fortwo

Make
smart
Segment
Coupe

It's the transmission that Chrysler-loyal buyers have been waiting for. Chrysler has been talking about their upcoming eight-speed automatic transmission for a while now, and now word is that vehicles equipped with the new ZF transmission will be in showrooms by the first of October. The first cars to get the eight-speeds will be the 2012 Chrysler 300C and Dodge Charger. They will replace the often-criticized five-speed slushboxes currently found in both models.

Mircea Gradu, Chrysler's vice president and head of transmissions, pointed out that was a way for Chrysler to raise fuel efficiency in their vehicles without needing to downsize engines. Pentastar-equipped models will see a 4mpg increase on the highway and 1mpg in the city, all without any decrease in performance whatsoever. The eight-speed is also lighter and more compact than competing six-speed versions. It is also expected that the new transmissions will find their way into the SRT models which currently use five-speed autos. These transmissions are sure to be a major improvement for the SRT's, and we look forward to seeing them bolted to 6.4-liter Hemi's.