One tenth of a second doesn’t seem like a significant amount of time. Unless you’re a hummingbird, Olympic swimmer or a beam of light, it’s hardly long enough to do anything. In the competitive acceleration culture, however, a couple blinks of the eye can seem like an eternity.
That’s why General Motors’ claim that a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with a TapShift automatic transmission can shave .1 seconds off the 4-second 0-60 mark of the manual is so monumental. Updates to the system’s software have resulted in a 60 percent reduction in response time, eliminating a delay of roughly 200-300 milliseconds per up-shift in gear.
“The faster you can get to the next gear, the better, and from the sound of it, the ZL1 automatic’s performance is going to make paddle shifting more exhilarating and satisfying for drivers of all skill sets,” said Eric Fedewa , director of Global Powertrain Forecasting at IHS Automotive. “We’re seeing a trend toward more manual-mode-capable, fun-to-drive automatic transmissions across all vehicle segments, and GM’s technology is leading the pack.”
TapShift’s intuitive programming prepares to change gears before the driver engages the paddle shifter button by preemptively storing the necessary hydraulic pressure in the clutch. By monitoring how the car is behaving in terms of speed, torque and throttle, the sophisticated software predicts future desires to switch gears and plans accordingly. Any time that elapses between pressing the paddle shifter and actually changing to the appropriate gear is practically imperceptible.
In addition to the 2012 Camaro, the advanced version of TapShift will be installed on the 2012 Corvette and any future vehicles with steering-wheel mounted paddle shifting technology. About half of the Camaro ZL1 sales will opt for the automatic transmission, according to estimates.
With an automatic transmission that goes from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and outperforms its manual counterpart, the 2012 Camaro ZL1 is certainly shifting expectations.
Chevrolet will release the Camaro ZL1 Coupe in the spring, with the Convertible to follow in the summer as a 2013 model.