Czinger Vehicles has introduced another world-first, a 3D-printed gearbox that will feature in the carmaker’s 21C hypercar. Produced in partnership with Xtrac, a global leader in high-performance gearboxes, the production of the new gearbox uses a propitiatory printing process and aluminium alloy.
The result is a significant reduction in mass, along with improved structural performance, production quality, and printing times. This approach also eliminates the need for tooling, which means a substantial reduction in development time, and the flexibility to make real-time design improvements.
To label the Los Angeles-based Czinger Vehicles, established in 2019, as an industry disruptor would be an understatement. It seeks fundamentally change the way cars are designed and manufactured by utilizing revolutionary, proprietary technology, including AI-driven design and 3D-printed components. Czinger has three models in its portfolio – the flagship 21C, 21C V Max and Hyper GT.
Xtrac maintains a longstanding legacy of excellence in designing and manufacturing top-line motorsport transmissions and differentials since 1984. In those 30-plus years, the company has produced over 1,200 unique gearboxes for top-level professional motorsport globally.
The new Czinger and Xtrac developed 3D-printed gearbox, an automatic 7-speed semi-sequential, boasts leading performance specifications. It has the first 48V-electrically actuated twin barrel system resulting in the fastest automated single-clutch synchromesh gearbox in existence.
The dual barrel gear actuation allows for seamless EV-to-Rear Drive blending for smooth city driving. The sub-100ms shifts in combination with front-axle EV power allow for seamless shifts for high-performance driving. The gearbox delivers the highest torque transmitted per mass of gearcase for any road-legal vehicle.
“We are proud to team Czinger’s world-class engineers with those at Xtrac,” says Czinger Co-Founder and SVP Operations Lukas Czinger. “Together, we have developed an incredible, industry first, gearbox that is truly at the pinnacle of performance. We can’t wait to shatter more track records as we utilize this system in the 21C.”
“What our Xtrac engineers have accomplished in tandem with Czinger and Divergent is groundbreaking,” added Xtrac CEO Adrian Moore. “Xtrac is pleased to be at the forefront of cutting-edge gearbox manufacturing by creating these 3D printed casings. It has been extremely interesting and very stimulating for our engineers working closely together to bring this cutting edge innovation to life.”
