Re: Audi's CVT

[Tom Nas <tnas@euronet.nl>]

"Michael Theuri" <mikesoft@europa1.conwaycorp.net> wrote:

>Thanks for pointing out that CVT's have long been used in Europe.
>Reading the article again, I initially skimmed through it, reveals that
>that CVT in the Cedric is a toroidal CVT. And the article notes that
>most pre-existing CVTs were based on a metal belt that rode between
>two pulleys that changed in diameter to produce the ratio variation.
>The new toroidal concept uses rollers that ride btwn two discs shaped
>such that when the rollers tilt the gear ratio changes resulting in a
>more compact CVT that can handle a higher amount of torque.

I hadn't been reading that much about it... I'll see what I can learn from
that article in AutoBild.
>
>Thanks for the history of the CVT. Learned quite a bit more than on
>just CVTs. For instance I didn't know that DAF had at one time made
>cars. I guess DAF then made its success in buses and trucks.
>Manual's are fun to drive but I think CVTs definately will be a hit with
>their faster speed than manuals especially in traffic gridlock areas. If
>you need a pic of the toroidal CVT, I can scan it and email it to you.
>Let me know and thanks for the info.

I think DAF made cars before they even made trucks. They were known as 'van
Doorne's Aanhanger Fabriek' (hence DAF) which means 'van Doorne's Trailer
Contruction'. They made trailers and started on a small passenger car
(boxer twin, 600cc) in the last '50s. Unfortunately, they were some 50
years ahead of their time and their greatest innovation (the CVT) ended up
being their downfall. People saw the DAF as an 'pensioner's car', and that
image killed off the car, even when in the early '70s DAF used a Renault
1300cc engine to make their very rapid (lightweight) and good-looking 1300
Marathon coupes. The cars that have survived (they were pretty sturdy
things and not too rust-prone) are collectors items with a fanatical
following. Many were killed off during what was a popular TV event, the
'reverse race', a demolition derby that took advantage of the DAF's ability
to reach its top speed in reverse.
The truck business was doing very well and didn't suffer from the image
their passenger cars had. When economical circumstances got bad in the
early '90s (their take-over of Leyland Trucks had cost them lots of money)
and DAF Trucks went bust, the government resurrected it and it's thriving
today.
Let's hope Audi and Nissan can make some money from what was a brilliant
invention... I for one look forward to driving a CVT Audi.

Tom