[A4] Re: Quattro, Torsen, Haldex and others...

[Dan DiBiase]

--- michael pagano <mvp12547 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I have had only one wheel traction with my former 97 a4 sedan. Saw it
> while my son was trying to pry it out of a snow bank I sort of lost it
> in.
> Only the left front was biting...it did manage to pull it out.

Well, this is interesting... Acura has been advertising their 'SH-AWD'
(Super-Handling - All Wheel Drive) system in the new RL as having thw
ability to do just this - send X amount of the torque available to just
any one wheel, if that is all that has traction... I always assumed that
quattro was also able too do this.... In looking back into my car's
brochure, it reads -

"Now in it's fourth generation, quattro's ability to direct engine power
where and when it's needed - from front to back, from side to side, even
to a single wheel - continues to keep it a step ahead of newer systems." 

The illustration they should clearly shows a schematic where three of the
wheels are on a slippery surface and one wheel is getting all of the
power.

(Page 37, 2004 Audi A4 dealer brochure)

BTW, anyone seen the new RL in the metal? I saw 2 in one day, both in
tiwn, within 10 minutes, one black and one silver, and thought both are
extremely generic-looking.

Dan D
'04 A4 1.8Tq MT-6
Central NJ USA