Does anyone have anything reliable on whether or not the 2013 Charger R/T will come with the 8-speed? I just found out that the pickups will get the 8-speed, and the power got bumped to 395hp, so I figure it's only a matter of time before the Charger gets it.

 

I wouldn't want the first year of that tranny.

I figure you'll do a lot better in the long run if you buy a 2012 with the proven 5spd NAG1 at big discount later this year.

 

I disagree, I find the 5 speed to be very outdated and terribly sluggish on the Hemi V8s. The 8 speed ZF has proven reliable by other manufactures already, (BMW, Audi, Bentley, ect.) and I can't wait to see it on R/T's

 

Any 8 speed Dodge gets is coming from Mercedes sources most likely so it's not gonna be the first year for that auto just the first year in the hemi.

 

It's a ZF transmission, I believe. I think the old 5 speed auto had Mercedes ties, but not the new 8 speed.

 

I also gotta disagree and side with 'Moose. The new tranny comes from ZF, which makes good stuff.

The current 5 speed, although from Mercedes, isn't exactly a great transmission, especially after driving the V6 8 speed combo.

 

Well it's all programming. The NAG1 5spd in my Challenger is sluggish just cruising around town. But that's just because it's programmed to hold a higher gear until you really jam the throttle down. But in the 1/4 mile that thing rips through the gears with firm shifts and I know I can beat on it all day with no issues because its been behind high HP Hemis for the last 7 years.

An example of crappy early versions of newer trannies is the Merc 7 spd. In the 2006 R500 (first year of the Merc 7 spd) we have it is extremely sluggish and the programming is horrible about holding gears and it had valve body problems requiring a complete replacement. But the 7 spds in the dealership loaner cars, 2011 C300s, are extremely good.

If the tranny has been out for a few years in other apps then the reliability may not be an issue. But remember Chrysler's ZF 8 spd will made to their specs and is not identical to the stuff that is already out there. An example is the current 8spd in the V6 cars. That is a light duty 330lb-ft rated version that is specific to Chrysler and may not have ever been run in anything before. I would still give it a year in the Ram trucks and the V8 cars before I chunk the money down.

 

ZF supplied/supplies transmissions to Audi, BMW among others, and they weren't known to be very reliable with any decent torque numbers (300 lbs).

That was from a few years ago, perhaps they did improve their current offering.

 

The 5 Speed auto in my Charger R/T is from the unholy Daimler marriage. I'm sure the trans works fine for M-B E-Class but it's not well matched for the Hemi. When mixed with the cylinder deactivation the trans can get caught flat or entirely the wrong gear from time to time. It's not a bad trans just not well suited well for the Hemi.

I'm sure the new 8 speed it night and day better.

 

Apparently, they have three versions of the 8-speed for different torque ratings. They must have a new one, since the 2013 Ram with the Hemi is getting the 8-speed.
They are saying that fuel mileage will see a 20% increase, and the Ram's Hemi is bumped to 395hp and over 400lb-ft of torque. I'm sure that there will be some serious torque management coming into play, but that'd be fine by me as long as it makes it into the cars.

 

The 8 speed should be in the Hemi cars in a year.

 

I spoke with our district rep, and he was saying that they have been testing it in the cars.
YAY!!!