Transmissions are pretty boring these days. The GLI is currently the only manual-equipped VW in the land. Corporate cousins and competitors alike have dropped three-pedal solutions, putting the stick-shift into near-extinction. As high-torque twin-turbo and hybrid applications proliferate the marketplace, hybrid power-split gearboxes, CVTs, and new 8-, 9-, and 10-speed automatics are dominating much of the landscape. Widespread parts-bin sharing, with dozens of models relying on identical, mass-produced global transaxles, is the name of the game. Still, within the endless sea of generic gearboxes, a passionate handful of performance-obsessed innovators are still building bespoke transmissions as a high-tech art form for deep-pocketed fans.
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