Eight is enough.(NOTABLE)

While several vehicle manufacturers offer sedans with merely five-speed transmissions, the new BMW 760i is being equipped with an eight-speed automatic, the first application of the transmission from ZF Group (www.zf.com). According to ZF, the eight-speed improves fuel economy by 6% compared with its own second-generation ZF six-speed transmission, and a significant 14% over five-speeds. Another interesting characteristic of the ZF eight-speed: It is engineered so that it can be adapted for use in hybrid systems by simply putting an electric motor where the torque converter is otherwise located. When used in a mild hybrid setup, there is an …