The future is CVT.

All other transmissions seem destined to become dinosaurs. Audi is in the process of pairing CVTs with AWD. Eventually, they will also find a way to make CVTs strong enough to handle high-torque engines.

Manuals, BMW's SMG, Ferrari's F1, and anything with a torque converter will all turn into dinosaurs over the next few years.

 

"The 540i is, hands-down, the BEST car I have ever driven. I'm hoping to at least keep pace with my new Sti on the race track..."
< by Archman33 >


Although the 540i is a terrific sport-luxury car, it is no match for an STI on ANY type of track. The STI will eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I'm willing to bet that an STI will also embarrass an M5 on a twisty circuit.

 

Firstly, Audi has already eliminated the belt by substituting a chain mechanism. I know someone who has owned an Audi A4 3.0 (220bhp) with 30k miles and the CVT shows no signs of loosening. As I mentioned before, Audi is currently working on high-torque/AWD applications of the CVT.

Secondly, the Audi CVT system is far more fun-to-drive that the Honda/Subaru CVTs of old, because with the chain CVT, the rubber-band effect has been abolished. I find that the CVT gives even more control than a manual transmission, because there is no shifting to upset the balance of the car, and the driver can concentrate 100% on acceleration/steering/braking inputs.

In the past, manuals were more fun-to-drive than automatics because of the control/smoothness issue. With the advent of the chain-type CVT, the control issue has become a moot point.

The traditional automatic transmission is dead, while the advantages of the manual gearbox now lie in the realm of nostalgia.

 

You are right about the present CVT tranny not offering quite the control of the manual. I think the reason for this has to do with a combination of marketing and engineering issues. Afraid that the general public might not embrace the idea of "no-shifting", Audi engineers programmed the CVT to emulate a normal autobox. When I drove the 3.0 CVT, I noticed that flooring the throttle did not force the engine to go to the power peak immediately. It jumped from about 2k to about 5.5k fairly quickly and then gradually moved to the 6.3k power peak. In addition, lifting the throttle did not provide enough engine braking because, like a normal auto, the CVT is programmed to drop down to between 2-2.5k.

However, the potential for the CVT to become a true replacement for the manual tranny is evident. If Audi were to offer a sport mode, where upon request, the power ALWAYS stays at peak power, the driver will be able to access instant max power under full-throttle or a gradual increase in power under partial-throttle. In addition, peak power rpms will allow plenty of engine braking thus providing the "control" that is essential for fast driving.

For now, I will take my STi with a manual - thank you very much. But in a few years, once the bugs have been worked out, I will probably want a performance car with CVT.

The writing is on the wall...

 

With more horsepower, at least 450 less pounds to throw around, and a purpose built driver layout, I would find it pretty sad if an STi wouldn't demolish a 540i with like-drivers at the wheels.

 

Someone said it right when they said that manuals are going to be for nostalgia mostly. I don't think we're quite there yet. Even if the technology is there, they need to put it in more cars to make it really replace MT.

That said, I will probably be one of those nostalgic people!

 

i hope not!!

 

Yes, the Audi systems with the chain really addressed some major issues with the CVTs. They still have a way to go, however. One thing that I think is cool about them is the <future> ability to tune them. Right now Audi uses pre-defined ratios to simulate a manual trans. However, since a CVT is infinitely variable, it is just a matter of "cracking" the ECU code and altering the shift ratios/points. This would be huge for the tuner market since now you can re-adjust your axle ratios with a couple clicks of a button instead of tearing apart the tranny and replacing cogs!

Concerning the 540i: I would not under-estimate this car. In my years of living/eating/sleeping/breathing cars, I've found that the numbers don't always tell you the truth. I've found (first hand) that an underdog car can whoop some serious **** with a good driver: i.e. handing a Porsche 996 its **** with a Cavalier on a race track, for instance. A good driver goes a long way in racing, and a good car lets its driver know what's going on underneath his ****. The 540i was the first car I have ever driven hard and could literally hear the car say "is that all you got, wussy-man??". This car is so stable and predictable when at the limit, that it's downright freaky. If you stab the throttle just after the apex, the car responds with an effortlessly controlled powerslide. If a car rewards the driver with a sense of control (as opposed to man-handling the thing around the track), the driver will be less likely to screw up, thereby making him faster.

I don't have much doubt that eventually I will walk all over this car with the Sti, but I have a feeling it will take awhile!

 

Agreed. That's why I said "like-drivers," i.e. two drivers equally skilled and comfortable with the 540 or the STi.

BMW has a remarkable talent for making a well balanced car, for making a car feel faster than it is, and making there weight feel less than what it really is. I road along in a 2000 M5. My mouth dropped. The braking and cornering of the car was like a car much lighter and it accelerated like a muscle car. Unbelieveable. If an M3 didn't cost what it does, I would be in one right now. Good thing thought, because I would probably want trade it for an Sti.

 

METOO,

You're very lucky to have ridden in an M5. Those cars are in a completely different class by themselves! While I was in Germany during business, I got to watch the German version of Car and Driver TV. Let me tell you, those guys know how to flog a car!

They had an M5 on a small race course, and this car was amazing. One of the turns was a blind left-hander with a negative elevation change. They launched that M5 a full foot off the ground, landed on the apex, and proceeded as if nothing happened!!! And it's a sedan! It seems that nothing can upset those cars.

I also got to set a head-to-head of the EVO VII and the Sti. They drove the wheels off these things too, doing rally style powerslides on a snowy, narrow, mountain road. That's when I decided that I would buy one of these cars if they ever came to the U.S.. A year later, and I have my deposit down on an Sti.