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145:. This design is cheaper than the M4 design because of the limited parts required to make the system function. Manufacturers use a unique layout to balance the weight distributed between the front and rear axles. Having a front engine layout with a rear wheel drive powertrain almost evens out the weight distributed in order to optimize performance and handling.
80:
The centre differential contained within many 4 wheel drive cars is similar to the conventional differential in a 2-wheel drive car. It allows torque to be distributed to both drive axles whilst allowing them to spin at different speeds, which vastly improves the cornering of a 4-wheel drive car on
108:
balance. Assuming the engine is behind the passenger compartment, the engine will also be pushing down on the rear wheels. Because the weight of a car is shifted toward the rear under acceleration in all cars as a rule, this further improves the amount of grip on the rear wheels, increasing the
81:
surfaces with high grip such as tarmac. However, unlike the differentials on the drive axles which are configured to provide torque equally to both wheels, the centre differential is usually set to have a bias to one set of drive wheels or the other, depending on application of the car.
211:
116:
A computer-controlled four-wheel-drive differential system allows a car to both accelerate and corner more quickly, since it can vary the amount of torque going to the front and rear wheels, and therefore vary how much the car behaves like a
92:. Others contain a computer that will decide how much power to distribute to any wheel at any time depending on the circumstances of each wheel. In general the M4 system is not widely used as it is suited toward sports cars and some
109:
amount of torque that can be supplied to the rear wheels before wheelspin occurs. Because the engine is not in the front, the car can be designed with a minimum amount of frontal area perpendicular to the wind, greatly increasing
162:
The variable handling characteristics of a four-wheel-drive car mean that when travelling round a corner at high speeds the car may enter the corner and understeer and then half-way through the corner suddenly start to oversteer.
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Four-wheel-drive systems tend to be quite heavy and some of the engine's power can be lost through the various differentials in the car, in addition to the frictional losses of the
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that will provide most power to the rear wheels unless the amount of torque being supplied to the rear wheels is in excess of the traction limits of the rear tyres, such as in a
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61:" can mean the engine is placed anywhere in the car such that the centre of gravity of the engine lies between the front and rear axles, it is usually used for
133:. This is a much more efficient means of turning and allows for faster cornering speeds as opposed to a two-wheel or conventional four-wheel-drive system.
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The engine is usually where the weight of a car is most concentrated so placing it between the front and rear axles gives a car a much better
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303:"Stop and weight! A 50/50 weight distribution is not optimal | Automotive Thinker - Discussing the finer points of automobiles"
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Most mid-engine cars, because of the size and position of the engine and transmission, compromise heavily on both passenger and
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car. This means that through a fast corner the car is able to display more "neutral" handling - with less
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where the engine is behind the passenger compartment. The motive output is then sent down a shaft to a
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in the centre of the car, which in the case of an M4 layout, distributes power to both front and rear
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in the middle of the vehicle, between both axles and drives all four road wheels.
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rear wheel drive powertrain where the power is sent to the rear wheels
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220:, the world's fastest production car at the time of its production
15:
289:"Lamborghini Murcielago - Car Cutaway - Modern Racer - Features"
74:
337:
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315:"Series 8 Episode 5". Top Gear. BBC. BBC Two. 2006-06-04.
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269:, Koenigsegg's first M4 plug-in hybrid grand tourer
326:Full time 4 wheel drive turbo charged car dynamics
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8:
378:
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342:
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1433:Rear mid-engine, all-wheel-drive vehicles
760:Cabriolet / Convertible / Drophead coupe
1106:Homogeneous charge compression ignition
280:
170:
84:Some 4 wheel drive cars use a centre
7:
14:
770:CoupƩ de Ville / Sedanca de Ville
259:
244:
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210:
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1407:Template:EC car classification
141:Some cars are designed with a
1:
254:, a twin-turbocharged PHEV M4
23:, an example of an M4 vehicle
57:layout. Although the term "
1449:
1096:Gasoline / petrol
860:Roadster / Spider / Spyder
239:drive for the front wheels
48:internal combustion engine
1392:
1236:(engine / drive)
235:, a novel M4 car using a
875:Sedan delivery/Panel van
200:Lamborghini Diablo VT6.0
94:off-road racing vehicles
1428:Four-wheel drive layout
1136:Liquified petroleum gas
948:Driverless (autonomous)
1041:Compressed natural gas
968:Personal rapid transit
183:, the first of the M4
90:Lamborghini MurciƩlago
24:
1307:Dual motor-four-wheel
905:Town (CoupƩ de Ville)
252:Ferrari SF90 Stradale
86:viscous coupling unit
19:
1318:Engine configuration
53:It is a type of car
1324:internal combustion
1126:Internal combustion
933:All-terrain vehicle
855:Retractable hardtop
25:
1415:
1414:
711:
710:
480:Compact executive
267:Koenigsegg Gemera
29:automotive design
21:Audi R8 (Type 4S)
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1286:Front-four-wheel
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1100:direct injection
1011:Alternative fuel
825:Multi-stop truck
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123:rear-wheel-drive
42:Four-wheel-drive
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1300:Rear-four-wheel
1251:Front mid-front
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1204:Engine position
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1131:Liquid nitrogen
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541:Crossover (CUV)
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237:petrol-electric
233:Honda/Acura NSX
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218:Bugatti Veyron
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500:Minivan / MPV
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1194:Twelve-wheel
1151:Drive wheels
924:Specialized
845:Pickup truck
750:Cabrio coach
594:Sports sedan
569:Grand tourer
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147:
140:
115:
113:efficiency.
103:
83:
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71:differential
52:
36:
32:
26:
1344:Four-stroke
1244:Front-front
1184:Eight-wheel
1159:Front-wheel
1091:Natural gas
1076:Fossil fuel
1031:Biogasoline
717:Body styles
645:Vintage car
111:aerodynamic
67:racing cars
63:sports cars
46:places the
1422:Categories
1369:Two-stroke
1265:Front-rear
1258:Rear-front
1174:Four-wheel
1164:Rear-wheel
1003:Propulsion
993:Voiturette
978:Flying car
973:Police car
938:Amphibious
850:Quad coupƩ
740:Berlinetta
457:Street rod
399:Subcompact
275:References
187:rally cars
157:powertrain
150:boot/trunk
131:understeer
59:mid-engine
55:powertrain
38:Mid-engine
1279:Rear-rear
1189:Ten-wheel
1179:Six-wheel
1169:Two-wheel
1081:Fuel cell
1021:Biodiesel
988:Tow truck
963:Pedal car
943:Connected
915:Vis-Ć -vis
890:Targa top
835:Panel van
830:Notchback
810:Limousine
800:Landaulet
790:Hatchback
735:Barchetta
703:S-segment
698:M-segment
693:J-segment
688:F-segment
683:E-segment
678:D-segment
673:C-segment
668:B-segment
663:A-segment
574:Hot hatch
551:Coupe SUV
485:Executive
447:Lead sled
424:Full-size
404:Supermini
137:Drawbacks
127:oversteer
1402:Category
1379:W engine
1364:Straight
1121:Hydrogen
1086:Fuel gas
1051:Electric
926:vehicles
865:Runabout
815:Microvan
805:Liftback
795:Kammback
780:Fastback
755:Cab over
745:Brougham
490:Personal
462:T-bucket
452:Lowrider
419:Mid-size
204:supercar
106:handling
100:Benefits
1374:V (Vee)
1349:H-block
1115:plug-in
1113: (
1098: (
1068: (
1066:Ethanol
1055:battery
1053: (
1026:Biofuel
1016:Autogas
983:Taxicab
958:Gyrocar
953:Go-kart
900:Touring
895:Torpedo
840:Phaeton
820:Minibus
785:Hardtop
630:Economy
625:Classic
620:Antique
604:Go-kart
536:Compact
513:Leisure
508:Compact
442:Hot rod
414:Compact
382:By size
185:Group B
167:Gallery
152:space.
1397:Portal
1384:Wankel
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1232:Layout
1111:Hybrid
1046:Diesel
1036:Biogas
730:Baquet
579:Muscle
561:Sports
472:Luxury
434:Custom
409:Family
367:design
119:front-
44:layout
1334:Boxer
1212:Front
1141:Steam
910:T-top
765:Coupe
613:Other
599:Super
389:Micro
75:axles
35:, or
31:, an
1339:Flat
1222:Rear
584:Pony
546:Mini
518:Mini
65:and
1217:Mid
1070:E85
1060:NEV
725:2+2
640:Van
635:Ute
528:SUV
394:Kei
365:Car
129:or
121:or
77:.
27:In
1424::
655:EU
159:.
96:.
40:,
33:M4
1326:)
1322:(
1117:)
1102:)
1072:)
1062:)
357:e
350:t
343:v
305:.
291:.
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