Manual Gearboxes Could be a Thing of the Past for the World’s Supercars
By Just-auto.com, PRNEWednesday, June 29, 2011
BROMSGROVE, England, June 30, 2011 -
According to an exclusive interview with just-auto.com, high
performance transmissions specialist Oerlikon Graziano suggests
that the need for a manual gearbox option is disappearing at the
supercar end of the automotive market.
just-auto’s analyst Matthew Beecham interviewed Oerlikon
Graziano’s head of automotive transmissions, Paolo Mantelli. The
full interview appears in just-auto’s newly launched QUBE
clutch technologies intelligence service:
just-auto: “In terms of the future of manual
gearboxes, some people expect manual transmissions to remain
attractive in cost-sensitive markets while automated transmissions
will gradually gain market share. Other people
anticipate a gradually decreasing market for manual transmissions
as drivers like the comfort and convenience while engineers like
the ability to control the shift points in order to meet emissions
and CO2 requirements. What do you anticipate will happen to the
manual transmission market?“
Oerlikon Graziano:“There will always be a
market for manuals in Europe as long as legislation allows them,
but it is interesting that we are now being asked to design
AMTs [automated manual transmissions] that
don‘t have a manual option. This allows us to remove
many of the compromises of previous generation AMTs to make them
faster, smoother, smaller and lighter. The need for a manual option
is disappearing at the supercar end of the market, where we have
recently introduced three new transmissions for vehicles that do
not have a manual option. It is inevitable that this philosophy
will be increasingly reflected in lower cost
segments.“
About QUBE‘s clutch technologies
intelligence
This online, real-time intelligence service is a
continually-updated database of analysis and data on the global
automotive clutches sector. Based on exclusive interviews, primary
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key technologies, market size estimates, clutch market forecasts,
OE market shares, profiles of the major manufacturers and coverage
of all relevant sector news and announcements (in real-time). For
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About QUBE by just-auto
Launched in early 2011, QUBE delivers all just-auto’s 40+
component and market sector intelligence services, combining
breaking news, interviews and expert opinion with updated data
analysis and forecasts for all key OE manufacturing component
sectors, companies and markets on a single online platform. QUBE
also includes active profiles of over 180 vehicle manufacturers and
car component suppliers. For further details on QUBE and to
register for a free trial, visit:
About Oerlikon Graziano
Oerlikon Graziano is a high-tech industrial group specialising
in machine and plant engineering. The company is a provider of
innovative industrial solutions and technologies for textile
manufacturing, thin-film coating, drive, precision, vacuum, solar
energy systems and advanced nanotechnology. Oerlikon employs 16,000
people at 157 locations in 36 countries.
Chris Boaz, +441527573616, chris.boaz at aroq.com
Tags: Bromsgrove, England, June 30, Just-auto.com, United Kingdom
