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Magna Gets the Biggest Transmission Tech Contract in Its History


Magna Gets the Biggest Transmission Tech Contract in Its History

Magna International recently sealed a major deal on delivery of transmission solutions with BMW Group. It is referred to supply of FWD dual-clutch transmissions (including hybrid solutions). It is considered to be the biggest deal in Magna’s history.


The company has undertaken a commitment to manufacture DCT and hybrid gearboxes for the German Auto Giant over a period of several years. The supplier did not unveil the period or the financial arrangements of the deal. According to Magna, at the moment the company cannot give more details on the deal because of the respective request from the ordering customer. The gear shifting options will be manufactured at Magna’s manufacturing facilities in Europe.


Magna hybrid dual-clutch transmission


DCT is a relatively new gear shifting technology to the automotive industry and it is quite similar to a manual gearbox, apart from a clutch foot pedal. Compared to conventional manuals, where drivers have to constantly engage and disengage a clutch pedal, in DCTs there are 2 automatically controlled clutches that shift gears and do not require any intervention from the driver. One of the main advantages of DCT transmissions is that 2 clutches guarantee impressively fast shift times, without detaching the engine from the gearbox, thereby ensuring lack of interruptions in torque delivery. Thus, vehicles that come with DCT transmissions are notable for increased efficiency and fuel economy.


Learn more about Magna International and its vision


The abovementioned gear shifting technologies will find application in a wide range of vehicle models. However, it is still unknown how many units Magna plans to manufacture on a yearly basis and when the production will be launched. Magna said its new hybrid technology does not affect the total package dimensions of the transmission, which gives production flexibility to the car manufacturer. The hybrids also utilize a space-saving, 48V high-rpm e-motor within the gearbox casing, providing advanced operating features and at the same time further enhancing fuel efficiency. Scalable DCTs improve drivability while at the same time ensuring impressive levels of efficiency, which makes Magna’s solutions a perfect match for BMW.

Popular articles

Probably every transmission repair specialist was keen on LEGO constructions or at least enjoyed making some minor things with their hands. Here's the game taken to a new level of creativity!

Modern auto industry is full of sophisticated drivetrain technologies which are supposed to make your driving experience even more pleasant and trouble-free. Despite a great abundance of sophisticated technical solutions, it is highly likely that very few people know a transmission solution operating like a manual CVT.

Over recent years engineers developed a lot of gear shifting solutions for different car brands, which may seem a bit unusual for oldtime drivers. In this article we will review the most peculiar gear stick technologies and provide video materials related to these technologies.

Only few people know about transmission concepts which were popular 70-90 years ago. For men of today, these gearboxes may seem very unusual and weird, but even now some gearboxes that date back to those years are quite competitive in comparison with modern transmissions.

Nowadays Extroid CVTs are commonly known as “toroidal” due to the fact that the working surface of driving and driven discs in this transmission has the form of a torus. Extroid CVT is not a V-belt transmission, but a friction drive CVT.