ZF Supplies 7-Speed Manual Transmission to Porsche

ZF Friedrichshafen AG says it borrowed from its seven-speed dual-clutch transmission architecture to create the industry's first seven-speed manual for passenger cars.

The manual gearbox is being offered in the redesigned Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S sports cars. The cars can achieve their top speeds in sixth gear but use seventh to maintain speed with greater fuel efficiency.

ZF says it was able to use many components from its modular dual-clutch 7-speed system to build the manual transmission. But it developed a new system of actuators to produce the familiar "H-type" shift pattern for the gearbox.

The company says the patented system also can be used in conjunction with its dual-clutch transmission to provide the driver with a more traditional gear-shift pattern. The system prevents "incorrect" shifts by, for example, enabling a change to seventh gear only from fifth or sixth gear.