Manual gearboxes must be added to the list of endangered species in the automotive world. BMW manual gearbox fans should then be delighted to know that Bimmerpost has discovered an interesting patent filed by BMW – a unique 7-speed manual shifting pattern. Reverse and seventh gears are located at the opposite ends of the normally reserved neutral line of the shift gate between gears 1 to 6. Porsche has already launched their new 911 (991) with a 7-speed manual earlier this year.
Interestingly the patent involves more than just the shift pattern, it also explains the use of a magnetorheologic fluid around the gear selector which when subjected to an electrical current will prevent the driver from shifting into a gear not conducive to the vehicle speed – think of the costly shift to second when looking for fourth at 150 km/h… By employing this technology the manual gearbox can even be expanded to eight or more gears to aid fuel efficiency.
Another possibility (shown by the second picture) is a shift-by-wire manual gearbox with no physical connection between the gear lever and gearbox. The gear selector simply sends a signal to the automated electromechanical shift actuator (see second picture). Shifting manual gears in this fashion will be possible without the use of a clutch pedal (think SMG).
Although patents can take a while to be implemented (if ever) it is good to know that BMW is still considering manual shift transmissions for the future.
