6HP is ZF Friedrichshafen AG's trademark name for its 6-speed automatic transmission models (6-speed transmission with Hydraulic converter and Planetary gearsets) for longitudinal engine applications, designed and built by ZF's subsidiary in Saarbrücken.

[3] The Ford 6R, GM 6L, and Aisin AWTF-80 SC transmissions are based on the same globally patented gearset concept.

In order to increase the number of ratios, ZF has abandoned the conventional design method of limiting themselves to pure in-line epicyclic gearing and extended it to a combination with parallel epicyclic gearing.

As the selected gearset concept saves up to 2 components compared to 5-speed transmissions, the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages.

It has a torque converter lock-up for all 6 forward gears, which can be fully disengage when stationary, largely closing the fuel efficiency gap between vehicles with automatic and manual transmissions.

[citation needed] This transmission locks up the torque converter in all gears, increasing wear.

[citation needed] There are also problems with the valve block and solenoids[citation needed] When this failure starts to occur, shift quality and speed, torque transfer and even loss of ability to engage gears can occur.

These problems led Volkswagen Group to extend the warranty on all of their vehicles equipped with this transmission to 100,000 miles or 10 years.

As the successor 8HP was about to be launched and innovations are typically introduced first in the premium segment, the 6HP 34 never went into production.