The World's Best Automatic Transmission - How Autos Became Cool Again

How The Best Automatic Transmission Works. ZF's 8-Speed Auto can give modern dual clutch transmissions a run for their money. It's light, compact, quick-shifting, and shifts are incredibly smooth.

The automatic transmission was a game changer. No longer were three pedals required, drivers could relax as they had one less thing to worry about on the road. But the automatic transmission had many flaws. It was inefficient, shifts were slow and often rough, and automatics were big and heavy. ZF introduced the world's first production 6-speed auto in the 2002 BMW 7-series, but just a year later VW introduced the first production DCT in the European market Golf R32. The dual clutch was faster to shift, efficient, and gave drivers a direct feel. Was this the end for modern automatics? Not quite. ZF introduced their 8HP, an 8 speed automatic that swept the industry as a result of it's shift quality, shift speed, efficiency, size, and cost. We'll learn all about it in the video.

Engineering Explained is a participant in the Amazon Influencer Program.

Don't forget to check out my other pages below!

NEW VIDEO EVERY WEDNESDAY!

[ingmani]

I hope i wasn't the only one waiting for him to reach out and pull out a handy gearbox he just happened to have

[stefanklass]

I worked at ZF assembling these 8 speed transmissions. Btw, ZF stands for Zahnradfabrik wich literally means Gear Factory.

[madpistol]

Got this trans in my M340i. It's a killer gearbox. Always in the right gear, and if it isn't, it can get to it fast. It's smooth and seamless when driving normally and fast and ferocious when driving hard. Love it!

[tonyppe]

I had the ZF 8HP in a M135i (old one) - my favourite gearbox. No clutches to worry about. You get the best of both - pure automatic as well as fast gear changes and great fuel economy due to a quick torque converter lock up. The downside I found is that sometimes at low speeds like in traffic the gearbox changing gears would cause a surge, but wasnt really any bother to me. Aston Martin also use these gearboxes.

[Endorfinjunkie]

Thank you for the recognition 😊
I'm one of the developers for this badass gearbox

[ilyafilru]

We want a "whiteboard" video explaining every detail of the ZF immediately!!!

[kreiseltower]

Cool video. I've been working around projects for this transmission almost my entire career as a mechanical engineer. But whenever I visit the plant where they built them I'm still impressed every time how everything comes together.

[jamescampbell]

The ZF-5HP24 in my '03 BMW X5 (4.4L V8) is still going strong with over 220k miles on it. This X5 has even been used to tow a 5k lb trailer between FL and TX (over a dozen times).
Fluid and filter got changed at 100k and 180k. Will be doing another change at 240k.

[BimmerDrives]

Jason, I just got a 320d with the ZF Transmission. While I found the transmission to be pretty competent at first, it didn't really blow me away. Then I got my car coded up to enable the Sports Automatic Transmission (which bmw charges extra for) and boy did that change the characteristics of the whole car. The manual mode shifts are instantaneous as you describe, while the comfort mode shifts are smooth and barely perceptible, as they should be. Truly a masterpiece of a transmission!

[stephanvelines]

Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen (ZF) which means gearing/gearwheel factory and Friedrichshafen is in southern Germany at the Swiss border. It exists since 1915. I worked on the Saarbrücken factory at the French border building 8HP gearboxes.

Greetings and great show.

[Soloist]

Seriously, that ZF 8 speed is amazing, I wish I could justifiably afford a car that has one.

[JohannGambolputty]

Had it in my BMW 335 and loved it. Sadly I sold my BMW to get a Jeep Trackhawk but was delighted to find it also has the ZF 8HP. Such a pleasure to drive. Best transmissions I’ve ever had.

[raywei]

He's absolutely right, ZF 8 Speed is a dream to drive. The power is there when you ask for it, yet it's so smooth and comfortable. Non-car people could tell the difference and appreciate every bit it, I wish every automatic driver could experience this

[wdiv]

"The supra's a Z4"
That troll LOL

[rojoshow]

I can't believe how far automatic transmissions have come in my lifetime and this century especially. I had an 83 Ford F-150 with a 3 speed automatic... maybe it had a 4th gear or overdrive but I think it was only 3 speed. And just a few years ago I was looking at the Ford website and looking at all the options available for the trucks and I was interested in going back to driving a manual transmission but I noticed that they no longer had a manual transmission option. They had 7 or 8 speed automatics. And I was shocked that auto had become the only choice. And I happened to run into my cousin who I hardly ever see because he drives over the road semi truck and we got to talking about it and he told me that the new semi he drives actually has an automatic transmission. I was absolutely floored because that was unheard of before. And I asked him how well it works and he said he was skeptical at first but it works just fine. Having been in semis before on trips with my cousins I can tell you that being in control of the gear you're in is a big part of handling the extreme weight and size of a semi, especially on grades/hills. So to hear him say that the automatic is great is just a testament to how good the technology has gotten.

[Jake-imlv]

I was a staunch manual driver until I drove my 370z with the 7at. In manual mode it feels like I'm driving a manual other than not having to shift gears with a lever and a clutch. The converted lockup is aggressive and it shifts super fast. Even rev matches on the downshift.

Was very impressed. My last experience Wei th autos was 90s econoboxes and cvts.

[maxievo]

Hi Jason, just to confirm, the new Continental GT doesn’t use the ZF 8HP. The new one uses the Porsche PDK box. The previous generation GT and the Bentayga use/d the 8HP though.

Source: I might work for Bentley.

[gustavmeyrink_.]

I love ZF.
Not least because they are owned by a non-profit charitable trust and the profits ZF makes go to meals-on-wheels, kindergartens, OAP homes, hospitals etc.

[phazonxl]

The best transmission for me is the one that never breaks until I'm at 400, 000 miles

[matthewmcdonald]

I will always prefer a manual transmission for driving, but I am fascinated by how alot of modern performance automatic transmissions work. Thank you for breaking this down & making this interesting for fellow gear heads 🏎🏁