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BorgWarner to make dual-clutch auto-manuals

BorgWarner Inc. announces that it has a customer and will begin production in 2003 of its DualTronic automated manual transmission. The DualTronic dual-clutch automated manual improves upon the automatic-shifting manual transmissions currently fitted in several European vehicles by employing two separate gearset shafts, each with its own corresponding wet clutch, to engage and disengage the gears.

BorgWarner Inc. announces that it has a customer and will begin production in 2003 of its DualTronic automated manual transmission.

The DualTronic dual-clutch automated manual improves upon the automatic-shifting manual transmissions currently fitted in several European vehicles by employing two separate gearset shafts, each with its own corresponding wet clutch, to engage and disengage the gears. In a 5-speed manual, for instance, one shaft would account for gears 1, 3 and 5, and the second shaft would contain gears 2, 4 and reverse. By clutching the shaft for the outgoing gear while simultaneously engaging the shaft for the next-desired gear, the unit greatly reduces the time required for the gearshift — but more importantly, drastically improves shift quality, all but eliminating shift “shock” and balky response to throttle inputs.

BorgWarner says the market for this new-technology transmission — which combines the fuel-efficiency advantages common to manual transmissions with the driving ease of an automatic — could exceed $1 billion “in the future” and account for 25% of Europe's transmission market by 2008.

TAGS: Vehicles
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