- 07/16/2019
- 1 Min Read
- By: Evan Madore
The Manual Transmission Lives On - Volkswagen Launches The New MQ281 6-Speed
In a time when the majority of manufacturers are moving toward all automatic or dual-clutch transmission vehicle lineups, Volkswagen just officially announced the production of an all-new six-speed manual transmission.
The all-new 6-speed manual from Volkswagen, dubbed the MQ281, instead of being developed around increased power/torque limits, was designed with one thing in mind—efficiency. With increased efficiency comes a direct impact on emissions and the environment. In countries outside of the United States, manual transmissions are still the preferred gearbox option, so even a small decrease in emissions makes a massive impact overall.
“Here we employed virtual development methods,” says Helmut Göbbels, Head of Manual Gearbox and Four-Wheel Drive Development at Volkswagen. “This enabled us to design a completely new oil conduction system. Using a variety of oil conduction measures, we are able to achieve a uniform and optimum lubrication of gear wheels and bearings, reducing the amount of lifetime oil required to just 1.5 liters.” To further reduce friction, a bearing concept adapted to the gearbox was developed. The design used friction-minimized bearings with low-contact seals.
Currently, the new VW Passat is the first model to receive the new MQ281 transmission, which will be followed by almost all models in the Volkswagen lineup depending on the region. With that and the growing trend of SUVs, the MQ281 was developed with the torque demands of SUVs in mind. “With the MQ281, we have developed a highly efficient manual gearbox that reliably meets these demands – and is soon to be introduced into a number of vehicle classes in the volume segment,” explains Helmut Göbbels. The MQ281 has a torque spectrum of 150 to 260 foot-pounds, meaning that it falls either partially or entirely in between the Volkswagen MQ250 and MQ350 manual transmissions, respectively.
Beyond the optimizations for efficiency and use in SUVs, engineers at Volkswagen streamlined the use of materials and their distribution within the gearbox housing. The new housing was optimized for strength as well as noise requirements for today's vehicles—reducing noise and vibration, resulting in increased driving comfort.
Production is being done in-house as with all Volkswagen transmissions and is currently underway in factories in both Spain and Argentina. If you'd like to see a "How it's Made" of the facility, the video below provides a pretty in-depth overview of the manufacturing process.
So what does this mean for us here in the United States? Will we see more of VW's vehicles offered with this new and improved six-speed manual now that it meets strict emissions regulations? Will it find its way into a new GTI? We can only hope that the manual transmission will live on here, too.
