t2000gts
06-11-2002, 03:07 PM
i dunno if you've all seen this yet or not...or if this is a repost, but it was marked 'new' on their site:
http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/archives/roadtest/roadtest01_0602.shtml
too bad they didn't finish that thing in time for the celica. a 6-speed that shifts slowly...not a 14 second car. but not a 16-17 second car eitiher. and no misshifts or worn synchroes. and no extra drivetrain loss. it would've sold like crazy. and all that fun downshifting, you don't do it much in the 4 speed sportshift (which is an actual automatic transmission too so it shifts kinda weird).
but it looks like they kept all the electronics from the sportshift regarding buttons, and behaviour (ignoring misshifts, what rpm to not downshift over, etc.) which confirms my belief the 4-speed U240E with sportshift and the subsequent 5-speed sportshift in the IS300 were just tests leading up to this thing. all they need now is a 'sport mode' for quicker shifting. even if a little bit quicker.
my uncle drove one recently in maryland, i didn't even know the dealers had these yet, but he said it was really new and he just took it around a bit without beating on it, but he's had his own GTS sportshift before and driven mine and says it looks/feels the same. but acts completely differently. no hesitation or bog, and feels like you're cruising in a manual.
good sign is that even with the slow shifting and the first production version of this tranny, it's not more than a second slower than the manual in a straight line. as opposed to 2 seconds for the real automatics.
http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/archives/roadtest/roadtest01_0602.shtml
too bad they didn't finish that thing in time for the celica. a 6-speed that shifts slowly...not a 14 second car. but not a 16-17 second car eitiher. and no misshifts or worn synchroes. and no extra drivetrain loss. it would've sold like crazy. and all that fun downshifting, you don't do it much in the 4 speed sportshift (which is an actual automatic transmission too so it shifts kinda weird).
but it looks like they kept all the electronics from the sportshift regarding buttons, and behaviour (ignoring misshifts, what rpm to not downshift over, etc.) which confirms my belief the 4-speed U240E with sportshift and the subsequent 5-speed sportshift in the IS300 were just tests leading up to this thing. all they need now is a 'sport mode' for quicker shifting. even if a little bit quicker.
my uncle drove one recently in maryland, i didn't even know the dealers had these yet, but he said it was really new and he just took it around a bit without beating on it, but he's had his own GTS sportshift before and driven mine and says it looks/feels the same. but acts completely differently. no hesitation or bog, and feels like you're cruising in a manual.
good sign is that even with the slow shifting and the first production version of this tranny, it's not more than a second slower than the manual in a straight line. as opposed to 2 seconds for the real automatics.