OK so instant shifting. That's nice and everything, but you still have to have a limited number of gear ratios.

CVTs are bar-none the best solution in terms of both performance and fuel efficiency.. and in theory, reliability and ease of repair as well.

Unfortunately the technology doesn't exist currently to build them to handle anything more than a small amount of power, and in terms of programming the way they react with the rest of the drivetrain and the user.

People also have to get used to how they feel, as most people are used to their RPM sliding all over the place being a sign of a slipping automatic transmission or sloppy torque converter.

 

What's a small amount of power? Ford is going to be putting them into 200+ HP cars next year (and already putting them into European cars this year).

 

The most I've heard of thus far is Nissan w/ their 240 horsepower Murano.

My biggest concern, though, is that if they can't seem to develop them to take over 240 horsepower reliabily... how solid of a design have they derived for the models of cars that don't produce over 240 horsepower?

 

the CVT is a very fragile design by nature. it requires really strong materials just to accept small amounts of power. if you look at how CVTs work you'll see why. i think its going to take decades before we have the kind of materials needed to make CVTs reliable for even 300hp applications.

 

I doubt that... in this day, with some of the crazy materials chemical engineers are able to come up with... I bet we'll see super strong CVTs within the next decade or less.

Even as it stands now, though... CVTs don't seem to be breaking much at all. And when they do break, they take about 1/10th the time, money, and skill to repair.

 

Sounds like IT, aka Segway. All the hype was true.

Here's a good article.

http://www.1badride.com/docs/zeroshift.pdf


And if they're right, it's worth a few hundred million if not more. Plenty o reasons to cover their asses over the patent rights.

 

If CVT's are viable, its going to be sick... and very odd..

putting around town, imagine having yoru engine stay at a constant 1700 rpms while the CVT runs thru the gear ratios.. Then when you floor it, the RPMS stay right at peak HP #'s, while the CVT runs thru gear ratios alot more agressively.. and everything else in between, mapped out by the computer for peak efficiency.. Suddenly, low end tq is a moot point (except probably for fuel efficiency, and realisticly how long an engine can run at full load at high rpm's for)

Imagine trying to explain to your grandkids, back in the day, the cars you drove a fixed # of gears, and you acceleration thru the RPM band, taking a quick pause to select the next gear..

compared to the CVT's of the future, where you more or less stick to a certain rpm, while the CVT run thru its ratio bands....

Heh, and perhaps explain how we used to run on gasoline, which liquid, derived from fossil fuels.. which ultimately is really old rotton organic material.... aka Dino Juice..

 

You're not serious, right? Oh lord

 

I'm all for technological progress and improved efficiency...but I sort of secretly hope that this whole thing flops.

Smooth clutch and stick work is something that makes driving more fun. I'd hate to think all of that suddenly became obsolete.

 

Well, this technology is meant for family cars, not hot rods. I don't expect to see this transmission in Mustangs anytime soon. However, the 500 and cars like it will have it next year.

 

Their site says the transmission will be able to be adapted into everything form motorcycles to sport cars to heavy trucks.

Plus they have one in their development vehicle - a 420hp TVR Cerbera - so it can take the power

 

I'm talking about the Ford CVT not the original tranny in the first post

 

Oh

 

Perfectly serious. It's an amazing machine created by a true genius and it is in the process of revolutionizing human transportation.

This tranny development is along similar lines if true.

 

I know we're getting off track but.. wait.

Do you really believe that?

I mean the Segway is neat.. as in its a neat toy, for laughs and giggles, if you have the extra money to blow on basically a fancy scooter.. (i know its alot more complicated than that, but end functionality is pretty close)

But revolutionize human transportation??? Perhaps if we got soo lazy and stopped walking... and it became really cheap.. but I think I'll rely on my two legs for now.