BMW Considering Dual-Clutch Auto For Performance Front Wheel Drives

The latest on the industrial rumour-mill out of Munich suggests that BMW could be looking to swap out its eight-speed hydraulic automatic with a newly developed seven-speed dual-clutch transmission in high performance applications.

The move would mimic BMW’s rear wheel drive range: While mainstream models run an eight-speed automatic, M versions of the same cars switch to an M DCT transmission for faster, more aggressive shifts.

High performance versions of the BMW’s UKL1 platform, which underpins the 2 Series Active Tourer, recently launched X1 SUV, and the MINI range, could adopt the DCT as early as 2017.

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