What is the best AWD system?

Any AWD system with 3 torque sensing diffs, and with the engine placed behind the front axle.

Closest one I could come up with is the US Lancer Evo RS. Pure mechanical grip in that model.

Any idea how the AWD systems in the old BMW 325xi (80s and early 90s/E30 Generation) performed? Those 325xis might not be LeMons cheap, but they are good bang for the buck. If only they had a $1000 Rally race to compliment LeMons :(, then i could have so many projects i would never have to worry about finishing absolutely any of them.

It worked. The idea was a SEVERE after thought on those chassis' though. They had to lift the car 1" (IIRC) for the front axle to work. It's also not all that strong.
 
I think that the major advantage of the system in that Datsun uses is the use of G-sensors as part as the decision making process when to engage the front wheels. Towards the cars C of G live a pair of G sensors....one lateral and on longitudinal.

While this doesn't make it a *best* system (in the sense of most traction, full time systems are far better) it does have the advantage of changing the characteristics of how the drive is applied to the front wheels, eg in a low G turn with spinning wheels, low application etc. A normal system would just take into account the amount of slip and steering angle.

I would be highly surprised if other mundane products Nissan makes with this part time 4WD system use the G-sensors.

The Group A Skylines had most of this logic (and sensors) ripped out, and ran a fixed split.

Part time systems like this have the advantage of reducing tyre wear (and mechanical drag) because the car is in 2WD time most of the time.

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/back on topic

Can I nominate the old Soviet/Fiat System the Lada Niva uses? Its unstoppable.
 
I would be highly surprised if other mundane products Nissan makes with this part time 4WD system use the G-sensors.

I would actually be surprised if they *didn't*. Nissan is known for sticking G-sensors all over the place even on 2WD vehicles. The old Z31 300ZX carried one in the right rear quarter panel, and there's at least one variant of the R50 Pathfinder/Terrano with 2WD system that has the paired G-sensors. Of the more conventional/mundane 4WD vehicles, my WD21 Pathfinder has installation brackets and wiring connectors for the G-sensors' wiring harnesses, but they were never installed on Federal-market WD21s. They were fitted to some JDM and Euro WD21 Terranos for their anti-yaw system (early ESC).
 
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Only problem with ATTESA from what I have read is that its definitely not for amateurs. Unlike AYC which shuffles things around ATTESA is RWD until slip is detected. I.E it will oversteer and unless you keep your foot in it you will keep going round.

Best system is active limited slip differentials front centre and rear, circa 2006 WRC (now banned :()
 
Only problem with ATTESA from what I have read is that its definitely not for amateurs. Unlike AYC which shuffles things around ATTESA is RWD until slip is detected. I.E it will oversteer and unless you keep your foot in it you will keep going round.

Best system is active limited slip differentials front centre and rear, circa 2006 WRC (now banned :()

Maybe the older ones but the one in the R35 is pretty damn exact to the point where even pro drifters have a hard time making it maintain a slide.
 
After watching some old TG eps I re-discovered what is probably the best AWD system assuming you only care about pure speed... the Prodrive P2's active setup.

Only problem with ATTESA from what I have read is that its definitely not for amateurs. Unlike AYC which shuffles things around ATTESA is RWD until slip is detected. I.E it will oversteer and unless you keep your foot in it you will keep going round.

Best system is active limited slip differentials front centre and rear, circa 2006 WRC (now banned :()

That's the old system. I still maintain that ATTESSA was "developed" for the the R32 only because the chassis was such shit that it needed AWD to make it work (very) well.
 
After watching some old TG eps I re-discovered what is probably the best AWD system assuming you only care about pure speed... the Prodrive P2's active setup.

Didn't P2 use a system like the Evo/STi do? I don't remember the ep too well but didn't Prodrive prepare WRC spec STi's so diff should be the same? Just about anything used in rallying would be pretty much the best for keeping traction since they don't really have much to play with :)
 
That's the old system. I still maintain that ATTESSA was "developed" for the the R32 only because the chassis was such shit that it needed AWD to make it work (very) well.

ATTESA predates the R32. It was first developed for the RNU12 Bluebird (JDM) of 1987. A few U12 Maximas in the US market were sold with ATTESA as well, though I think the number of those is very small.
 
^IM SORRY I CANT HEAR YOU OVER THE SOUND OF AWESOME!!!!!!11111
 
Maybe Haldex 4.0 together with Saab's active rear Limited Slip Differential, at least in its price segment?
 
nah, haldex is fwd under normal conditions, you don't want that

Haldex is computer controlled... it can be FWD or it can be RWD depends on how it's programed...
 
nah, haldex is fwd under normal conditions, you don't want that

Considering how much love the Mazdaspeed 6 gets, and it only goes (I think) to a max of 50% rwd) I might argue otherwise.

The only real reason to give a damn about having as much RWD as possible is a) steering feel or b) drifting. Though A is a very good reason.
 
Considering how much love the Mazdaspeed 6 gets, and it only goes (I think) to a max of 50% rwd) I might argue otherwise.

The only real reason to give a damn about having as much RWD as possible is a) steering feel or b) drifting. Though A is a very good reason.

I hope that when you say drifting you mean you prefer oversteer to understeer at the limit and you're not trying to be a mad tyte jdm driftah
 
I hope that when you say drifting you mean you prefer oversteer to understeer at the limit and you're not trying to be a mad tyte jdm driftah

Ah touche. I was actually just discussing with a friend of mine how understeer scares the shit out of me, yet the ass end coming out makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside (I like knowing I still have grip in the wheels that decide the cars direction).

Primarily FWD doesn't always mean understeer at the limit. It's mostly a problem when you're to hard on the throttle. I've had the taurus wagging it's tail hear and there (it was wet out those nights) and the front end remained planted.
 
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See I'm the opposite. I prefer the front end as the give way point and having total confidence in the rear.
 
Ah touche. I was actually just discussing with a friend of mine how understeer scares the shit out of me, yet the ass end coming out makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside (I like knowing I still have grip in the wheels that decide the cars direction).

I agree. Some one on this board has a great sig. Something along the lines of "Oversteer scares the passenger, understeer scares the driver"
 
Ah touche. I was actually just discussing with a friend of mine how understeer scares the shit out of me, yet the ass end coming out makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside (I like knowing I still have grip in the wheels that decide the cars direction).

Primarily FWD doesn't always mean understeer at the limit. It's mostly a problem when you're to hard on the throttle. I've had the taurus wagging it's tail hear and there (it was wet out those nights) and the front end remained planted.

I agree with you there, when my tail goes out (sadly not often) I'm absolutely fine. I had the car snap understeer on me in the wet once scariest situation imagineable. I am talking I was in the inside lane on a 3 lane road in a turn (off ramp) and all of a sudden I was in the middle lane w/o being able to even correct.... ::eeesh:: still get shivers thinking about it and it was like a year ago.
 
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