The race to higher gear counts is in full swing, and automatic gearboxes
are leading the way. Driven partly by marketing one-upmanship and
partly by the need to meet ever-tougher fuel-economy mandates,
eight-speed autoboxes are everywhere, Chrysler’s running a nine-cogger in select models, and 10-speeds—from Ford, GM, Volkswagen, and others—are just around the corner. The General’s own