Dual-clutch technology for Ford Fiesta
The new Ford Fiesta will be rolling off
the Eastern Seaboard production line very soon. Its sibling,
the Mazda2 is already coming off the line in small numbers,
and the latest Fiesta news from the Los Angeles show was
that it will be offered in a dual-clutch transmission with a
1.6 liter engine.
Ford
Fiesta
Duel Clutch should not be confused with dual plate clutches.
In a standard manual gearbox there are usually five gears
and one clutch to split the transmission from the engine
torque input. A dual-clutch gearbox, by contrast, uses two
clutches. Instead of the left foot clutch pedal,
sophisticated electronics and hydraulics control the
clutches, just as they do in a standard automatic
transmission. In a DCT, however, the clutches operate
independently of each other. One clutch controls the odd
gears (first, third, fifth and reverse), while the other
controls the even gears (second, fourth and even sixth - in
a six speed). Using this arrangement, gears can be changed
without interrupting the power flow from the engine to the
transmission.
DCT is then truly an automated manual transmission. In
principle, the DCT behaves just like a standard manual
transmission, in that it has input and auxiliary shafts to
handle gears, synchromesh rings and a clutch. What it
doesn’t have is a clutch pedal, because computers, solenoids
and hydraulics do the actual shifting. Even without a clutch
pedal, the driver can still ‘tell’ the computer when to take
action through paddles, buttons or a gearshift lever. In
other words, manual over-ride.
For traditional manual gearbox exponents, slick shifting
with left leg depressing the clutch is supposedly very
possible and very fast. However, with DCT, no left leg or
left hand is needed and it can do upshifts in a mere 8
milliseconds, and many drivers now feel that the DCT offers
the quickest acceleration times of any vehicle on the
market. It certainly offers smooth acceleration by
eliminating the shift shock that accompanies gearshifts in
manual transmissions and even some automatics. Best of all,
it affords drivers the luxury of choosing whether they
prefer to control the shifting themselves or let the
computer do all of the work. And in most instances, the
computer knows best!
With the world’s attention on fuel economy, perhaps the most
compelling advantage of a DCT is a claimed improvement in
economy. Because the power flow from the engine to the
transmission is not interrupted followed by a call for more
fuel by the engine, fuel efficiency increases dramatically.
It is claimed that a six-speed DCT can deliver up to a 10
percent increase in relative fuel efficiency when compared
to a conventional five-speed automatic. That is impressive
numbers!
Ford call this their Powershift dual-clutch gearbox
co-developed with transmission specialists Getrag, the
six-speed Powershift will be the ‘automatic’ gearbox
alternative to the standard manual transmission when it goes
on sale in North America in the middle of next year.
Powershift is also set to make its way on to other Fiesta
models sold elsewhere in the world, including the Thai built
Fiestas. It is the first gearbox alternative to the
five-speed manual offered with the 1.6 liter Ti-VCT
four-cylinder petrol engine.
The recently released Fiesta Econetic diesel is also in line
to go to the dual-clutch option sometime in the future. This
all makes good sense as the dual clutch set-up does also
save fuel.
Bob Lutz understands
market forces
GM vice-chairman Bob Lutz (“Global warming is a
crock of sh*t!”) has come out in his address to the Los
Angeles show saying that by making consumers pay more for
their petrol or diesel is probably the only way to ensure
the successful mainstream take-up of electric vehicles.
He argued that a palpable financial incentive was the only
real way people would be encouraged to take the leap into
electric vehicle ownership - especially in difficult
economic times.
“One of the prime things that has to happen long term for
any of the expensive electrically driven technology to have
a true commercial success as opposed to a novelty success
(or convincing the public to) make a true financial
sacrifice in order to protect the environment, so the cost
effectiveness of the technology has to improve.
“And a hindrance to doing that is low gasoline prices. Like
it or not, they are on a tight budget, and they are not
going to pay ten of thousands of dollars more in order to
save hundreds of dollars a year on gasoline - they will not.
“So, over time, if the country is serious about cutting back
oil consumption and reducing petroleum’s impact on the
environment - what we are going to have to do is gradually
increase the federal taxation on fuels.
“We are not advocating that, but if that doesn’t happen,
then it is going to be very difficult for the Volt’s (GM’s
electric vehicle) technology to become viable.”
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I asked who made this electric car?
The year was 1978. It was Volvo.
So to this week. Take a look at the picture of this
motorcycle. It is very famous and a world record holder.
What was the rider’s name?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first
correct answer to email viacars @gmail.com
Good luck!
Quiz car
Quiz pic
Raikkonen to play in
the dirt
Kimi Raikkonen’s future in F1 has taken a
set-back. With no team willing to meet his salary
demands at the end of 2009, he has taken his helmet and
gloves and will be seen at the wheel of one of Citroen’s
Red Bull-backed junior team cars in the 2010 World Rally
Championship (WRC).
Raikkonen, whose Ferrari seat has been taken by Fernando
Alonso for next year, has signed a one year contract
with Citroen and has not ruled out a Formula One return
in the future - though only if it is with a team with
title-winning potential.
The 2007 F1 champion did not impress anyone in 2008 and
2009. In fact he was considered to be so much of a
hindrance to Ferrari, the Scuderia bought him out of his
contract with still 12 months to run. You don’t do that
with a much wanted employee.
With no takers in F1, Raikkonen has gone to rally
driving, saying, “I always wanted to compete in rally,
especially in the World Rally Championship at some point
in my career. Thanks to Red Bull, I have the opportunity
to drive the best car of the series with the Citroen C4.
This is a new but very exciting challenge. For the
moment we have a one year contract and we will see how
it goes for the future. I am really looking forward to
testing the car and taking the start of the first
rally.”
Since that would be the longest string of sentences
Raikkonen has ever put together, I have the more than
sneaking feeling the statements were crafted by Citroen
and Red Bull’s publicity office.
However, with a new hat (and please get him one that
fits) he may have his enthusiasm renewed, and return to
F1 in 2011. But I somehow doubt it.
Tales from the Service
department
The following is reputedly true, and although I
cannot confirm it, it makes a wonderful yarn anyway:
When my husband and I arrived at a car dealers to pick up
our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it.
We went to the service department and found a mechanic
working feverishly to unlock the driver’s side door.
As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried
the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked.
“Hey,” I announced to the technician, “it’s open!”
He replied, “I know - I already got that side.”
This was at the Ford dealership in the Australian country
town of Dubbo.
Honda goes peanut
farming
Honda released their Personal-Neo Urban Transport
concept at the Los Angeles show in December, known by the
acronym P-NUT.
Honda
P-NUT
Following similar urban concepts from Nissan (LandGlider),
Renault (Twizy) and Volkswagen (L1), the P-NUT is a
three-seater (driver in the front middle, passengers at the
sides rear), rear-engine rear-drive vehicle claimed to be
able to accommodate a number of potential powertrains,
including a conventional internal combustion engine,
petrol-electric hybrid or full battery-electric.
According to Honda, the P-NUT is intended to capture “a
future direction for premium sophistication while balancing
the need for maximum interior space and an aerodynamic
appearance.”
Honda R&D Americas director of advanced design, Dave Marek
said “A new generation is discovering the benefits of living
in urban centers that provide convenient access to business,
entertainment and social opportunities. The Personal-Neo
Urban Transport concept explores the packaging and design
potential for a vehicle conceived exclusively around the
city lifestyle.”
While the P-NUT is a long distance from a production line,
Dave Marek said it demonstrated that ultra-compact cars in
the future would be far removed from current models.
“The objective of the exterior and interior designers was to
explore the potential for a new type of small-segment
category vehicle that overcomes many of the objections for
existing micro-car designs,” he said. “While the Honda P-NUT
concept introduces function-oriented concepts, it also shows
that small cars don’t have to compromise on style or
amenities.” But I think you’d have to be a bit of a peanut
to want one!
Mercedes SLS
Mercedes-Benz and McLaren have officially
divorced and the final SLR McLaren-Mercedes will be finished
soon. However, that does not mean the McLaren and
Mercedes-Benz have finished building supercars.
AMG
Mercedes SLS
Shortly after McLaren Automotive unveiled the first
photographs and official details of its new MP4-12C coupe,
Mercedes-Benz has replied with a full range of details on
their new SLS.
Not since the 300SL of the 1950s has Mercedes-Benz produced
a model with roof-hinged ‘gullwing’ doors - and never
before, in four decades of turning out high-performance
vehicles, has the Mercedes-AMG division developed a vehicle
from scratch, in-house.
Both supercars are expected to be priced from around half a
million dollars when sales commence, although for McLaren
this will not occur until at least 2011. The SLS, on the
other hand, enters production in the coming months by June
2010.
The SLS features the iconic gullwing doors, Mercedes’
first-ever aluminum space-frame body, a dry sump 420 kW 6.2
liter AMG V8, seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual
gearbox (another Benz first) in a Ferrari-style rear-mounted
transaxle, 47:53 front/rear weight distribution for the
front/mid-engine chassis layout, aluminum double-wishbone
suspension, provisional 0-100 km/h acceleration of 3.8
seconds, making it a real supercar, with supercar
performance. However, it is becoming a crowded market niche,
including the Ferrari 458 Italia and Porsche 911Turbo.
