With this carrot in mind, in 2003 we had started developing a double-clutch gearbox, now known as a DSG, as part of our ‘how are we going to beat Ferrari’ technology plan. A DSG works by carrying odd gears, 1-3-5-7 on one shaft, and the even gears, 2-4-6 on another. Each shaft has its own clutch. The computer anticipates that, say, the next gear change will be from third to fourth and pre-selects fourth gear. When the driver calls for it, instead of cutting the torque for a long time, it simply engages the clutch on the evens shaft while disengaging the odds. The energy of the engine slowing
...more
