Coming in Clutch - DCT Cooler R&D - Concept to Completion

Coming in Clutch - DCT Cooler R&D - Concept to Completion

It's strange the path that automotive technology takes sometimes. Typically, it's a trickle-down effect. Top-tier race vehicles and techno-packed supercars are first in line for the latest and greatest gadgets. In the case of the dual-clutch transmission, it was a VW Golf (well, technically an R32) that was responsible for the trickle-up of the modern DCT into sports cars, like your F8X M3 or M4. Even with a non-conventional path to the M3, the Getrag paired with the S55 still needs to regulate temperature to operate to its true potential.

Why does the transmission temperature on the F80's DCT matter? Simply put, the excess heat can wear the oil in the transmission prematurely, which diminishes the oil's lubrication properties. The DCT is, in essence, a clever combination of an automatic and manual transmission. However, instead of a torque converter, there is a pair of clutches that split duties between the gear ratios, most commonly split between odd and even gears. These clutches

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