check Subaru's website, but the '04s only come with the 4EAT in the US. i don't know about elsewhere.

but damn, if they put a behind the wheel, paddle stye, tiptronic on a WRX i'd sell my current WRX and buy one.... are you listening Subaru, i want Petter's gearbox in my car!

 

yeah, i know. it also requires a complete rebuild about every 500-1000km unless he breaks it before then. even so, i think a paddle shift tiptronic would be the best change that Subaru could make for the next generation WRX/STi.

 

Maybe bmw's technology will trickle down to other manufacturers as it becomes cheaper. Im specifically talking about their smg gearbox in the new generation m3's. Its really freaking cool and would be awesome to have in any car.

 

it will eventually. HID lights used to only come on super high end cars, now they're a lot more common. they've trickled down as they've become cheaper to make. Audi makes a damn good 'auto-stick' as well, i drove an '04 A4 Avant with it and was impressed.

the other idea that's really cool is Audi's continously variable transmission. it adjusts the 'gearing' on the fly, so that the engine is always in the middle of the powerband. it's perfect for turbocharged cars, since it all but eliminates turbo lag.

 

I dont know if it ever came to be or not but wasnt there supposed to be a cvt tranny released with the forster? I dont see how it would eliminate lag though. If lag is a product of exhaust gases not building at lower rpm's then how would a varying transmition ratio affect lag?

 

using a CVT would prevent the engine from dropping RPMs except when moving really, really slowly. basically, i varies the gearing so that the engine is always in it's optimum rev range, where the turbo is making boost.

 

they're also an option on BMW's new Mini, which admittedly is a low torque application.

 

some companies, notably Audi have programmed in 'shift points' to make it feel more like an automatic gearbox. personally, i think that's silly, and i'd like it to feel like an electric motor. they give perfectly linear power, it just takes some getting used to.