencing GM's dual mode hybrid transmissions anyway.
And they can buy a good DSG from VW.
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Groovdog 7:42AM (9/01/2007)
More like buy it from BorgWarner. VW has very little to do with the DSG other than integrating it into their vehicles.
whofan 10:37PM (8/30/2007)
Maybe Chrysler could supply Mercedes with a good transmission.LoL!
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Don 1:19AM (8/31/2007)
Ha! Good one.
Frank 8:05AM (8/31/2007)
If it was a Torqueflite, MB couldn't go wrong! THAT was a tranny. But seriously, since the early 90's Chrysler transmissions have been no less reliable than anyone else's, provided you put the right fluid in.
I could never confirm this, but I heard that the same outside engineering group that helped Chrylser develop the infamous Ultradrive also worked with Honda on their tranny's. And of course Honda had problems with their units also. Can anyone confirm this?
Funny how almost no one remembers the Honda trans problems but everyone still talks about Chrysler. That's the power of the press (or lack of press in the case of Honda).