Any benefits to 5 speed transmissions?

[HondaElement]

I noticed that many cars have a 5 speed in GT5. Many low powered cars have 5 speed but so do some race cars like the 80s and 90s lemans cars. Any reason why cars would have a 5 speed instead of a 6 speed?

I would think maybe a benefit would be longer gear ratios and less time spent shifting? I understand why low powered cars would not need many gears but why would Lemans cars only have 5.

Most cars in GT5 have 6 gears and sometimes when I am using a car it only has 5 gears and I am left wanting at least another gear.

 

[Blitz24]

I think the original transmission in most of those cars were 5 Speed. What I don't get is how one of the low powered cars (forgot which one off the top of my head, possibly the Toyota Yaris premium version) ended up with a 7 speed transmission.

 

[Smiggi1991]

Simply because it's cheaper to make 5 speed gear boxes and a lot of the cars that have 5 speed small cars so they don't need extra gear to pull extra weight?

 

[defaultoasis]

Well it's not that related to power... Chapparal 2J has 3 gears.

 

[BigYoSpeck]

In older race cars it would have been a weight and reliability issue sticking to just 5 gears. Plus the driver wouldn't have to change gears as often.

When the cars were so powerful they were limited mostly by aerodynamics the advantages an extra gear weren't that big.

 

[dautolover]

Actually the more you gears you can use the more power you can take from the Engine. This not only benefits top speed, but acceleration as well, as you'll be getting the most out of the engine's output every time you shift gear.

Having said that... perhaps the reason the older cars didn't have extra gears was because the technology wasn't there. There comes a point in which adding another gear will do nothing, because the engine had no more power to push through another gear. As cars got more sophisticated, you could add another one without any problems.

This probably explains why there are now cars with 7 gears (BMW M5) and others with 8 (Lexus IS-F)

 

[Blitz24]

Actually the more you gears you can use the more power you can take from the Engine. This not only benefits top speed, but acceleration as well, as you'll be getting the most out of the engine's output every time you shift gear.

Having said that... perhaps the reason the older cars didn't have extra gears was because the technology wasn't there. There comes a point in which adding another gear will do nothing, because the engine had no more power to push through another gear. As cars got more sophisticated, you could add another one without any problems.

This probably explains why there are now cars with 7 gears (BMW M5) and others with 8 (Lexus IS-F)

Does the IS-F have 8 gears in GT5?

 

[BigYoSpeck]

Actually the more you gears you can use the more power you can take from the Engine. This not only benefits top speed, but acceleration as well, as you'll be getting the most out of the engine's output every time you shift gear.

Top speed is limited by the ratio of the top gear, the number of gears in between only affects the acceleration up to it.

 

[Smiggi1991]

Older race cars had odd gear boxes 1st gear was out of the way so first to second gear was the longest changes so that racers spent less time changing gear

 

[freedomweasel]

Does the IS-F have 8 gears in GT5?

Yep.

A few cars have 7speeds in the game as well.

Too many gears can also lead to slower acceleration due to the extra number of shifts. Compare the WRX to the STi for example, the WRX is faster to 60 because of the transmission/gearing.

Older race cars had odd gear boxes 1st gear was out of the way so first to second gear was the longest changes so that racers spent less time changing gear

like this?
R-2-4
| | |
1-3-5
I've seen that in a few road cars as well.

 

[Blitz24]

I'm aware of the 7 Speed transmissions, which actually aren't that infrequent in GT5 compared to GT4. I wasn't aware though that there was any 8 Speed tranny in the game.

 

[BigYoSpeck]

Older race cars had odd gear boxes 1st gear was out of the way so first to second gear was the longest changes so that racers spent less time changing gear

Dog leg gearbox 👍

 

[dude2106]

A gear weighs, and it can fail, so the more gears the heavier and more likely to fail it will be. With todays technology, the 'boxes are very reliable, and thanks to composite materials it don't weighs as much. Also the gear change time has decreased, and when it takes a lot of time to change gear it can be slower to drive out of the corners if you need to work the gears all the time, and it adds another effect of sudden increase in power. Try to drive a Audi or Peugeot diesel lemans car in the game and pick a low gear ratio and change gear out of a corner, i promise that you will spin it if you are on the limit of grip before you change gear.
The old Le Mans racers have more power then todays cars, so they could easier afford to loose a gear, gain reliability and make it easier to drive out of the corners without messing up the rear tires. That is my guess, it could also be a rule regulation, because it was common on road cars to have 5 speed 'boxes.

 

[sesselpupser]

I think the original transmission in most of those cars were 5 Speed. What I don't get is how one of the low powered cars (forgot which one off the top of my head, possibly the Toyota Yaris premium version) ended up with a 7 speed transmission.

Probably for fuel efficiency, I guess it would have a similar effect to a CVT transmission in that the revs can be kept low but acceleration can, er, happen. If you have only 5 gears, you'd be revving higher to attain the same speeds than you could be with 7.

As for benefits, just weight, simplicity, reliability and cost, I think. Acceleration is lower than with more gears (with the same top speed), or top speed is lower than one with more gears if the acceleration is the same. The Mitsubishi Evo RS models only have 5 speeds as they're the lightweight rally models, which don't have much use for a 155mph top speed either.

 

[GTP_Monkey]

Actually the more you gears you can use the more power you can take from the Engine. This not only benefits top speed, but acceleration as well, as you'll be getting the most out of the engine's output every time you shift gear.

Having said that... perhaps the reason the older cars didn't have extra gears was because the technology wasn't there. There comes a point in which adding another gear will do nothing, because the engine had no more power to push through another gear. As cars got more sophisticated, you could add another one without any problems.

This probably explains why there are now cars with 7 gears (BMW M5) and others with 8 (Lexus IS-F)

Nail on head.