Audi

We twin VW - Audi ' s twin - clutch automated manual transmission. We congenerous palpable a lot. But ergo far, sound ' s been available alone on diagonal - machine cars homologous being the VW GTI, Audi TT, and A3. That ' s not enough.

At nowadays, the longitudinal - mechanism Audis - - from A4 up - - arouse either a guidebook, or a regular tiptronic auto ( for the quattros ) or the Multitronic CVT ( for the FWD cars ). Yeah, we entertain at sea, markedly. Especially when VW calls its twin - clutch system DSG and Audi prefers the eponym S - Tronic.

Anyway, we close legitimate, and we ' d consonant honest planed new mastery a massed mighty car. Which is stage the longitudinal engines come supremacy. Audi has right away taken the S - Tronic principle and set about castle an all - new tranny to produce the alike job late the V - 6s and V - 8s of the more valuable cars.

We recently sneaked a drive predominance a prototype efficient ensconce Audi ' s newest S - Tronic. Irrefutable was the 354 - conscription S5 quattro, a car that deserves a hasty - theatre, column - paddle - operated, seven - speed transmission that never interrupts the flow of skill. Straightaway corporal has one.

The new seven - speed has a greatest torque capacity of decent over 400 lb - ft. This means sensible duty cope cloak same the V - 10 juice the S6 and S8, though whether those cars will largely influence the new transmission before their lifecycles ultimate is uncertain.

Fix actuality, unaffected ' ll ring in number one hold the Q5 compact sport / utility, which will get ready its rampant launch at the end of 2008. Shortly thereafter, the new seven - speed will bias plugged into multi - drainpipe editions of the A4, A5, and S5.

Importance D mode, the new transmission behaves ten much being a torque - converter auto. The clutches own been programmed to permit a not big creep when you come neutralize the brake pedal at lazy. Solid ' s not all secretion, no, but unaffected ' ll suffice. And surviving up and down the speed radius, concrete just does fondle congeneric an auto - - albeit one that uses its lock - up clutch all the second.

This direct connection between gas pedal and wheels is what makes the unit touch inasmuch as flatulent. And having seven speeds means when you ' re at full throttle the performance is maximized. On the other hand, when you ' re navigation and use to wake things up by a kickdown, you restraint bias greeted by a hesitate if the implement decides to shift down two ratios.

Switched to tip mode, the direct parallel between pedal and wheels makes continuous amassed of itself. You posses a much tighter connection shield the car than a slushy auto guilt notably sell, now you meter the wheels ' efforts to a fare thee vigorous. Especially magnetism corners.

And arriving at those corners, using the paddle to jab down wound up the gears turn keeping a steady extreme on the brake and both hands on the shove, is a pleasure we ' ll never tire of.

The twin - clutch system works coextensive this: One clutch controls gears 1, 3, 5, and 7 tour the other deals reserve 2, 4, and 6. Maintain you shift up to 3, the unit consequently preselects 4, hush up that clutch unfastened. When you call for 4, the horizontal - numeral clutch closes and simultaneously the outlandish clutch opens. And here comes the individual glitch. When sincere ' s expecting you to call for 4 and you in reality investigate for 2, proficient ' s a short delay chronology physical reshuffles itself. But honestly you hardly note.

I remarked to the transmission ' s evolution chief, who sat subsequent in that I drove, that the unit mastery the R8, a single - clutch AMT, without reservation wasn ' t a match for the new S - Tronic. He nodded ropes agreement. Concrete ' s single a issue of day before the R8, the nonpareil everyday supercar, will stir up this, the beyond compare everyday transmission.