Thanks to a number of information leaks about the upcoming 2020 mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette and collective effort of multiple automotive publications, there is a good reason to believe the car will share a transmission with the 2020 Porsche 911.
Rumors are GM is replacing the Tremec 7-speed, dual-clutch gearbox with a ZF 8-speed, dual-clutch transmission.
Both GM and ZF have declined comment, but we’ll discuss some of the information that surfaced over the years and you’ll see how things line up well for the story.
Last month, Jalopnik published pictures of what seems to be an order guide for the new 2020 model. The picture clearly shows the transmission listed as “Auto, 8-Speed, Dual Clutch”.
Unless Tremec developed a new 8-speed DCT, there aren’t that many other companies that have such a transmission. The gearbox would also need to fit a mid-engine configuration and handle upwards of 700 lbs/ft of torque.
One alternative, that ticks all the boxes is the ZF 8DT, rated to withstand up to 738 lbs/ft of torque. This 8-speed DCT made a debut in a few Volkswagen vehicles including the models of Porsche Panamera since 2016 and Bentley Continental GT since 2018.
ZF 8DT is descendent of the company’s 7-speed dual clutch transmission, which saw even wider application in various Porsches, including the 918 hybrid. Porsche’s proprietary dual-clutch transmission PDK is co-developed and supplied by no other than ZF.
If you watch the video below and skip to 1:20, you will see the gearbox of Porsche 918 as it pans into view.
We also know the ZF 8-speed DCT will make its way into the 2020 Porsche 911.
What seals the deal are the leaked CAD drawings of the Corvette from 2017. In one of the screens, we see the engine and transmission assembly. And the gearbox housing and features look remarkably similar to the one we see in Porsche’s video.
We’re not ones to drink the Kool-Aid, but there are too many coincidences and when Road & Track connected the dots for us, it’s hard to look away.