Manual Gearboxes Could be a Thing of the Past for the World's Supercars

BROMSGROVE, England, June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

According to an exclusive interview with just-auto.com, high performance transmissions specialist Oerlikon Graziano suggests that the need for a manual gearbox option is disappearing at the supercar end of the automotive market.

just-auto's analyst Matthew Beecham interviewed Oerlikon Graziano's head of automotive transmissions, Paolo Mantelli. The full interview appears in just-auto's newly launched QUBE clutch technologies intelligence service:

just-auto: "In terms of the future of manual gearboxes, some people expect manual transmissions to remain attractive in cost-sensitive markets while automated transmissions will gradually gain market share. Other people anticipate a gradually decreasing market for manual transmissions as drivers like the comfort and convenience while engineers like the ability to control the shift points in order to meet emissions and CO2 requirements. What do you anticipate will happen to the manual transmission market?"

Oerlikon Graziano:"There will always be a market for manuals in Europe as long as legislation allows them, but it is interesting that we are now being asked to design AMTs [automated manual transmissions] that don't have a manual option. This allows us to remove many of the compromises of previous generation AMTs to make them faster, smoother, smaller and lighter. The need for a manual option is disappearing at the supercar end of the market, where we have recently introduced three new transmissions for vehicles that do not have a manual option. It is inevitable that this philosophy will be increasingly reflected in lower cost segments."

About QUBE's clutch technologies intelligence

This online, real-time intelligence service is a continually-updated database of analysis and data on the global automotive clutches sector. Based on exclusive interviews, primary research and proprietary data it includes up-to-date analysis of key technologies, market size estimates, clutch market forecasts, OE market shares, profiles of the major manufacturers and coverage of all relevant sector news and announcements (in real-time). For further details and to register for a free trial, visit: http://www.just-auto.com/clutchesintelligenceservice

About QUBE by just-auto

Launched in early 2011, QUBE delivers all just-auto's 40+ component and market sector intelligence services, combining breaking news, interviews and expert opinion with updated data analysis and forecasts for all key OE manufacturing component sectors, companies and markets on a single online platform. QUBE also includes active profiles of over 180 vehicle manufacturers and car component suppliers. For further details on QUBE and to register for a free trial, visit: http://www.just-auto.com/QUBE

About Oerlikon Graziano

Oerlikon Graziano is a high-tech industrial group specialising in machine and plant engineering. The company is a provider of innovative industrial solutions and technologies for textile manufacturing, thin-film coating, drive, precision, vacuum, solar energy systems and advanced nanotechnology. Oerlikon employs 16,000 people at 157 locations in 36 countries. http://www.oerlikon.com/graziano/