ACIM with or without transmission?
 

I'm wondering what the advantages are of going with or without a transmission when using an ACIM? If I understand correctly the speed is good, the torque is there (pretty flat torque curve) and AC motors are more efficient.

So pros and cons of with or without a transmission. Which is best for which concerns? I'm looking for good starting torque -- I don't want to be slow, but I'm not going to try and race, freeway speeds, and I strongly prefer high efficiency and range.

Does anybody know of a car that has an AC motor with direct drive, what does the owner say?

Also when running direct drive with an AC motor what is the torque like from a stand still, is it high amps to get going but otherwise normal or is the torque very low for a typical ACIM at low RPM?

PS: Anybody know the math or calculations involved that tell you how much wire, of what kind, etc yields what kind of torque? For example will a 4 pole yield more torque then a 2 pole? Its all confusing to me but I'm learning so any references/links you can provide would be great :)