Ferrari chooses DCT for its latest supercar
Following the debut of the DCT-equipped Ferrari California coupé-convertible in
2008, the elite Italian sports car maker has chosen the same transmission type
for its latest supersports model, the 458 Italia.
But while the California was launched as an accessible luxury sports car that was front engined, practical and not too demanding to drive, and which could thus benefit from the automatic capability of its dual clutch transmission, the new 458 Italia is a very different and much more tightly focused kind of machine.
Replacing the mid-engined 430 Scuderia, the 458 Italia takes up the mantle as Ferrari's sportiest, most agile and most responsive car for both road and track use. This is the car that will be pounced upon by wealthy hardcore enthusiasts, the car that most closely reflects the technical developments going on in formula one and evokes the glories of Ferrari's grand prix team. So it is significant that for this most demanding of applications Ferrari’s transmission choice has again fallen on a sevn-speed dual clutch setup, supplied by Getrag.
Full technical details have not yet been released, but although the Italia is mid-engined and the California mounts its engine in front of the passenger compartment, the transmission is likely to be similar: the California's gearbox is mounted in unit with the rear axle – precisely the arrangement used by a mid-engined model.
This configuration marks two firsts for a Ferrari: the marque's first mid-engined car with direct gasoline injection and dual clutch transmission; indeed, the only other mid-engined supercar to have employed a DCT is Bugatti's extravagant 1001hp Veyron, launched in 2006. Like the millionaire-bracket Bugatti and the California, the Italia's transmission has seven speeds: in contrast to the California, however, the ratios are closely stacked for best-possible dynamic performance, and the maximum speed of 300-plus km/h is reached in seventh gear. The twin wet clutch gearbox is combined in the transaxle with Ferrari's E-differential and Vehicle Dynamic Assistance system, both now being controlled by the central electronic system. The transaxle has been reduced in weight by 4kg compared with the manual setup on the already light 430 Scuderia, says Ferrari.
Making
a big step towards the feel of F1 technology in the cabin of a road car is a
cockpit design that has been completely reconfigured to eliminate column stalks
and place all the most important controls on the steering wheel, just as in an
F1 car. Thus the Italia's driver interface places the indicator controls on the
steering wheel spokes, the lights and wipers below the spokes, and the
all-important engine start button, damper control and transmission "manettino"
on the lower part of the wheel hub, still accessible with hands on the wheel
rim.
The five-position manettino provides settings such as road, sport and race for the Italia's throttle response, transmission, suspension, steering and other functions such as Vehicle Dynamic Assistance. The transmission itself is actuated by just three buttons on the center console, all shifting functions being carried out via the enlarged paddles readily accessible just behind the steering wheel rim.
Vehicle Dynamic Assistance, also new, monitors the vital functions of the engine, transmission, brakes and tires and is able to compute lateral acceleration: it also incorporates a visual confirmation of the vehicle's status - whether it is in the warm-up phase, at the correct operating temperatures for best performance, or over the prescribed levels and in need of cooling.
Story Filed: 9/24/2009
By Tony Lewin, managing editor DCTfacts.com