In
automotive design
Automotive design is the process of developing the appearance (and to some extent the ergonomics) of motor vehicles - including automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans.
The functional design and development of a modern ...
, an R4, or
Rear-engine,
Four-wheel-drive
Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...
layout places the
internal combustion engine
An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal co ...
at the rear of the vehicle, and drives all four roadwheels.
This layout is typically chosen to improve the
traction or the
handling
Handling may refer to:
* Automobile handling, the turning characteristics of land vehicles
* Handling of stolen goods, a statutory offence in England and Wales and Northern Ireland
People
* Adam Handling (born 1988), British chef and restaura ...
of existing vehicle designs using the
rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout
In automotive design, an RR, or rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout places both the engine and drive wheels at the rear of the vehicle. In contrast to the RMR layout, the center of mass of the engine is between the rear axle and the rear bump ...
(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 car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
s, including the
959, the
911 Turbo since the introduction of the
turbocharged
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
version of the
993 series in 1995, and the 911 Carrera 4 introduced with the
964 series in 1989.
Some
Volkswagen Kübelwagen
The Volkswagen Type 82 ''Kübelwagen'' (), or simply ''Kübel'', contractions of the original German word ''Kübelsitzwagen'' (translated: 'bucket-seat car' — but when the contractions are translated literally a back-formation of 'bucket' or ' ...
(the rear-engined
beetle
Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...
-based
military vehicle
A military vehicle is any vehicle for land-based military transport and activity, including combat vehicles; both specifically designed for, or significantly used by military and armed forces. Most military vehicles require off-road capabiliti ...
used by
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
) variants were produced with 4-wheel or all-wheel drive, including the Type 86, Type 87, Type 98. Also, some
Vanagons/Microbuses came in 4WD
Syncro version.
Examples
File:Porsche 959 – Frontansicht (3), 21. März 2013, Düsseldorf.jpg, Porsche 959
The Porsche 959 is a sports car manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Porsche from 1986 to 1993, first as a Group B rally car and later as a road legal production car designed to satisfy FIA homologation regulations requiring at lea ...
, rear-engine, four-wheel-drive, to speed of 197 mph to 211 mph
File:White Porsche 993 turbo coupé.jpg , Porsche 993
The Porsche 993 is the internal designation for the Porsche 911 model manufactured and sold between January 1994 and early 1998 (model years 1995–1998 in the United States), replacing the 964. Its discontinuation marked the end of air-coo ...
Turbo
File:Porsche 911 (964) Turbo (10317085456).jpg, Porsche 964
File:Volkswagen Transporter Syncro 4 WD.jpg, 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
The Volkswagen Type 82 ''Kübelwagen'' (), or simply ''Kübel'', contractions of the original German word ''Kübelsitzwagen'' (translated: 'bucket-seat car' — but when the contractions are translated literally a back-formation of 'bucket' or ' ...
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 Coupé
Porsche- 1989 Porsche Turbo 911 Coupé, Cabriolet, and Targa
Official website of Porsche993 Owners and informationInformation on and about Porsche 993Porsche 911 Carrera 2 (Generation 993) Exterior and Interior in Full HD 3DYouTube
-Driving Americas with VW Westfalia 4x4 Extreme Adventure, YouTube
Four-wheel drive layout
{{Commons category, Porsche 993