MR layout

Four wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 ("four by four"), all wheel drive, and AWD are terms used to describe a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously. While many people think exclusively of off-road vehicles, powering all four wheels provides better control on slick ice and is an important part of rally racing on mostly-paved roads. Four wheel drive (4WD or 4x4 for short) was the original term, often used to describe truck-like vehicles ...

Including:

• Four wheel drive - Design
• Four wheel drive - History
• Four wheel drive - Terminology
• Four wheel drive - Four wheel drives in Australia
• Four wheel drive - Unusual Four wheel drive systems

Read more here: » Four wheel drive: Encyclopedia - Four wheel drive

When powering two wheels simultaneously, something must be done to allow the wheels to rotate at different speeds as the vehicle goes around curves. When driving all four wheels, the problem is much worse. A design that fails to account for this will cause the vehicle to handle poorly on turns, fighting the driver as the tires slip and skid from the mismatched speeds. A differential allows one input shaft to drive two output shafts with different speeds. The differential distributes torque (angular force) evenly, while distributing an ...

See also:

Four wheel drive, Four wheel drive - Design, Four wheel drive - History, Four wheel drive - 4WD in road racing, Four wheel drive - Terminology, Four wheel drive - Four wheel drives in Australia, Four wheel drive - Unusual Four wheel drive systems

Read more here: » Four wheel drive: Encyclopedia II - Four wheel drive - Design

The first FR car was an 1895 Panhard model, so this layout was known as the "Systeme Panhard" in the early years. Most American cars used the FR layout until the 1980s, exemplified by the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, and originally German vehicles from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The Oil crisis of the 1970s and the success of small FF cars like the Mini, Volkswagen Rabbit, and Honda Civic led to th ...

See also:

FR layout, FR layout - Overview, FR layout - History

Read more here: » FR layout: Encyclopedia II - FR layout - History

The first FR car was an 1895 Panhard model, so this layout was known as the "Systeme Panhard" in the early years. Most American cars used the FR layout until the 1980s, exemplified by the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, and originally German vehicles from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The Oil crisis of the 1970s and the success of small FF cars like the Mini, Volkswagen Rabbit, and Honda Civic led to th ...

See also:

FR layout, FR layout - Overview, FR layout - History, FR layout - FM Layout

Read more here: » FR layout: Encyclopedia II - FR layout - History

When powering two wheels simultaneously, something must be done to allow the wheels to rotate at different speeds as the vehicle goes around curves. When driving all four wheels, the problem is much worse. A design that fails to account for this will cause the vehicle to handle poorly on turns, fighting the driver as the tires slip and skid from the mismatched speeds. A differential allows one input shaft to drive two output shafts with different speeds. The differential distributes torque (angular force) evenly, while distributing an ...

See also:

Four wheel drive, Four wheel drive - Design, Four wheel drive - History, Four wheel drive - Terminology, Four wheel drive - Four wheel drives in Australia, Four wheel drive - Unusual Four wheel drive systems

Read more here: » Four wheel drive: Encyclopedia II - Four wheel drive - Design

An automobile is a wheeled vehicle that carries its own motor. Different types of automobiles include cars, buses, trucks, vans, and motorcycles, with cars being the most popular. The term is derived from Greek 'autos' (self) and Latin 'movére' (move), referring to the fact that it 'moves by itself'. Earlier terms for automobile include 'horseless carriage' and 'motor car'. An automobile has seats for the driver and, almost without exception, one or more passengers. It is th ...

Including:

• Automobile - History
• Automobile - The modern automobile
• Automobile - Steam powered vehicles
• Automobile - Combustion engine
• Automobile - Innovation
• Automobile - Model changeover and design change
• Automobile - Regulation
• Automobile - Environmental improvements
• Automobile - Alternative fuels and batteries
• Automobile - Safety
• Automobile - Future of the car
• Automobile - Major possible subsystems

Read more here: » Automobile: Encyclopedia - Automobile

Prompted by a perceived need for a simple, inexpensive all-terrain vehicle for oil exploration in North Africa, the French motor manufacturer Citroën developed the 2CV Sahara. Unlike other 4x4 vehicles which use a conventional transfer case to drive two axles, the Sahara had a modified front axle, engine and gearbox fitted to the rear of the vehicle, facing backwards. The throttles, clutches and gearchange mechanisms could be linked, so both 12bhp engines could run together, or they could be split and the car driven on either engine. Combin ...

See also:

Four wheel drive, Four wheel drive - Design, Four wheel drive - History, Four wheel drive - 4WD in road racing, Four wheel drive - Terminology, Four wheel drive - Four wheel drives in Australia, Four wheel drive - Unusual Four wheel drive systems

Read more here: » Four wheel drive: Encyclopedia II - Four wheel drive - Unusual Four wheel drive systems

This layout is typically chosen for its simple design and weight distribution. Placing the engine at the front gives the vehicle a traditional long hood (in British English "bonnet") and engine cooling is simple to arrange. Placing the drive wheels at the rear allows ample room for the transmission in the center of the vehicle and avoids the mechanical problems of transmitting drive to steered wheels. The layout is still more suitable than front-wheel drive for engine outputs of more than about 150bhp, as the weight transference during acceleration loads the rear wheels and increases grip. Th ...

See also:

FR layout, FR layout - Overview, FR layout - History

Read more here: » FR layout: Encyclopedia II - FR layout - Overview

The first ever four wheel drive car (as well as hill-climb racer), the so-called Spyker 60 HP, was built in 1903 by Dutch brothers Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker of Amsterdam. Designs for four wheel drive in the US, came from the Twyford company of Brookville, PA in 1905. The first US four wheel drive vehicle was built in 1911 by the Four Wheel Drive auto company (FWD) of Wisconsin. FWD would later produce over 20,000 of its four wheel drive Model B trucks for the British and American armies during World War I. Bugatti created a tota ...

See also:

Four wheel drive, Four wheel drive - Design, Four wheel drive - History, Four wheel drive - Terminology, Four wheel drive - Four wheel drives in Australia, Four wheel drive - Unusual Four wheel drive systems

Read more here: » Four wheel drive: Encyclopedia II - Four wheel drive - History

There are two main players in the Australian market: Toyota and Nissan. The typically more massive American four wheel drive trucks and SUVs are generally not as popular among Australian consumers because they are not well suited to the Australian outback. They are often not rugged enough for the harsh conditions, and with their typically larger size they are too wide to fit on the existing wheel tracks created by previous cars (so the driver ends up attempting to carve out his or her own track). As in other countries, four wheel drives have ...

See also:

Four wheel drive, Four wheel drive - Design, Four wheel drive - History, Four wheel drive - 4WD in road racing, Four wheel drive - Terminology, Four wheel drive - Four wheel drives in Australia, Four wheel drive - Unusual Four wheel drive systems

Read more here: » Four wheel drive: Encyclopedia II - Four wheel drive - Four wheel drives in Australia

Although in the strictest sense, the term "four wheel drive" refers to a capability that a vehicle may have, it is also used to denote the entire vehicle itself. In Australia, vehicles with offroad capabilities are referred to as "four wheel drives". This term is sometimes also used in North America, somewhat interchangeably for SUVs and pickup trucks and is sometimes erroneously applied to two-wheel-drive variants of these vehicles. The term 4x4 (read either four by four or full times four) is used to denote the ...

See also:

Four wheel drive, Four wheel drive - Design, Four wheel drive - History, Four wheel drive - Terminology, Four wheel drive - Four wheel drives in Australia, Four wheel drive - Unusual Four wheel drive systems

Read more here: » Four wheel drive: Encyclopedia II - Four wheel drive - Terminology

Prompted by a perceived need for a simple, inexpensive all-terrain vehicle for oil exploration in North Africa, the French motor manufacturer Citroën developed the 2CV Sahara. Unlike other 4x4 vehicles which use a conventional transfer case to drive two axles, the Sahara had a modified front axle, engine and gearbox fitted to the rear of the vehicle, facing backwards. The throttles, clutches and gearchange mechanisms could be linked, so both 12bhp engines could run together, or they could be split and the car driven on either engine. Combin ...

See also:

Four wheel drive, Four wheel drive - Design, Four wheel drive - History, Four wheel drive - Terminology, Four wheel drive - Four wheel drives in Australia, Four wheel drive - Unusual Four wheel drive systems

Read more here: » Four wheel drive: Encyclopedia II - Four wheel drive - Unusual Four wheel drive systems

Although in the strictest sense, the term "four wheel drive" refers to a capability that a vehicle may have, it is also used to denote the entire vehicle itself. In Australia, vehicles with offroad capabilities are referred to as "four wheel drives". This term is sometimes also used in North America, somewhat interchangeably for SUVs and pickup trucks and is sometimes erroneously applied to two-wheel-drive variants of these vehicles. The term 4x4 (read either four by four or full times four) is used to denote the ...

See also:

Four wheel drive, Four wheel drive - Design, Four wheel drive - History, Four wheel drive - 4WD in road racing, Four wheel drive - Terminology, Four wheel drive - Four wheel drives in Australia, Four wheel drive - Unusual Four wheel drive systems

Read more here: » Four wheel drive: Encyclopedia II - Four wheel drive - Terminology

The first ever four wheel drive car (as well as hill-climb racer), the so-called Spyker 60 HP, was built in 1903 by Dutch brothers Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker of Amsterdam. Designs for four wheel drive in the US, came from the Twyford company of Brookville, PA in 1905. The first US four wheel drive vehicle was built in 1911 by the Four Wheel Drive auto company (FWD) of Wisconsin. FWD would later produce over 20,000 of its four wheel drive Model B trucks for the British and American armies during World War I. It was not until "go-a ...

See also:

Four wheel drive, Four wheel drive - Design, Four wheel drive - History, Four wheel drive - 4WD in road racing, Four wheel drive - Terminology, Four wheel drive - Four wheel drives in Australia, Four wheel drive - Unusual Four wheel drive systems

Read more here: » Four wheel drive: Encyclopedia II - Four wheel drive - History

Automobile - The modern automobile. The modern automobile powered by the Otto gasoline engine was invented in Germany by Carl Benz. Even though Carl Benz is credited with the invention of the modern automobile several other German engineers work on building the first automobile at the same time. The inventors are: Carl Benz on July 3, 1886 in Mannheim, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Stuttgart (also inventors of the first motor bike) and in 1888/89 German-Austrian inventor Siegfr ...

See also:

Automobile, Automobile - History, Automobile - The modern automobile, Automobile - Steam powered vehicles, Automobile - Combustion engine, Automobile - Innovation, Automobile - Model changeover and design change, Automobile - Regulation, Automobile - Environmental improvements, Automobile - Alternative fuels and batteries, Automobile - Safety, Automobile - Future of the car, Automobile - Major possible subsystems

Read more here: » Automobile: Encyclopedia II - Automobile - History

The automobile was hailed as an environmental improvement over horses when it was first introduced. Before its introduction, in New York City, over 10,000 tons of manure had to be removed from the streets daily. Among the first environmental advances are the so-called alternative fuels for the internal combustion engine, which have been around for many years. Early in automotive history, before gasoline was widely available at corner pumps, cars ran on many fuels, including kerosene (paraffin) and coal gas. Alcohol fuels were used in ...

See also:

Automobile, Automobile - History, Automobile - The modern automobile, Automobile - Steam powered vehicles, Automobile - Combustion engine, Automobile - Innovation, Automobile - Model changeover and design change, Automobile - Regulation, Automobile - Environmental improvements, Automobile - Alternative fuels and batteries, Automobile - Safety, Automobile - Future of the car, Automobile - Major possible subsystems

Read more here: » Automobile: Encyclopedia II - Automobile - Environmental improvements

In almost every nation, laws have been enacted governing the operation of motor vehicles. Most of this legislation, including limits on allowable speed and other rules of the road, are designed to ensure the smooth flow of traffic and simultaneously protect the safety of vehicle occupants, cyclists, and pedestrians. In 1965, in the U.S. state of California, state legislation was introduced to regulate exhaust emissions, the first such legislation in the world. Answering this new interest in environmental and public safety issues, the ...

See also:

Automobile, Automobile - History, Automobile - The modern automobile, Automobile - Steam powered vehicles, Automobile - Combustion engine, Automobile - Innovation, Automobile - Model changeover and design change, Automobile - Regulation, Automobile - Environmental improvements, Automobile - Alternative fuels and batteries, Automobile - Safety, Automobile - Future of the car, Automobile - Major possible subsystems

Read more here: » Automobile: Encyclopedia II - Automobile - Regulation

With heavy taxes on fuel, particularly in Europe and tightening environmental laws, particularly in California, and the possibility of further restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions, work on alternative power systems for vehicles continues. Diesel-powered cars can run with little or no modification on 100% pure biodiesel, a fuel that can be made from vegetable oils. Many cars that currently use gasoline can run on ethanol, a fuel made from plant sugars. Most cars that are designed to run on gasoline are capable of running with 15% e ...

See also:

Automobile, Automobile - History, Automobile - The modern automobile, Automobile - Steam powered vehicles, Automobile - Combustion engine, Automobile - Innovation, Automobile - Model changeover and design change, Automobile - Regulation, Automobile - Environmental improvements, Automobile - Alternative fuels and batteries, Automobile - Safety, Automobile - Future of the car, Automobile - Major possible subsystems

Read more here: » Automobile: Encyclopedia II - Automobile - Alternative fuels and batteries

Automobiles were a significant improvement in safety on a per passenger mile basis, over the horse based travel that they replaced. Millions have been able to reach medical care much more quickly when transported by ambulance. Accidents seem as old as automobile vehicles themselves. Joseph Cugnot crashed his steam-powered "Fardier" against a wall in 1770. The first recorded automobile fatality was Bridget Driscoll on 1896-08-17 in London and the first in the United States was Henry ...

See also:

Automobile, Automobile - History, Automobile - The modern automobile, Automobile - Steam powered vehicles, Automobile - Combustion engine, Automobile - Innovation, Automobile - Model changeover and design change, Automobile - Regulation, Automobile - Environmental improvements, Automobile - Alternative fuels and batteries, Automobile - Safety, Automobile - Future of the car, Automobile - Major possible subsystems

Read more here: » Automobile: Encyclopedia II - Automobile - Safety