We drove both rear- and all-wheel drive 300 sedans and Chargers on a two-lane "ride road" composed of various aggregates, and a tight little test track where we were able to really open the cars up and evaluate the new gearbox's ability.
Suffice it to say, if you're familiar with any of the German vehicles packing the ZF 8-speed transmission, you might find the 845RE's performance remarkably similar. It's no slushbox.
The addition of this slick-shifting piece of kit is going to inject a whole lot more joy into the Chrysler/Dodge driving experience, particularly in the paddle shifter-equipped 300s as well as the Charger Rallye and Rallye Plus.
Gear transitions are nearly seamless during regular driving, and the low rpm range helps reduce fuel consumption at cruising speed. It's no slug though; with the extra gear sets, the 8-speed can quickly put power to the ground when asked. The 845RE is equipped with "adaptive shifting" software that calculates temperature, gradient, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, hill detection, friction detection… and modifies its gear changing accordingly to best suit the situation.
Selecting Sport mode tightens up the shifts and wakes up the Pentastar V6 by keeping the rpms in the engine's power band. The response is quick and lively – particularly noticeable in the 300 which was more engaging on the track than with its previous gearbox.
The idea of an 8-speed gearbox must have resonated with buyers, since the pre-order books for vehicles so equipped has already closed due to high demand. The push is on for Chrysler to finish its Kokomo, Indiana Plant sooner than the projected 2013 opening date.
Suffice it to say, if you're familiar with any of the German vehicles packing the ZF 8-speed transmission, you might find the 845RE's performance remarkably similar. It's no slushbox.
The addition of this slick-shifting piece of kit is going to inject a whole lot more joy into the Chrysler/Dodge driving experience, particularly in the paddle shifter-equipped 300s as well as the Charger Rallye and Rallye Plus.
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| 2012 Dodge Charger (Photo: Chrysler) |
Gear transitions are nearly seamless during regular driving, and the low rpm range helps reduce fuel consumption at cruising speed. It's no slug though; with the extra gear sets, the 8-speed can quickly put power to the ground when asked. The 845RE is equipped with "adaptive shifting" software that calculates temperature, gradient, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, hill detection, friction detection… and modifies its gear changing accordingly to best suit the situation.
Selecting Sport mode tightens up the shifts and wakes up the Pentastar V6 by keeping the rpms in the engine's power band. The response is quick and lively – particularly noticeable in the 300 which was more engaging on the track than with its previous gearbox.
The idea of an 8-speed gearbox must have resonated with buyers, since the pre-order books for vehicles so equipped has already closed due to high demand. The push is on for Chrysler to finish its Kokomo, Indiana Plant sooner than the projected 2013 opening date.