Mid-Engined Quattro

[ptimmerm@mashtun.JPL.NASA.GOV]

OK, here is my latest and crazy idea for you to chew on.
Realizing the talk is cheap and action , well isn't,
I know it takes a group to accomplish something big.
If anygroup of people could get this going, it would
be this bunch of loons. 

Some may remember that just before Audi pulled the plug on
rallying in the groupe B days, when they were getting
stomped by tube frame custom jobs, there were rumors of
a mid-engined Audi Quattro rally car.  I am driving a
pro rally car now, but it is not an Audi.  The Audi design
is pretty good, and the drivetrain parts are cheap as dirt,
but the weight distribution stinks, to put it bluntly.

So how does one build a true mid engined four wheel drive turbo
rally car?  I think I figured out a way.  Any longituidal mounted
FWD motor can be rotated 90 degrees and place amidships with left
and right drive shafts becoming front and rear.  Your front diff
becomes a center diff.  Now you run driveshafts to front and rear
diffs, and you have everything rolling the right direction.  The
one clear fly in the ointment is the dual step down of
two differentials.  If you could run near 1:1 diffs in the center
or front and rear, you would get the right final drive.  The
front to rear balance problem now becomes a left to right problem,
unless you move a front and rear drive shaft off to one side, like 
under the passenger seat.  

	 _	 	 _
	| |	+-+	| |
	| |=====| |====+| |
	|_|	+_+	|_|
		 |
		 |
		 |
		 |
		 |
		 |
	    _____|____		 ^
	   |	    __|		 | Forward
	   |_______|		 |
		 |
	 _	 |	 _
	| |	+-+	| |
	| |=====| |=====| |
	|_|	+_+	|_|
		 

You would NOT want to run an I5 in the configuration unless you
wanted widely different half shafts, or angles on the drive
shafts (bad).  I see the V6 configuration again as a winner.
The ramaining disadvantage is now running three seperate
driveline cases and all the weight involved.  Losing the Audi
truck diffs would help out much here.  Plenty to chose from
besides Audi parts, and I think SCCA might be cowed on this point.

The remaining issue is developement.  Anybody wann try building
oneand get back to me on how it works ;-)

paul timmerman