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BTCC centre differential riddle



In message <Pine.SOL.3.91.961014152630.25400A-100000@apollo> "Graydon D. Stuckey" writes:

> On Mon, 14 Oct 1996, Phil Payne wrote:
> 
> > One comment from our visit to the BTCC team today - the A4Qs driven by Biela 
> > and Bintcliffe have no centre differentials.

> I'll bet they have some kinda mechanism which varies the tork transfer 
> between the front and rear axles.  I'll bet its electronic, and 
> controlled by the computer.

We think we got a clue.  One of the engineers gave us a prop shaft to hold - 
it's carbon fibre and weighs perhaps 7 or 8 pounds.

Both of the winning championship cars were on view.  Biela's car was fully 
built and ready to roll - Bintcliffe's was stripped and about 10% rebuilt.

The telemetry provision is prodigious.  What appeared to be a combined 
multiplexor/digitisor had two 60-way plugs - the car has a massive wiring 
system, with sensors on everything that moves and some things that don't.  
There are two telemetry reception stations - one per car - in one of the 
trailers.  They can combine "maps" of each driver's performance, so they can 
very rapidly compare late vs. early braking corner by corner.
 
The sheer, staggering _smallness_ and _cleanliness_ was amazing.  The whole 
facility is custom-built for two cars and six mechanics.  No bigger than an 
ordinary domestic house.  The transporters are easily F1-standard - beautiful 
jobs.

--
 Phil Payne
 phil@sievers.com
 Committee Member, UK Audi [ur-]quattro Owners Club