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Shift time refers to the time interval between gear changes in a transmission. This interval is the time in which power delivery is transferred to the next selected gear, and engine speed is reduced or increased to synchronize the speed of the next gear. Shift time is usually in reference to motor vehicles, but can apply to any gearbox.
Reducing shift time is important in performance and racing vehicles because upshifting generally interrupts power delivery to the wheels. Shift time in a manual gearbox is dependent on the driver, but in automatic or automated manual cars, the electronic or hydraulic control system must be calibrated and tuned to execute fast gear changes. Generally, a dual-clutch transmission shifts faster than a standard hydraulic automatic transmission with a torque converter or a single-clutch automated manual transmission. This is possible because the DCT can pre-select the next gear and switch between its two separate clutches to the next predetermined gear, thus reducing shift times. Using a freewheel may reduce shift time, as it may not be necessary to use the clutch. A shift kit is also intended to reduce the shift time of a manual vehicle.
With a manual transmission, upshift time can be reduced by installing a lighter flywheel. During an upshift, the engine speed must decrease to synchronize with a higher gear; a lighter flywheel will allow the engine speed to drop more quickly, leading to shorter shift times.
Please note that manufacturers may have different definitions of shift times.
Vehicle | Transmission model | Transmission type | Shift time (ms) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
McLaren 675LT | 7 Speed SSG | Dual-Clutch | 40 [3] | According to MotorTrend Article |
Lamborghini Aventador | Graziano ISR | Automated manual | 50 [4] [5] | |
Ferrari 430 Scuderia | Graziano F1 | Automated manual | 60[ citation needed ] | |
Ferrari FXX Evoluzione | Graziano F1 | Automated manual | 60[ citation needed ] | |
Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale | Maserati MC Race Shift | Automated manual | 60[ citation needed ] | With Race mode active |
BMW M5 (E60) | BMW SMG III | Automated manual | 65-250 [6] | |
BMW M3 (E46) | BMW SMG II | Automated manual | 80 [7] | |
BMW M3 (E92) | BMW M DCT | Dual-clutch | 80[ citation needed ] | |
Ferrari FXX | Graziano F1 | Automated manual | 80 [8] | |
Maserati Coupé ("4200 GT") | Graziano Cambiocorsa | Automated manual | 80 [7] | |
Shelby GT500 (3rd generation) | Tremec TR-9070 | Dual-clutch | 80 [9] | |
Bugatti Veyron | Volkswagen Group DSG | Dual-clutch | 100 [10] | |
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG | Mercedes-Benz AMG SpeedShift | Dual-clutch | 100[ citation needed ] | |
Lexus LC 500 | Aisin WR10L65 | Hydraulic automatic | 120 [11] | |
Renault Clio RS 200 EDC Trophy (4th generation) | Renault EDC | Dual-clutch | <120 [12] | With Race mode active |
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (6th generation) | Ford-GM 10L90 | Hydraulic automatic | ~150 [13] | |
Ferrari Enzo | Graziano F1 | Automated manual | 150 [7] | |
Nissan GT-R | BorgWarner GR6Z30A | Dual-clutch | 150 [14] | With R Mode active |
Dodge Challenger (3rd generation) and Charger (7th generation) | ZF 8HP | Hydraulic automatic | 160[ citation needed ] | With Track mode active |
Lexus LFA | Aisin SA6 | Automated manual | 200[ citation needed ] | |
BMW M3 (E36) | BMW SMG I | Automated manual | 220 [7] | |
Aston Martin Vanquish | - | Automated manual | 250 [7] | |
Ferrari 575M Maranello | Graziano F1 | Automated manual | 220 [7] | |
Ferrari 360 | Graziano F1 | Automated manual | 250 [7] | |
Lamborghini Huracan Performante | - | Dual-clutch | 290[ citation needed ] |
A clutch is a mechanical device that allows the output shaft to be disconnected from the rotating input shaft. The clutch's input shaft is typically attached to a motor, while the clutch's output shaft is connected to the mechanism that does the work.
Double-clutching is a method of shifting gears used primarily for vehicles with an unsynchronized manual transmission, such as commercial trucks and specialty vehicles. While double clutching is not necessary in a vehicle that has a synchronized manual transmission, the technique can be advantageous for smoothly downshifting in order to accelerate and, when done correctly, it prevents wear on the synchronizers which normally equalize transmission input and output speeds to allow downshifting.
An automatic transmission is a multi-speed transmission used in motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving conditions. Vehicles with internal combustion engines, unlike electric vehicles, require the engine to operate in a narrow range of rates of rotation, requiring a gearbox, operated manually or automatically, to drive the wheels over a wide range of speeds.
A transmission is a mechanical device which uses a gear set—two or more gears working together—to change the speed or direction of rotation in a machine. Many transmissions have multiple gear ratios, but there are also transmissions that use a single fixed-gear ratio.
A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission, or stick shift, is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission system, where gear changes require the driver to manually select the gears by operating a gear stick and clutch.
In mechanical or automotive engineering, a freewheel or overrunning clutch is a device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft. An overdrive is sometimes mistakenly called a freewheel, but is otherwise unrelated.
A semi-automatic transmission is a multiple-speed transmission where part of its operation is automated, but the driver's input is still required to launch the vehicle from a standstill and to manually change gears. Semi-automatic transmissions were almost exclusively used in motorcycles and are based on conventional manual transmissions or sequential manual transmissions, but use an automatic clutch system. But some semi-automatic transmissions have also been based on standard hydraulic automatic transmissions with torque converters and planetary gearsets.
A direct-shift gearbox is an electronically controlled, dual-clutch, multiple-shaft, automatic gearbox, in either a transaxle or traditional transmission layout, with automated clutch operation, and with fully-automatic or semi-manual gear selection. The first dual-clutch transmissions were derived from Porsche in-house development for the Porsche 962 in the 1980s.
A preselector gearbox is a type of manual transmission mostly used on passenger cars and racing cars in the 1930s, in buses from 1940–1960 and in armoured vehicles from the 1930s to the 1970s. The defining characteristic of a preselector gearbox is that the gear shift lever allowed the driver to "pre-select" the next gear, usually with the transmission remaining in the current gear until the driver pressed the "gear change pedal" at the desired time.
The automated manual transmission (AMT) is a type of transmission for motor vehicles. It is essentially a conventional manual transmission equipped with automatic actuation to operate the clutch and/or shift gears.
A transmission control unit (TCU), also known as a transmission control module (TCM), or a gearbox control unit (GCU), is a type of automotive ECU that is used to control electronic automatic transmissions. Similar systems are used in conjunction with various semi-automatic transmissions, purely for clutch automation and actuation. A TCU in a modern automatic transmission generally uses sensors from the vehicle, as well as data provided by the engine control unit (ECU), to calculate how and when to change gears in the vehicle for optimum performance, fuel economy and shift quality.
Selespeed is the name of an automated manual transmission used in Alfa Romeo cars, developed by Italian company Magneti Marelli and made by Graziano Trasmissioni.
A non-synchronous transmission, also called a crash gearbox, is a form of manual transmission based on gears that do not use synchronizing mechanisms. They require the driver to manually synchronize the transmission's input speed and output speed.
A cross-drive steering transmission is a transmission, used in tracked vehicles to allow precise and energy-efficient steering.
Twin Clutch SST is the brand name of a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, developed by Getrag for Mitsubishi Motors. The system was first incorporated in the 2008 Lancer Evolution X, and was designed to be a more performance-oriented system than that developed by rival manufacturers, with shorter gear ratios optimized for acceleration.
A dual-clutch transmission (DCT) is a type of multi-speed vehicle transmission system, that uses two separate clutches for odd and even gear sets. The design is often similar to two separate manual transmissions with their respective clutches contained within one housing, and working as one unit. In car and truck applications, the DCT functions as an automatic transmission, requiring no driver input to change gears.
Dana Graziano is an Italian company based in Turin manufacturing gearboxes, drivelines and their mechatronics components. It makes the "Pre-Cog" seven-speed Seamless-Shift gearbox (SSG) dual-clutch transmission used in the McLaren 12C.
A motorcycle transmission is a transmission created specifically for motorcycle applications. They may also be found in use on other light vehicles such as motor tricycles and quadbikes, go-karts, offroad buggies, auto rickshaws, mowers, and other utility vehicles, microcars, and even some superlight racing cars.
Car controls are the components in automobiles and other powered road vehicles, such as trucks and buses, used for driving and parking.
A quickshifter or quick shifter is a device that eliminates the need to use the clutch or throttle when shifting gears on a manual transmission. This can increase the safety and comfort of the vehicle and allow for faster gear shifting and is thus a popular performance enhancement for motorcycles.