Hi there


Something I've noticed about my SVR is its got 8 gears but they seem to be far more aimed at economy rather than performance.

I mean 6th tops out at over 200mph and 8th 300mph. I'd far rather all the gears were shorter to keep acceleration strong even in 5th and 6th.

As such does anyone know what rear end ratio the SVR runs?

Are there shorter ratio available and if so anywhere recommended in the UK and of course then the car would need a tune I imagine to work with the new rear end ratio along with maybe a gear box tune as well?

 

OK being researching and I think my SVR is:

Final Ratio: 2.56
Speed range:
1st: 46mph
2nd: 70mph
3rd: 104mph
4th: 131mph
5th: 170mph
6th: 218mph
7th: 260mph
8th: 327mph


I see V6 base 8SP has a 3:15 rear ratio and V6S has a 3:31 rear ratio. Are there any other ratios available as a 3:15 is a huge change from a 2:56, something around 2:91 would be better.

Could I just buy the ring and pinion set for a V6 or V6S and get it professionally installed into my car and cars map updated?

 

Considering the SVR is AWD, such an undertaking is far more involved than swapping a few gears in the punkin. And with lower gearing, your wheelspin would work the nannies to death.

 

Yup... for starters being an AWD vehicle you have to swap front and rear differentials, not just the back. Chances are you'd need custom ring/pinions to be made because there is no demand/the market is so small.

After you did all that, you'd probably just end up breaking driveline components will all the extra torque you're putting though them. 100% chance they wouldn't be able to hold the power if you shot for ~200 mph top speed in 8th gear.

Lastly, I don't know why the gearing is a complaint for you. Literally every transmission out there has an overdrive gear or two. Corvette's 7 speed manual has 3 overdrive gears! 7th and 8th gear aren't designed to be performance driving gears; they are purely there for fuel economy on the highway. Just think of this ZF box as a 6 speed car and suddenly its geared perfectly fine, right?

 

In that case it sounds way to involving, on other cars I've owned, E46 M3 and Mustang changing the rear-end really impacts acceleration in a positive way and its normally a very simple job.

I just feel the 2.56 in the SVR is very long legged and it could easily have a more aggressive ratio without causing wheelspin.

I've launched this car in zero degrees wet weather and the car just puts the power down even in 1st gear, so it could definitely have a more aggressive ratio.

Problem is I only see 3:15, 3:31 available which are both way too short and like you say would no doubt cause a lot of issues with drivetrain and traction.

Something around a 2:85 would be far more reasonable, but even if available sounds to me like it would be way too much hassle to fit unfortunately and then finding someone who can tune the car to work with it correctly.

Guess I will just have to go down the route of smaller pulley and tune, whilst trying to put the car on a diet.

 

Even with the 3.31 rear end, I am not satisfied with the gearing, but it's a transmission issue rather than a final ratio issue. 2nd gear is far too tall and allows the engine to slow too much after a redline shift from 1st. The other gear spacing feels ok.


BTW, the 3.31 & MT gearing limits the speed to 195 mph at OEM redline.

 

 

Got ya, guess my route for mods then shall be lighter 2PC rotors (I don't have ceramics) and then a tune + pulley for around 640HP.

 

I'm not fully caffeinated yet so my mental faculties are suspect, but I recall something about dynamic mode limiting gear selection to 1-6, with 7-8 being considered economy cruising gears. Since I've got an MT, I would only have paid passing attention to something like that, but I do file that sort of thing away. Maybe someone can confirm or refute.

 

Don't think so, I use Dynamic all the time and it goes through all 8 gears, although it doesn't go into 7th until around 50 mph and 8th until around 70 mph (if I'm in Drive). The upshift speeds also vary with throttle position and road gradient, so that both up and down a steepish hill it holds onto the lower gears a lot longer and may not see 7th or 8th.