After a period of more than 30 years, the five-speed automatic transmission is dead. Or that is to say, almost. Because it is found in the Toyota 4Runner. A little more…
Some inventions show so much the ravages of time that they completely disappear.
This is what happened to the five-speed automatic transmission. Or that is to say, almost. Because Toyota keeps it alive for a little while longer.
But when the current 4Runner, which is actually not on the program at all in Denmark, disappears, there is not a single car brand that wants a five-thirty automatic gearbox on the program.
That's what The Drive writes.
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Toyota has long been reticent about a new gearbox for the large SUV. But now the Japanese are surrendering. The new 4Runner, which will hit the market next year, will get an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Some of the competitors, including Ford in the smaller SUV Bronco, boast as many as 10 automatic steps. But that's the end of five steps.
Incidentally, the first 5-speed automatic gearbox was built by German ZF for also German BMW. It was in 1991 in connection with the launch of the then top model E32 7 Series.
By the way, did you know that car should have had 16 cylinders? Yes, it is good enough. BMW thought Mercedes was doing exactly the same thing in the S-Class.
So the people from Munich 'rushed' to put two V8 engines together. And even when it turned out that Mercedes had no such plans after all, BMW persisted.
However, it has only recently been revealed – by BMW itself mind you – that there is another 7 Series prototype with 16 cylinders. Read more about it here .
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