Moto Lita Wood Steering Wheel on 2040-parts.com

ZF boss thinks 9 speeds is enough for transmissions

The nine-speed transmission might be where the race to add gears ends, ZF Friedrichshafen CEO Stefan Sommer said. He referred to nine speeds as the "natural limit" because going beyond that number adds weight and complexity that cannot be offset by gains in fuel efficiency. "There is no hard line, but you have to consider the law of diminishing returns.

College Exhibition: Monash University Degree Show 2009

Graduating students from the Industrial Design undergraduate program at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia recently presented their annual degree show. One third of the group developed transport related projects encompassing a broad range of topics including energy efficient personal mobility, sustainable materials and manufacturing, scientific data collection and emergency services. Overall, the students' work reflected a strong emphasis on user interaction, systems innovation and production integrity.

A profile of Steve McQueen: Autoweek archives

For today's Autoweek archive feature, we are highlighting an article by Denise McCluggage from February 1981. McCluggage knew McQueen and recalls her encounters with the “King of Cool” through the years until his death. Before becoming a star, McQueen and McCluggage met over their mutual love of automobiles, more specifically the MG-TC, which both subsequently owned.