GM's 10-Speed Automatic to Make Car Debut in Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (And It Could Find Its Way Into a Mustang, Too)

It’s official: the new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will have more gears than a typical IROC-Z owner has teeth.

General Motors revealed today the new aluminum-cased beauty, touting 10 forward gears and upshifts quicker than a dual-clutch automated-manual transmission, will make its non-truck debut in the Camaro ZL1.

Did Camaro tell Mustang to step outside for a fuel-economy contest? Maybe not.

The new 10-speed was developed in partnership with Ford and will see its first application at the Blue Oval in the forthcoming Ford Raptor. As the transmission is engineered for rear-wheel-drive applications, there’s nothing holding Ford back from installing it in a Mustang — possibly called Mach I.

However, at General Motors, the 640 horsepower, supercharged, LT4-powered Camaro will be the first car-based recipient of the 10-speed. Other candidates include GM’s full-size pickups and SUVs (which will receive the transmission first, before the Camaro), and possibly Alpha-platform-based Cadillacs and Corvette.

We previously posted an in-depth look of the new cog-swapper if you want to geek out over its engineering.

GM claims the new autobox will increase fuel economy and performance with a wider overall gear ratio spread of 7.39, a short first-gear ratio of 4.70, a tall top gear, and shorter jumps between gears. GM also states the new transmission shifts quicker between the first four gears than Porsche’s much touted PDK. (I still haven’t driven a 911, in case you were wondering.) We’re more than willing to test that claim, GM (and Porsche).

Think 10 gears isn’t enough? Ford has a patent that cranks transmission development up to Spinal Tap-approved levels, but we haven’t yet heard how FoMoCo will apply that development.

[Image: General Motors]