Quote:
Originally Posted by jason1973tl
An automatic without a torque converter would never work, or they would have one now. The only way I see to make that work is to have a computer use a clutch and change gears and such. It would be a massively complicated system. I am not an auto tech, but I don't see how you could practically make an auto work without a torque converter.
As far as the U.S. is concerned. We are a lazy bunch. I don't know about Europe and the rest of the world, but Americans want to talk/text on their cell phones, play with sat nav,mp3 and various doodads in their cars and generally want driving to be as easy as possible so they can be distracted with other things.
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A sequential gearbox (like formula one cars have) could easily be computer controlled, making a torque converter-less automatic. On the other end of the complexity/cost spectrum, you could have a centrifugal clutch, like a go-kart.
I guess neither is very practical.
I agree about the laziness. We need a remote so we don't have to walk 2 feet to change the channel, and we keep bluetooth in our ear at all times so we don't have to reach all the way into our pockets and then hold up a heavy cell phone to our ears.
Soon our cars will drive themselves, and only Luddite purists will still drive their own cars.
Bringing new meaning to the term "automatic"