What do you mean, no reverse gear?

Mitsubishi has announced some of the details that have gone into the Lancer Evolution X to make it the most advanced of the Evo line. These include the rather improbable fact that the Evo X has no reverse gear and spoilers in the wheelarches. Both these facts suggest someone is having a joke at our expense but, on closer examination might actually make sense.

The lack of reverse gear doesn't mean the Evo will only go forwards but it does mean that there is no dedicated reverse gearset. An idler gear on a separate shaft engages with 1st and 3rd gears to give reverse. Mitsubishi claim this saves weight.

Within the wheelarches Mitsubishi has incorporated a lip around the curve of the wheel to minimise turbulence. Given that the airflow within the wheelarches can cause serious problems with drag and lift Mitsubishi are to be praised for trying to address the problem.



Other aerodynamic tricks include vents behind the front wheelarches to allow hot air to escape, as do vents in the bonnet. There is also an air intake vent in the bonnet to allow the engine to breathe.



Clever details are something of a Mitsubishi speciality. Careful planning means lightweight sound damping foam has been employed only where necessary. The glazing is designed to reduce the transmission of solar heat by 60-100%. The glass also cuts out the transmission of ultra violet but does not reduce the amount of visible light entering the cabin. The headlights incorporate extra beams that come on when the steering is turned to light the way around corners.



Perhaps the most important detail, however, is the fact that Mitsubishi are offering a fixed-price deal for the Evo's first 3 services. Just £400 covers the cost and includes the initial 1,000 mile oil change. Given the high maintenance reputation of previous Evos that has to be a good thing. Unless, like the wheel arch spoilers and lack of reverse gear, that too is an elaborate wind up.

2008 Wish list part 2

No Gears

With the end of the year rapidly approaching you can be sure that lots of retrospective views of 2007 are being readied for publication. Rather than look back (which I will do) I would rather look forward and think about some of the cars I’d like to drive in the next year.

Once upon a time I owned a Ford Granada with an old-fashioned 3-speed automatic, which worked well but could have used another ratio. At the other extreme I once borrowed a Land Rover Defender which had ten possible gear ratios by combining a 5 speed gearbox with a low-ratio transfer box. On the road such low gearing was no use but on the whole you can never have too many gears. The greater number of gears the easier it is to keep the engine working either at speeds that offer the best mix of performance and economy (or the best of either if you prefer).

There comes a point where increasing the number of fixed gear ratios becomes impractical. Some Mercedes have 7-speed autos (and they seem to work well) while Lexus have an 8-speed transmission in the LS-series but how far can this strategy go? There must come a point where either the Van-Doorne or Torotrak transmissions, with steplessly variable gear ratios between fixed limits, become a smarter choice.

The logic behind such transmissions is persuasive, the engine turns at a steady speed and the transmission adjusts the ratio as the car accelerates. Eventually the transmission finds a point of equilibrium where the power supplied by the engine is matched by the power necessary to maintain a steady speed. At anything less than top speed the transmission will adjust so that the engine is turning as slowly as possible in order to maintain a steady cruising speed. Steady speeds are not really what I am interested in; I want to know how the transmissions cope with transitions, from cruising speed to acceleration, stopping and starting. A transmission without fixed ratio steps also promises to be an interesting aural experience; it is the one thing that nearly everyone dislikes about stepless transmissions and I want to see how I feel about it.

Geared up

I was reading through this week’s Autocar, which featured a full road test of the BMW 123D coupé. Now I’m no BMW fan but the 123D looks like it has an awful lot going for it. Because I had plenty of time on my hands I studied the technical detail of the car very closely. Looking at the gear ratios I spotted something unusual; the fifth gear ratio was 1:1. It was a clear reminder and indicator that the BMW has an old-fashioned front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout. I wish there were more cars like it.