In automotive design, an R4, or rear-engine, four-wheel-drive layout places the internal combustion engine, engine at the rear of the vehicle, and drives all four roadwheels.
This layout is typically chosen to improve the Traction (engineering), traction or the Automobile handling, handling of existing vehicle designs using the rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout (RR).
The R4 layout is very rare, only having been used on a small number of production vehicles. Notable vehicles with this layout include several high-performance Porsche sports cars, including the Porsche 959, 959, the Porsche 911, 911 Turbo since the introduction of the Turbocharger, turbocharged version of the Porsche 993, 993 series in 1995, and the 911 Carrera 4 introduced with the Porsche 964, 964 series in 1989.
Some Volkswagen Kübelwagen (the rear-engined Volkswagen Beetle, beetle-based military vehicle used by Germany in World War II) variants were produced with 4-wheel or all-wheel drive, including the Type 86, Type 87, Type 98. Also, some Volkswagen Type 2 (T3), Vanagons/Microbuses came in 4WD 4motion, Syncro version.
Examples
File:Porsche 959 – Frontansicht (3), 21. März 2013, Düsseldorf.jpg, Porsche 959, rear-engine, four-wheel-drive, top speed of 197 mph to 211 mph
File:White Porsche 993 turbo coupé.jpg , Porsche 993 Turbo
File:Porsche 911 (964) Turbo (10317085456).jpg, Porsche 964
File:Porsche_911_992_Dakar_(53048665743).jpg, Porsche_911_(992)#911_Dakar, Porsche 911 Dakar
File:Volkswagen Transporter Syncro 4 WD.jpg, Volkswagen Type 2 (T3), Volkswagen Transporter Syncro 4WD truck
File:VW T3 Caravelle syncro 1984-1992 fromtleft 2008-08-16 U.jpg, Volkswagen Syncro 4WD Van
File:VW T3 syncro Bernemer Kerb Festzug Aufstellung 13082011.JPG, Volkswagen Syncro 4WD
File:1991 Volkswagen T3 der Gendarmerie grand-ducale - Vintage Cars & Bikes Steinfort.jpg, Volkswagen Transporter Syncro 4WD
File:1989 Volkswagen Caravelle Club Westfalia Syncro (Typ 2 - T3) (4811871813).jpg, 1989 Volkswagen Caravelle Club Westfalia Syncro
File:1989 Volkswagen Caravelle Club Westfalia Syncro (Typ 2 - T3) (4812495500).jpg, 1989 Volkswagen Caravelle Club Westfalia Syncro
File:VW T3 Tristar Syncro (1990) (35972842771).jpg, Volkswagen T3 Tristar Syncro (1990)
File:VW Kuebelwagen 1.jpg, WW2 Volkswagen Kübelwagen
References
*
* Taylor, Blaine (2004). ''Volkswagen Military Vehicles of the Third Reich''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Da Capo Press. . .
Road Trippers, Syncro
External links
Porsche - 1989 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupé, Cabriolet, Targa, Speedster, and 4 CoupéPorsche - 1989 Porsche Turbo 911 Coupé, Cabriolet, and TargaInformation on and about Porsche 993Porsche 911 Carrera 2 (Generation 993) Exterior and Interior in Full HD 3D- YouTube
Syncro -Driving Americas with VW Westfalia 4x4 Extreme Adventure- YouTube
Four-wheel drive layout
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