6-speed, 4-cylinder Malibu can boast fuel economy

General Motors Corp. is putting a six-speed automatic transmission mated with a four-cylinder engine in the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, giving the automaker some fuel-efficiency bragging rights in the ...

[The Mechanic]

Adding more forward speeds is no secret. By increasing the the engine rpm-to-revolution ratio, you can always in crease the distance per wheel revolution. I've wondered for decades (37 years in the automotive business) why they didn't do this decades ago. Long haul big rigs have 13 forward speeds.