One of the most widely used transmissions in all presently manufactured vehicles is the continuously variable transmission or CVT. The banned Formula 1 technology was originally made popular among economy cars, but quickly grew into the transmission of choice for just about every new gasoline-powered vehicle, including side-by-sides.
UTVs have long-used CVTs in everything from utility-focused side-by-sides to the go-fast models like the Can-Am Maverick X3, Polaris RZR, and even the 250-horsepower supercharged Kawasaki Teryx H2 that recently debuted. And only recently have we begun seeing those faster models adopt Porsche-like dual-clutch transmissions for even faster shifts.
However, while the CVT allows users to maintain RPMs throughout the transmission's gearing, once you set the gear ratios at the factory, and really from when the machine was first engineered, you're stuck with those ratios unless you do some heavy modifications. That means that your utility side-by-side or go-fast, take-names machine isn't the all-rounder it's intended to be, i.e. perfect for all things all the time.
