Popular articles

Probably every transmission repair specialist was keen on LEGO constructions or at least enjoyed making some minor things with their hands. Here's the game taken to a new level of creativity!

Modern auto industry is full of sophisticated drivetrain technologies which are supposed to make your driving experience even more pleasant and trouble-free. Despite a great abundance of sophisticated technical solutions, it is highly likely that very few people know a transmission solution operating like a manual CVT.

Over recent years engineers developed a lot of gear shifting solutions for different car brands, which may seem a bit unusual for oldtime drivers. In this article we will review the most peculiar gear stick technologies and provide video materials related to these technologies.

Only few people know about transmission concepts which were popular 70-90 years ago. For men of today, these gearboxes may seem very unusual and weird, but even now some gearboxes that date back to those years are quite competitive in comparison with modern transmissions.

Nowadays Extroid CVTs are commonly known as “toroidal” due to the fact that the working surface of driving and driven discs in this transmission has the form of a torus. Extroid CVT is not a V-belt transmission, but a friction drive CVT.

PSA and FCA Confirm Merger Plan


PSA and FCA Confirm Merger Plan

Auto giants Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA Group have finally confirmed one of the most popular rumors of recent time and released the plan of a possible merger, which may give birth to the world's fourth-largest automaker. The joint company will be headquartered in the Netherlands, where the tax regulations are quite liberal. The newfound alliance will be led by the current PSA president Carlos Tavares, while FCA director John Elcan will be appointed as the chairman of the board.


The proposed union between major automakers, with a combined workforce amounting to 410,000 of regular workers, may lead to establishment of a new big player in the automotive industry half-owned by each party (i.e. 50/50 distribution of shares). The management structure of the new enterprise would be distributed between the active shareholders. It is said that the board would include 11 members, 5 nominated by PSA and 5 by FCA, with one more member added for solving deadlock situations.


The potential deal between these automotive businesses estimated at $50 billion (€45 billion) may help both parties to succeed on an extremely competitive international market and to deal with technological challenges related to the electrification trend dominating the auto industry all over the world. Both hope that this huge deal will help to achieve cost savings and other benefits of €3.7bn without any factory closures. It is planned to achieve by means of joint investments in shared vehicle platforms, powertrains and infotainment/self-driving solutions, and thanks to the growing parts purchasing capacity.


Report related to this breaking news


It is interesting to point out that the merger — which is not guaranteed — comes after an unsuccessful attempt to merge Fiat Chrysler and Renault. That transaction failed partly due to unwillingness from the French government, which is a part-owner of Renault, because of apprehensions related to possible wave of employee dismissals.

If this deal happens, the new company will take the lead over the following brands:

The merger may also become some kind of a safety net, as currently the automotive industry is going through the period notable for volatile demand and the necessity of solid investments in sophisticated technologies to comply with severe environmental regulations. If the merger is approved, it would give PSA access to the promising US market reinforcing FCA's positions in Europe.

Popular articles

Probably every transmission repair specialist was keen on LEGO constructions or at least enjoyed making some minor things with their hands. Here's the game taken to a new level of creativity!

Modern auto industry is full of sophisticated drivetrain technologies which are supposed to make your driving experience even more pleasant and trouble-free. Despite a great abundance of sophisticated technical solutions, it is highly likely that very few people know a transmission solution operating like a manual CVT.

Over recent years engineers developed a lot of gear shifting solutions for different car brands, which may seem a bit unusual for oldtime drivers. In this article we will review the most peculiar gear stick technologies and provide video materials related to these technologies.

Only few people know about transmission concepts which were popular 70-90 years ago. For men of today, these gearboxes may seem very unusual and weird, but even now some gearboxes that date back to those years are quite competitive in comparison with modern transmissions.

Nowadays Extroid CVTs are commonly known as “toroidal” due to the fact that the working surface of driving and driven discs in this transmission has the form of a torus. Extroid CVT is not a V-belt transmission, but a friction drive CVT.