http://syncrosource.com/

[SyncroSam]

Clive
I think he means 'bitchin'

bitch·in' or bitch·en (bĭch'ən) pronunciation
adj. Slang.

Excellent; first-rate.

[Alteration of bitching, from (SON OF A) BITCH.]

Sam.

[Anonymous]

Tom, if you're going to try to give a history lesson on something... please get the facts right first.

The quattro system came about from the Iltis in 1977 when Ferdinand Piech came up with the idea of a 4 wheel drive system.

As for suggesting Audi 5 cylinder engines in your usual friendly manner..."you'd do well to consider vs a VR6"... the 2.8 VR6 has 176bhp and the 2.9 187bhp with torque throughout the rev range. The Audi petrol engines (in UK) only go as big as 2.3 and produce 136bhp. To go above that you have to go to a 20V NA (168bhp) engine which is a buzz box (not much power below 4,000rpm or a Turbo motor... not great for fuel economy or electrics and cost of servicing.
TDi's have the grunt but have lots of electrics (so not wonderful for water).

Maybe a "live and let live" policy would be better, rather than a "you should do this mate... cos I say so", then we'd probably have more members and more conversation on the forum.

This is not meant to start up an arguement... just putting a few points down to (hopefully) keep a new member here rather than being scared off.

Welcome to the forum Syncromark.

MG

[HarryMann]

The quattro system came about from the Iltis in 1977 when Ferdinand Piech came up with the idea of a 4 wheel drive system.

The idea of a 4-wheel drive system came about in about 1920, maybe earlier.

The man most responsible for it's reincarnation on modern road vehicles is undoubtedly Tony Rolt of Ferguson and Jensen FF renown (produced circa 1966, but a Grand Prix car using the FF system won some races, one with Stirling Moss at the wheel, between '61 and '65).

It was Rolt who invented the viscous coupling, earlier than that I believe (50's maybe) and which became a key component in most manufacturers repertoire of four wheel drive vehicles, the early Quattro being no exception. Subsequently Ferguson that took it on, put some money into it. It is still being developed, and used between and across axles in so many guises it'd be quite a work to enumerate them. It is now often combined with integrated fluid pressure pumps that make it even more flexible, and hardly much more complicated, unlike horrifically complex arrangements like Haldex units, that require a veritable hornets nest of transducers and wiring to function.

Suffice to say that GKN (Ferguson) who bought out Harry F's driveline interests, still own the patents and license rights, but most of the development and engineering is now based in Germany and Japan, with some still at West Bromwich I think.

Tony Rolt was a WWII POW ecapee, Colditz escape-glider veteran, and has literally a plethora of accomplishments to his name, I think he's still alive and kicking... he got up to some high jinks in South Africa in the 50's, maybe that's where he first dreamt up the VC and he won Le Mans at least once I think, so much more than an average driver.

Harry Ferguson was a character too, and when they joined up with Massey and Harris, Ford stopped competing so fiercely, Massey-Ferguson then becoming the largest tractor mfrs anywhere in the world for a while ('60's) - despite his many other pursuits and interests (motor racing and Ferguson drivelines, etc).

BTW - SyncroMark seems quite able to fend for himself here, seems to enjoy the banter and doesn't just take it on the chin, but gives as good as he gets