New Corvette Gets DCT Transmission and No Manual Option in the Near Future
The long-awaited 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray has been recently presented to the public. This supercar is equipped with a wide range of technical features and special attention should be given to the transmission unit, namely an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission.
It is hard to describe the astonishment of
admirers of classic manual Corvettes when they found out that the new Chevy has
a lot of features to boast about, but not a manual option. It has been long
rumored that it is economically unviable for automakers to invest in new
manually-shifted models and the declining sales of manual cars prove that
point.
Chevrolet has released a video that describes
the transmission unit of the new Stingray and answers to the question why GM
opted for the DCT solution instead of a standard automatic gear shifting
mechanism.
According to one of the technical staff members of Corvette, admirers of Corvette models have been asking for a non-conventional transmission unit for a long time. The thing is that conventional automatic or manual transmissions force the car to slow down during the process of gear shifting due to the fact that at this moment the engine is not connected to the wheels. To eliminate this issue, Corvette engineers gave preference to the dual-clutch unit. This solution can be described as 2 manual gearboxes operating with the help of two clutches actuated by the control unit.
2020 Chevrolet
Corvette Stingray
Thanks to the fact that each clutch engages a set of particular gears (odd gear for one clutch and even gears for the other one), the control system can disengage one gear while pre-selecting the next without delays. In fact, shift time in the new Corvette is less than 100 ms. It will help to ensure really fast take-offs and 0-60 mph times. This DCT unit operates with an "electronic transmission range selector", which removes the mechanical connection between the stick and the gearbox. Thanks to paddle shifters included in the transmission system design, drivers can also select required gears by themselves.
This DCT solution is not a standard component, either. The team responsible for the powertrain development, and the transmission unit in particular, closely cooperated with the chassis team to provide the transmission solution which will be capable of meeting high performance requirements. Thanks to the efforts of both teams, it became possible to lower the center of gravity of the car, creating additional performance advantages. It is better for admirers of classic manual Corvettes to get used to the new transmission, as the manual Corvette variant should not be expected in the near future.
