The Elio Standard Transmission

[Kegger]

Thanks for sharing that information. We really haven't had anyone give us as much detail on the subject who has actually driven with one. :--) Z

No problem! I actually work at a dealership, and I work with 11 new car brands along with any used brands. I'm always checking out the latest things being released by the various manufacturers. That is actually one type of automatic transmission I would be tempted to get even though I prefer a genuine manual transmission.

 

[CheeseheadEarl]

Ross, nearly half of all semi trucks built today are AMTs. Drivers love em (most of the time, but truckers always need something to complain about) because they don't spend all day running up and down the gears in traffic, and companies love em for the reduced training time and less drivetrain damage from bad shifting.

They were a hard sell there at first, been out almost 15 years and really just caught on in the last 5, but the manual big truck is likely an endangered species now as well, as more and more of the old school gear jammers retire.

Some early ones were not good (Meritor), but those still being built are generally million mile units.

They're generically called autoshifts in trucks, and I think that'd be a handy description for Elio to use in marketing. Doesn't sound as scary and high tech as the AMT acronym. I hate acronyms anyhow.

 

[outsydthebox]

.....This should be a bit more of a simple system and many many years later you just might have to replace your clutch, (as opposed to having your tranny rebuilt or replaced for a grand or so).

More like..."2 or 3 grand" or so.

 

[Kegger]

More like..."2 or 3 grand" or so.

Yar. I almost went with a number like that but I figured (and this was total guess work) it would be less expensive for a vehicle the size of the Elio. You very well are probably right though.

 

[BADBOY]

Having had nothing to do with a Nissan, ever, I have a question. Is it actually an AMT or a true CVT? Paddles make no sense on a CVT, as there are no gears. CVT after all stands for Continously Variable Transmission - think overgrown snowmobile drive system (very much simplified from an automotive cvt, but the same mechanical theory).

I am not an engineer or mechanic so can't help you other than provide the link http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-cvt-transmissions-are-getting-their-groove-back-feature

First Nissan for me and first CVT. I do like shifting and have used both the paddles and auto/manual shifter on console in accelerating. CVT or not, you can feel the gears shifting as it is not as smooth as the term implies or maybe it is just psychological?

 

[zelio]

I am not an engineer or mechanic so can't help you other than provide the link http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-cvt-transmissions-are-getting-their-groove-back-feature

First Nissan for me and first CVT. I do like shifting and have used both the paddles and auto/manual shifter on console in accelerating. CVT or not, you can feel the gears shifting as it is not as smooth as the term implies or maybe it is just psychological?

You make an interesting point about it possibly being psychological. I know when I was looking at cars in 2000 I shied away from the auto for VWs because I couldn't understand how it would work. If we weren't told the automatic is an AMT and what that means, would we, in fact, notice a difference? :-) Z

 

[goofyone]

I am not an engineer or mechanic so can't help you other than provide the link http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-cvt-transmissions-are-getting-their-groove-back-feature

First Nissan for me and first CVT. I do like shifting and have used both the paddles and auto/manual shifter on console in accelerating. CVT or not, you can feel the gears shifting as it is not as smooth as the term implies or maybe it is just psychological?

I believe it is simply personal preference as automotive CVT's do have a different feel and sound to them than others types of automatics.

I have a friend who has has owned three Nissan CVT equipped vehicles over the last decade and loves them however I have driven several thousand miles in several Nissan CVT vehicles and absolutely can't stand the way they operate.

Over the last two decades my daily driver has nearly always been a manual transmission vehicle and compared to those I find CVT equipped vehicles to be incredibly slow in responding to power demands. I actually ended up changing my preferred car rental company to avoid a company whose fleet was primarily composed of Nissan CVT vehicles.

 

[champsman]

Ross, nearly half of all semi trucks built today are AMTs. Drivers love em (most of the time, but truckers always need something to complain about) because they don't spend all day running up and down the gears in traffic, and companies love em for the reduced training time and less drivetrain damage from bad shifting.

They were a hard sell there at first, been out almost 15 years and really just caught on in the last 5, but the manual big truck is likely an endangered species now as well, as more and more of the old school gear jammers retire.

Some early ones were not good (Meritor), but those still being built are generally million mile units.

They're generically called autoshifts in trucks, and I think that'd be a handy description for Elio to use in marketing. Doesn't sound as scary and high tech as the AMT acronym. I hate acronyms anyhow.

Cheese head, There are actually 2 AMT's in big rigs .... the AUTO SHIFT which uses a clutch for starting and stopping and the ULTRA SHIFT which has no clutch peddle. And the inner workings differ in the auto shift the clutch never leaves the flywheel unless you push the peddle in (not needed for shifting when driving), the ultra shift the clutch leaves the flywheel for every shift ( done automaticly by the computor controls).

 

[Kuda]

I'm clutching at straws here............

Speaking of rear view cameras:

Cadillac Adds Streaming Video to Enhance Driver Vision and Safety
2014-12-18

Cadillac late next year will add high-resolution streaming video to the function of a traditional rearview mirror, removing obstructions of passengers, headrests and the vehicle’s roof and rear pillars.

http://www.gizmag.com/cadillac-vide...ail&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-f35fa44cd0-90049426

 

[zelio]

Speaking of rear view cameras:

Cadillac Adds Streaming Video to Enhance Driver Vision and Safety
2014-12-18

Cadillac late next year will add high-resolution streaming video to the function of a traditional rearview mirror, removing obstructions of passengers, headrests and the vehicle’s roof and rear pillars.

http://www.gizmag.com/cadillac-video-rear-view-mirror/35302/?utm_source=Gizmag Subscribers&utm_campaign=f35fa44cd0-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-f35fa44cd0-90049426

That sounds very distractiing! :-) Z