Yes, manual or automatic transmission upgrades can provide significant benefits, specifically for high-performance cars. This includes an increase in acceleration and average peak power, as well as ensuring that transmission components do not break down during high-performance uses.
One of the most common reasons for transmission upgrades is to make sure that the engine does not produce more torque than the transmission can safely handle. If that happens, it can cause a breakdown of the transmission shaft, forks, or other components.
So, simple transmission upgrades/changes will ensure that your engine can handle more power and offer an improved level of performance. This, in turn, provides an extra boost in speed. Having transmission upgrades done when needed can be as important for your engine as changing the transmission fluid.
For example, enhanced transmission gear ratios enable the engine to spend more time in its power “sweet spot.” Stock transmission systems usually aren’t made to offer maximum performance. Their main functions, in many cases, are to optimize fuel efficiency and reduce production costs.
So, changing the factory gear ratios in a stock transmission can improve a vehicle’s performance, since less torque will then be transferred to the drive wheels. With that being said, one way to improve performance in an automatic transmission is to adjust the gear ratio of either the first gear or the fourth and fifth gears.