By Huned Contractor
The focus is also on an
entirely new automatic passenger car transmission, developed with nine gears
for vehicles with a front engine
The sixth-generation Maserati
Quattroporte has been launched with ZF technology to underscore the vehicle’s
hallmark characteristics: The eight-speed automatic transmission (8HP) is
synonymous with dynamics and comfort in equal measure – all combined with high
fuel efficiency. According to a press release, the Continuous Damping Control
(CDC) electronic damping system provides the vehicle with more driving safety,
comfort and dynamics by adapting the damping forces for each individual wheel
within milliseconds and in the best possible manner.
A luxurious and sporty
touring car that comfortably accommodates up to five – this concept enabled the
first Maserati Quattroporte to claim its rightful place in the automotive world
50 years ago. The fifth-generation sedan rolled into the showrooms with ZF
technology onboard. Similarly the sixth-generation Quattroporte, which is now
being launched, also features this technology. The new Quattroporte puts onto
the road 390 kW (530 HP) from the 3.8-litre V8 Biturbo coupled with the ZF
eight-speed automatic transmission.
CDC delivers the ideal damping force on the Maserati Quattroporte in fractions of a second to match the driving situation.
“Developing the application
in light of this phenomenal engine torque is no mean feat,” said Dr Gerhard
Wagner, member of the ZF Board of Management and head of ZF’s Powertrain
Technology Division. “With the 8HP for the Quattroporte we successfully managed
to pull off brilliantly the delicate balancing act between sportiness and
comfort.” Compared with its predecessor, the eight-speed automatic transmission
delivers fuel savings of 6 per cent. Together with the start/stop function,
which the 8HP enables without an additional pump, the savings potential can
even reach up to 11 per cent. ZF is a leading worldwide automotive supplier for
driveline and chassis technology with 121 production companies in 27 countries.
In doing so, ZF’s eight-speed
automatic transmission is not only highly efficient but also extremely dynamic.
It boasts extremely short response and shift times that basically go unnoticed.
Double shifts and direct multiple shifts are also possible. These wide-ranging
characteristics are enhanced on the suspension side by the CDC electronic
damping system. The system, made up of dampers and an electronic control unit,
adjusts the suspension damping in fractions of a second to the particular
driving situation. It enables the Quattroporte to switch almost instantly from
a comfortable-soft to sporty-hard setting. As a result, the wheels maintain
better contact with the road, which in turn translates into greater safety.
The sixth-generation Maserati Quattroporte with ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and CDC electronic damping
But there’s more to ZF’s
automatic transmission. Under high pressure, ZF is working on the development
of new fuel-efficient transmission generations and the latest innovation is an
entirely new automatic passenger car transmission, developed with nine gears
for vehicles with a front engine. According to information published on their website,
ZF is the first transmission manufacturer worldwide to develop a modern
passenger car automatic transmission with nine gears. It has been designed for
vehicles with transverse engines and front or four-wheel drive and can thus be
installed in 75 per cent of all cars produced worldwide.
This means that the
transmission not only replaces the current longitudinally installed eight-speed
automatic transmission, but it also represents an independent design for a
transverse installation position. The concept study of this front-transverse
transmission caught the industry’s attention at the Internationale
Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) 2009. Compared to today’s standard six-speed
automatic transmissions for front-transverse motors, ZF’s new nine-speed automatic
transmission clearly improves both driving performance and fuel economy. This
combines a new ZF production highlight with reaction and shifting times so
short that they are almost beyond perception. It makes double and multiple-gear
shifting a reality. Thus, the new transmission
system is equipped with the
same ‘sporty genes’ as already its eight-speed automatic transmission
predecessors and in conjunction with the excellent shift comfort
characteristics, they certainly entail ultimate customer satisfaction.
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