[ibn]

does anyone else have concerns about the transmission? it only being a 5 speed instead of a 6 speed. i know previous Evos have been 5 speed, so is anyone else concerned about this being the only option for us that like to change our own gears.

i've driven a Ford Focus with only a 5 speed, but that also has less than half the horsepower of the X. and i drive around a 4 speed in my 72' El Camino, but I doesn't go over 70 mph in that either.

will the 6th gear be missed?

 

[soopah]

I was concerned at first, but it has been said that the previous 6 spd transmission from Mitsu left plenty to be desired, and the new 5 spd is supposed to be much more robust (can we expect longer clutch life?). Also, the torque and hp curves are supposedly wider than before, so a 5 spd with wider/taller gear ratios will not be much worse than a 6 spd, and of course you benefit from less changing of gears.

However, another analysis on this site (use search) does caution that track straight away speeds (after accelerating out of a corner) will suffer with the 5 spd.

I think Mitsu missed the boat, however, because a 6 spd is just easier to sell. It sounds faster. Some here have speculated they only put in a 5 spd manual to boost sales of the 6 spd SST. Now with the delay of the SST they may have screwed themselves!!! Most deposits for Evo's in Vancouver are for the MR with SST. If these are truly delayed until fall '08 Mitsu will not sell as many Evo's as they hoped they would. I would not mind personally if the SST is delayed, but lots of potential owners will be disappointed.

 

[FLK]

Mitsu could not fit the 6sp in the X without sacrifcing a lot of reliability. The 5sp in the XGSR is stronger and more reliable than the 5sp in the IX.

 

[Kooldino]

Mitsu could not fit the 6sp in the X without sacrifcing a lot of reliability. The 5sp in the XGSR is stronger and more reliable than the 5sp in the IX.

Where did you get this information?

Anyway, for me, I would have liked a 6 speed, but I've never had a 6 speed before, so it's not a big deal to me.

What's important to me is that it's a STRONG, durable transmission.

 

[soopah]

Where did you get this information?

Anyway, for me, I would have liked a 6 speed, but I've never had a 6 speed before, so it's not a big deal to me.

What's important to me is that it's a STRONG, durable transmission.

I had a 6 speed in my MINI Cooper S and I felt the SC 1.6 litre engine needed it. I enjoyed shifting that tranny, but mostly just used 3 gears in spirited driving (2, 3 and 4) on the track, 5 gears in town, and up to 6th gear on the highway.

 

[ibn]

yeah the 6th gear is really only suitable for highway driving.

i just don't understand Mitsubishi using a 6 speed automatic transmission but leaving the manual 5 speed, beefed up or not. especially with previous Evos having a 6 speed. maybe there will be something offered down the road but that kinda shafts us early buyers. thus is life, i guess.

 

[Spenk]

Given the broad torque curve of the 4B11T, 5 forward gears is all I need.

 

[SATimko]

When I drove my friend's STi, I found that his 5th gear, and the 5th gear in my Civic (GSR swap) are the same rev / mph. Of course, he had that extra gear, but I'm just throwing that out there.

 

[Kooldino]

yeah the 6th gear is really only suitable for highway driving.

i just don't understand Mitsubishi using a 6 speed automatic transmission but leaving the manual 5 speed, beefed up or not. especially with previous Evos having a 6 speed. maybe there will be something offered down the road but that kinda shafts us early buyers. thus is life, i guess.

I'm sure the marketing dept had something to do with the decision.

If there was a 6MT, people would be less likely to go for the SST box, and ultimately, that's what they want to sell you.

 

[FLK]

Where did you get this information?

Anyway, for me, I would have liked a 6 speed, but I've never had a 6 speed before, so it's not a big deal to me.

What's important to me is that it's a STRONG, durable transmission.

From Mitsu's Press release:

New Compact Manual Transmission for Evolution GSR
The 2008 Lancer Evolution GSR debuts a new 5-speed manual transmission (W5M6A) that provides a higher torque capacity than the 5-speed manual transmission used in the previous-generation Evolution models. The new transmission is also six millimeters shorter than the previous 5-speed and the same as the 6-speed used before.

Enabling higher torque capacity requires greater gear face width, which would then result in to a longer transmission case. To make the room needed without lengthening the case, the W5M6A manual deletes a dedicated Reverse gear. Instead, Reverse is provided by meshing 1st and 3rd gears, with synchromesh used to a synchronize the idler gears that mesh them.

The 5-speed manual transmission uses triple synchros on 1st and 2nd gears and a double synchro on 3rd. The new transmission adds double synchros on 4th and 5th, compared to single synchros on the previous transmissions, to enhance durability when used on high-speed tracks, for example. A new ball-type synchro key is used, as well.

 

[FLK]

^The new W5M6A sounds pretty hardcore. There's no way that a 6 speed could have fit if it was gonna have to endure any abuse.

 

[Kooldino]

From Mitsu's Press release:

New Compact Manual Transmission for Evolution GSR
The 2008 Lancer Evolution GSR debuts a new 5-speed manual transmission (W5M6A) that provides a higher torque capacity than the 5-speed manual transmission used in the previous-generation Evolution models. The new transmission is also six millimeters shorter than the previous 5-speed and the same as the 6-speed used before.

Ok, so the new 5 speed is the same length as the old 6 speed.

Enabling higher torque capacity requires greater gear face width,

Either that, or a stronger metal...

which would then result in to a longer transmission case. To make the room needed without lengthening the case, the W5M6A manual deletes a dedicated Reverse gear. Instead, Reverse is provided by meshing 1st and 3rd gears, with synchromesh used to a synchronize the idler gears that mesh them.

Huh? I need pics to understand this part.

The 5-speed manual transmission uses triple synchros on 1st and 2nd gears and a double synchro on 3rd.

WOW.

The new transmission adds double synchros on 4th and 5th, compared to single synchros on the previous transmissions, to enhance durability when used on high-speed tracks, for example. A new ball-type synchro key is used, as well.

Sounds like they did a bang up job with this trans...

 

[ibn]

hmmm... that 5 speed sounds beastly. should be more than enough.

 

[soopah]

Yeah, it sounds fine. The transmission is not a show-stopper for me, I could live with the 5 speed, especially knowing it can handle everything the motor dishes out. It just doesn't sound as sporty or high performance as a 6 spd transmission. It's like, red is faster than silver, there's no arguing it!

 

[DrChuck23]

A 6MT vs 5MT transmission is not going to be any faster nor is it any "sportier". In most cases, the 6th gear simply adds an extra deep "overdrive" ratio to optimize highway mileage. Most manual trannies have a gear ratio near 1:1 for 4th gear, 0.75 for 5th and then drop even further to 0.5 in 6th. Obviously, this would be great for those who will be doing a lot of highway driving; it does little for track racing.
The SST tranny is geared differently (at least numbers that have been published in other posts) with a near 1:1 in 5th gear and 0.75 in 6th. The final gear ratio is listed as different though (different differential gears?).

 

[soopah]

A 6MT vs 5MT transmission is not going to be any faster nor is it any "sportier". In most cases, the 6th gear simply adds an extra deep "overdrive" ratio to optimize highway mileage. Most manual trannies have a gear ratio near 1:1 for 4th gear, 0.75 for 5th and then drop even further to 0.5 in 6th. Obviously, this would be great for those who will be doing a lot of highway driving; it does little for track racing.
The SST tranny is geared differently (at least numbers that have been published in other posts) with a near 1:1 in 5th gear and 0.75 in 6th. The final gear ratio is listed as different though (different differential gears?).

The Evo X 5 spd gear ratios are:
1st 2.857, 2nd 1.950, 3rd 1.444, 4th 1.096, 5th 0.761, Rev 2.892, Final 4.687

The STI 6 spd gear ratios are:
1st 3.636, 2nd 2.235, 3rd 1.521, 4th 1.137, 5th 0.971, 6th 0.756, Rev 3.545, Final 3.90

The WRX 5 spd gear ratios are:
1st 3.166, 2nd 1.882, 3rd 1.296, 4th 0.972, 5th 0.738, Rev 3.333, Final 3.90

How do I compare these ratios? Are 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears closer in the STI than in the Evo X, WRX? Do I multiply each gear by the final drive ratio? Then compare the difference between one gear and the next?

 

[Robevo]

To be sure the new X 5 speed is better then the revised IX 5 speed , we need to wait a little...
The new reverse set up can be a problem too. The extra streingh can equal out, with the added overall car weight. So in simple: almost 300 lbs heavier peformance car is harder on the tranny.

6 speed tranny advantige is on the road course, in the turns you can keep the engine in higher rpm. So it is improves cornering and exit speed. But you can over come on this, with extra hp. So in stock form the 6 speed is better ,but when the car gets extra hp, the 6 speed advantige is starts fading. You can get to the point where is basicly unneccesery , or even slower. Since you need to shift more, and every shifting is time.

the evo 6th gear, is not an overdrive gear.

 

[parkerfe]

Wake up and join the 21st century...the three pedal system is dead and SMG, DCS and now TC-SST rule. I too had a concern about the new fangled SMG when I first got my e60 M5...now after 3 years and 40k miles I will never own an antiquated three pedal system again for a daily driver or track car...there is a reason why F1 and WRC went to similar systems years ago...

 

[parkerfe]

[
the evo 6th gear, is not an overdrive gear.[/quote] ..........................................................yes it is...6th gear in the MR TC-SST has a 0.775 ratio...which makes it an overdrive...

 

[Robotix Junior]

Pics plz. I thought the 6MT was longer than the 5MT....