transmission – AUSmotive.com

Lamborghini reveals new 6.5 litre V12

You’re looking at 525kW (700bhp). It’s the new 6.5 litre V12, coupled to an “ISR” automated manual transmisison, that Lamborghini will use to power the upcoming Aventador.

Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Lamborghini is over the moon with his new powertrain, “With this new V12, we are heralding a technological leap that encompasses all areas of the company and our future model lineup. With a unique package of innovations, Lamborghini will redefine the future of the super sports car. This 700 hp engine, together with an all-new concept gearbox, will be the strong heart of the MurciÃ©lago successor next year.”

The high-revving V12 achieves its peak power at 8250rpm, while all 690Nm of torque is on offer at 5000rpm. Lamborghini say four throttle openings and a highly complex intake system gives the engine a well-rounded torque curve, with get-up-and-go on tap right through the rev range. Use of advanced materials such as aluminium-silicon has allowed Lamborghini to keep the weight of this big lump to 235kg.

Also featuring in the new powertrain is a 7-speed Independent Shifting Rod (ISR) transmission. Apparently it is the “world’s most emotional gear shift.” It tips the scales at 79kg and can shift cogs up to 40% quicker than the Murci’s old e-gear setup.

More pics and press guff after the break. There are two press releases and, if you have the time, the long version provides some good detail.

A closer look at Audi’s new 7 speed S-tronic transmission

Audi’s new Q5 and the new Volkswagen Mk6 Golf will be the latest in the Volkswagen Audi Group to provide the option of an all new 7 speed S-tronic transmission. The Q5 is due for release in March, while the new Golf will be in Australian showrooms later this month. The only difference being, the transmission is called DSG on the Volkswagen options list.

Audi’s dual clutch transmission technology can trace its roots back to 1985 when Walter RÃ¶hrl was at the top of the world rally charts. Current S-tronic technology offers super smooth gear changes, as well as better acceleration and improved fuel economy over traditional manual transmissions. Its lightning quick gear changes have all but made a mockery of some the more fancied names offering “F1-style” flappy paddle gearboxes.

Australian motorists first got a taste of the previous 6 speed dual clutch transmission through the Volkswagen Mk5 Golf, most notably on the GTI. No matter what car the gearbox is fitted to in the Volkswagen Audi Group model range it nearly always brings wide acclaim. The new 7-speed version is likely to attract similar levels of praise. Although, as noted in our interview with a current Mk6 Golf owner in Germany, the 7-speed does tend to race through the gears quite quickly when left in “automatic” D mode.

Aftermarket tuners will be most pleased to learn that the new 7 speed S-tronic is designed to cope with maximum revs of 9000rpm and is said to be capable of handling up to 550Nm of torque.

Included below is a detailed press statement that touches on the inner workings of the latest S-tronic transmission. Hopefully it will satisfy the inner car geek within. You can also click on the image above to load a 2000px version, just in case you need to get even closer to all those cogs.