Originally posted by lstepnio
The only problem with these transmission is that they don't handle high power application due to the belt pulley design. The transmission however is very impressive from a typical consumer standpoint if you have ever driven a CVT equiped vehicle.
What looks promising for high performance applications is the DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) made by VW/Audi. This automatic transmission can shift gears ~0.0 secs and by design handle high performance applications with the use of two conventional gearboxes and a computer controllering the shifting and clutch.
Nissan has been putting the CVT's in heavy commercial trucks for over 10 years now. They don't seem to have a problem with heavy loads or lots of grunt. I believe the fact that noone has truely tested the power handling capabilities of the cvt's we see here in the states is the reason for this conception of not being up to the task.
Also, not sure about the DSG, but audi has put some high hp numbers through their version of CVT's.
And i ask this out of ignorance here, but aren't the "belts" in CVT's actually a chain of sorts? Seems like i remember seeing a Audi cvt opened up at Crown Euro and i could have sworn that "belt" was/is a 4-link(width) chain.
Also, nowhere that i could find did any of the Nissan serice and maintainance cd's did it mention the replacing of a "belt" as a part of maintinance of the tranny. So is an actual rubber belt supposed to last indefinately? If that's the case why the hell can't we get that kind of belt for the rest of the belt applications in out vehicles?
