Mercedes Speedshift Transmission

Conventional automatic transmissions shift too lazily for true car nerds, but most paddle-shifted automated manuals tend to feel herky-jerky around town. Mercedes’s AMG Speedshift combines the best of both worlds in a lightweight, compact package. It replaces a standard automatic’s torque converter with a series of interlocking clutch plates, which allow faster shifting than even a professional racecar driver can pull off. During our test in the powerful SL 63 AMG convertible, equipped with the seven-speed shifter, even the most diehard manual fan among us had to admit that if this is where automatics are headed, he can deal. mbusa.com

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