Nissan and Jatco are coming together to create the next generation CVT. Probably something to expect in the 8th Generation Maxima:

http://www.nissannews.com/newsroom.d...VGewLLAQOMd-50

 

Nope not for the Maxima, it's for the new compact Electric car coming in 2012. Also FYI Jatco today provides the CVT's for Nissan, Ford, Jeep/Chrysler and several others.

Here is some good reading: http://www.jatco.co.jp/ENGLISH/PRODUCTS/cvt.html

 

Ah! Good catch! There goes the thread then! LOL

 

The thread is not necessarily 'gone.' It is interesting to see the entire lineup of JATCO trannies. All my Maximas have had JATCO trannies for many many years.

I know nothing, but would guess the serious MPG restrictions arriving soon after the 8th generation Maxima's intro would lead Nissan to hold the power of the Maxima engine to around 300 HP, with the emphasis being on increasing the MPG. The CVT in the '09 will probably be continued, with improvements, right through the 8th generation Maxima.

The sticking point with transmissions in the 8th generation Maxima will be if a diesel version is produced. Even a 260 HP diesel can produce over 400 foot pounds of torque, and current CVTs are not designed to handle that much torque. I suspect any diesel Maxima Nissan releases with the 7.5 or 8.0 generation will have a 7 speed auto tranny.

Just my opinion.

 

my $0.02 on the diesel motor is this....
price of diesel continues to be more expensive than premium gas. (at least around these parts). Why then would I as a consumer purchase a motor that is going to be more expensive to fill? How much trailering am I really going to do with a maxima/car?

 

Diesel has now dropped from costing more than premium gas to costing less than regular gas around where I live. And to emphasize what kind of drop that is, I pay from 40 cents to 48 cents more per gallon for premium than the price of regular. Also, I fully expect a diesel engine Maxima to get between 5 and 9 more miles per gallon.

Carrying this further, right now, I can get an 18 gallon fillup of premium for $2.79 X 18 = $50.22, or an 18 gallon fillup of diesel for $2.39 X 18 = $43.02.

The $50.22 (18 gallon) fillup of premium at 26 MPG would take me 468 miles, or the $43.02 (18 gallon) fillup of diesel at 33 MPG would take me 594 miles.

So fuel would cost 11 cents per mile with the gasoline engine, but only 7 cents a mile with the diesel engine.

Putting that in 'easy language', under the present cost of gasoline and diesel in my area, and assuming the diesel engine gets 7 more MPG than the gasoline engine, it could cost me 57 percent more per mile for fuel for the gasoline engine than it would for the diesel engine.

I find that to be a very significant difference.

 

Significantly better mileage with diesel.

 

have you figured in the price of bio Diesel, now with a CVT you could drive 70 mph just above idle, so with a CVT programed to do so you could see a lot better MPGs.

 

Diesel tonight in my area (AZ) is $2.29, Regular is $2.59. Diesel has been cheaper all year...

 

good info

 

Diesel or Gasoline...many good points and counterpoints to me...but as the world goes more green and hybrids become defacto, I can't help but be a bit curious as to the future of the Max and CVT? In keeping with the 4DSC would it take the form of KERS or just put in more powerful Electric motors/generators? How would the CVT help/hinder if just KERS? If the move to Electric Motors, (where the Engine is relegated to running a Generator) would CVT even play a role anymore? Just having a "what if" moment here.

 

Very interesting question. Do electric cars even have a tranny? I have never driven one, and know almost nothing about them. The manual vs automatic vs CVT debates may eventually become strictly historic if electric cars have no tranny.

Whatever comes, I would expect Nissan to find a way to have the Maxima stand out somewhat above the crowd.