[s-cars] Auto box on S4/S6

[Russ Panneton]

On Wed, 29 May 2002 22:51:45 -0600, you wrote:

>Some of it is the fact that the auto's take more parasitic horsepower.  Some
>of it has to do with the gear ratios as you stated.

IMHO, an automatic with a "loose" torque converter and/or a low first gear can
be a good transmission.  But most autos have a relatively tall first gear and
a tight torque converter to help economy and prevent owners from thinking the
transmission is slipping.  Remember what Audi had to do with their new CVT?
Owners didn't go for the constant engine RPM, thinking something was slipping,
so Audi programmed in pseudo shift points. It's a shame for us that car makers
often make only what the masses "want."

Regards,

Russ

--
Russ Panneton                          russ at s-cars.org
Nederland, CO              "Too bad ignorance isn't painful"