10 speeds

[Ernie3647]

I guess the idea of 10 speeds is not so absurd.
It's not just Hyundai contemplating it.

http://autos.yahoo.com/news/general-motors--ford-form-unusual-alliance-212407582.html

 

[Aquineas]

That makes it impractical to manually shift.

 

[snork]

Interesting that the ZF Transmission CEO is referenced. I've read another article that stated ZF's opinion is that 9-speeds is the maximum number of gears to optimize efficiency, friction-losses, size, cost, etc. I guess if someone's willing to pay...they'll make it!

And yeah...7/8+ gears makes it impractical to shift manually. In sporting driving you would need to be able skip down at least 3-4 gears to keep the car in the sweet spot.