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Date:         Sun, 29 Oct 2000 09:34:07 -0800
Reply-To:     David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Subject:      Re: What is an Audi Quattro (and how does it relate to Syncro)
Comments: To: JordanVw@AOL.COM
In-Reply-To:  <bc.c1add13.272d8699@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

To be a little more precise, Audi developed 4WD for Volkswagen starting in 1976 with the VW Iltis project. The real funny thing is the Audi and Volkswagen did not pay for the R+D of this - the German Army did!

The Iltis 4WD system is really neat! The Iltis is a front engine (75hp 1.7L solid lifter Golf engine) rear wheel drive "jeep". The transmission is a modified Audi LS100 transmission that has R-G-1-2-3-4. On either side of the e-brake handle are two leavers. The leaver on the passenger side engages the front wheels for four wheel drive - normally the Iltis is rear wheel drive. The leaver on the driver side engages the rear differential lock in the German and Canadian Army vehicles and it also locks the front differential in the Belgian and some civil versions (very rare) of the Iltis. Visually the Iltis 4WD system looks a lot like the Quattro system. The rear differential is visually 100% identical along with the drive shaft as compared to the 1980 ur-Quattro. After the Iltis went into production in 1978 for the German army Audi started to make it more civilized by adding a user lockable center differential (for a total of three diffs) as opposed to a on/off front differential, in later years of the quattro system Audi switched to a torsen differential for better power "splitting". The Audi quattro system is superior to the Iltis 4WD system in my opinion. My future project for an Iltis is to install an Audi 80 2.0L engine with the Quattro drive train... should be an interesting project!

Syncro has several different flavours, T2 (Vanagon with VC), A2 and A3 (Golf with VC), B3 and B4 (Passat with VC) and B5 (Passat with Audi quattro). The front engine cars have more in common with the Audi quattro system than the T2 Syncro system does. The major difference between the Syncro and quattro drive trains is the Viscous Coupler as opposed to a locking differential to transfer power from the front to the rear (or vice versa).

-- David Marshall - Volkswagen Enthusiast - Quesnel, BC, Canada -- -- 78 VW Rabbit, 79 VW Iltis, 80 VW Caddy, 84 VW Westfalia -- -- 85 VW Cabriolet, 87 Audi 5000 Quattro, 88 VW Syncro Double Cab -- -- David's Volkswagen Home Page http://www.volkswagen.org -- -- Fast Forward Autobahn Sport Tuning http://www.fastforward.ca -- -- david@volkswagen.org (pmail) or vanagon@volkswagen.org (list) --

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf Of JordanVw@AOL.COM Sent: October 29, 2000 5:57 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: What is an Audi Quattro......?

In a message dated 10/29/00 3:43:26 AM Eastern Standard Time, ingalls_mark@HOTMAIL.COM writes:

<< What is and Audi Quattro? >>

LOL!! Audi is the company that pioneered the AWD system. Tho subaru put the AWD into their vehicles first in the late '70's, audi followed right behind them around '80 with a more refined system. ive owned 2 audi turbo quattros before, and the all wheel drive system is virtually bulletproof..well made.. Also, ive been on the quattro list for about 4 or 5 yrs now, and i never hear about quattro owners having problems w/ the all wheel drive, (wish i could say the same for the rest of the car :<) chris '86 audi 5kt a few vw vans


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