Keeping your revs down is vital to saving fuel, and nobody knows that better than Volkswagen: the German automaker has introduced the world’s-first 10-speed gearbox to help you be a miser when it comes to petrol.
Set to debut in the 2015 Volkswagen Passat, the new gearbox promises 20 per cent fuel savings across every car that VW makes.
Considering that VeeDub makes just about everything on the market these days (Audi, Porsche, Bugatti, Bentley and more), that’s a considerable fuel saving across everything from family sedans to fierce sports coupés, and according to Wired, the new gearbox can take up to 369 pounds-feet of torque.
Volkswagen is no stranger to fuel-sipping hypermilers. The company is all about “greening” up its existing range of cars. From diesel’s that can travel from Sydney to Melbourne on one tank (provided you’re driving like a granny, mind), through to new green driving modes on cars like the Golf, VW is all about helping Johnny Polar Bear.
It’s probably a good thing that the new gearbox will be automatic, with a computer attached that can match the revs to the right gear: 10 different gear selections would get confusing! [Wired]