CVT Transmissions
 

Hey, what do you guys think about the CVTs (constantly variable transmissions)? No clutches, smooth pull with no shifting, lighter weight. Think they'll ever find their way into any muscle cars? :)

Sure hope they can make them strong enough. Imagine your engine sitting at peak HP and your car accelerating like a rocket! You know, if the HP loss due to friction through the tranny was the same as an automatic, you could probably drop a second or more just because the HP is constant for the whole length of track. It'd be kinda like the top fuel dragsters except they just have a clutch that is designed to slip and slowly engage more and more as the wheel RPM increases. I think I saw an audi or volvo on some TV show that has one of those trannies. It'd be the bomb if it was behind some power.

Buick Dynaflow
 

Buicks had a tranny in the '50's that was like that. They used a variable pitch torque convertor and no gears except for reverse. They were very inefficient and were slow compared to the Olds 4 speed Hydramatic. It's claim to fame was that it was smooth with no gear shifts. The only people that liked the Dynaflow were fat old ladies, as I remember.

Rev

I believe the new ones work with a system of belts and possibly conical pulley things? Not sure. Maybe it's just a bang load of planetary gears that have some sort of variable slip thing. I'd love to find out though.

Yeah, it's pretty much just fixed pullies, variable pullies, and belts. I don't know how durable those would be either on a relatively high-powered car. I guess they wouldn't do so bad an a low powered economy car...:confused:

But yeah, man, think about a constant pull the entire way through the 1/4. That is like rocket power. :D