Nissan CVT for big cars

TOKYO: Nissan plans to perfect a continuously variable transmission for high-output engines of the 3000-cc class during the 1998 fiscal year.

The carmaker will apply the transmissions to higher grades of the Cedric/Gloria model and plans to sell 100 cars thus equipped per month.

Nissan's Troidal CVT is a new technology which does not use a metal belt. It spins a power transmission part called a power roller, and by controlling the spin angle, the amount of driving power that goes from the engine to the axle can be changed.

The new concept will work with higher torque levels and speeds that metal belts could not tolerate. Nissan began using its new Hyper CVT for cars of the 2.0-liter class last September.