Six-wheel drive (6WD or 6×6) is an

all-wheel drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflecting one axle with one ...

drivetrain A drivetrain (also frequently spelled as drive train or sometimes drive-train) is the group of components that deliver mechanical power from the prime mover to the driven components. In automotive engineering, the drivetrain is the components o ...

configuration of three axles with at least two wheels on each axle capable of being driven simultaneously by the vehicle's engine. Unlike

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 ca ...

drivetrains, the configuration is largely confined to heavy-duty off-road and military vehicles, such as

all-terrain vehicles An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike, or simply a quad, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is strad ...

, armored vehicles, and prime movers. Amfibiebil m-1965 101 B

When such a vehicle only has six wheels by definition all are driven. When it has ten – with two pairs of ganged "dual" wheels on each rear axle as on a GMC CCKW – all are also driven but the 6×6 designation remains. For most military applications where traction/mobility are considered more important than payload capability, single wheels on each axle (often referred to as super singles) are the norm. Heavy hauler and

ballast tractor A ballast tractor is a specially weighted tractor unit of a heavy hauler combination. It is designed to utilize a drawbar to pull or push heavy or exceptionally large trailer loads which are loaded in a hydraulic modular trailer. When feasible ...

6×6s have had a long history as prime movers both in the military (as tank transports and

artillery tractor An artillery tractor, also referred to as a gun tractor, is a specialized heavy-duty form of tractor unit used to tow artillery pieces of varying weights and calibres. It may be wheeled, tracked, or half-tracked. Traction There are two ...

s), and commercially in logging and heavy equipment hauling both on- and

off-road Off-roading is the activity of driving or riding in a vehicle on unpaved surfaces such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain. Types of off-roading range in intensity, from leisure drives with unmodified vehicl ...

. Most six-wheel drive vehicles have a forward axle and two at the rear (with only the front pair steering), or three evenly spaced in varying steering configurations. Depending on the vehicle's role, the number of wheels varies between six (in three pairs) and ten (with two in the front and two dual axles with four wheels apiece in the rear). Drive may be limited to the rear two axles for on-road use.

Examples

Military * British Alvis FV600 series:

Saladin Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadi () ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known by the epithet Saladin,, ; ku, سه‌لاحه‌دین, ; was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from an ethnic Kurdish family, he was the first of both Egypt an ...

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia ...

Salamander Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All t ...

and Stalwart * Finland Sisu SA-240 & SA-241 * French

Renault TRM 10000 The Renault TRM 10000 is a truck used by the French armed forces since 1987. It is utilized both as a troop transport and logistics vehicle. History Production of the TRM 10000 began in 1985. It was developed from the TRM 9000, which was a 9 ...

* French

ACMAT ACMAT (''Ateliers de Construction Mécanique de L'Atlantique'', also known as ALM-ACMAT) ( en, Atlantic Mechanical Engineering Workshops) is a French manufacturer of cross-country and tactical military vehicles since 1958. Known for their reliabi ...

VLRA * German Mercedes-Benz G300 CDI G-Class 6x6 * German MAN/RMMV SX44 * German MAN LX and FX * German RMMV HX58, HX61 & HX42M * Austrian

Pinzgauer High Mobility All-Terrain Vehicle The Pinzgauer is a family of high-mobility all-terrain 4WD (4×4) and 6WD (6×6) military utility vehicles. The vehicle was originally developed in the late 1960s and manufactured by Steyr-Daimler-Puch of Graz, Austria, and was named after ...

* Italian

Astra Veicoli Industriali Astra Veicoli Industriali S.p.A. (Anonima Sarda TRAsporti) is an Italian company that produces trucks, heavy transport vehicles and military vehicles. Astra was privately founded in 1946 in Cagliari, and since 1986 has been part of Iveco. In 195 ...

tactical range SM66.40 * Poland

Star 266 The Star 266 is a Polish 6x6 truck designed for transport of cargo and personnel. Created by Starachowice-based FSC Star, it was the basic transport truck used by the Polish Army, it was also available to civilian market. A successor to a highly s ...

* Serbian FAP 2026 * U.S. M25 tank transporter * U.S.

Mack NO Mack may refer to: People * Mack (given name) * Mack (surname) * Reinhold Mack, German record producer and sound engineer, often credited as simply "Mack" * Richard Machowicz (1965–2017), host of ''FutureWeapons'' and ''Deadliest Warrior'', know ...

heavy cargo truck * U.S. CCKW ton medium cargo truck * U.S.

M35 M35, M.35 or M-35 may refer to: Military * M35 series 2½-ton 6×6 cargo truck, a US Army truck * , a Royal Navy mine countermeasures vessel launched in 1982 * ADGZ or ''M35 Mittlere Panzerwagen'', a 1930s Austrian Army heavy armored car * Cannone ...

ton medium cargo truck * U.S.

M561 The Gama Goat was a six-wheel drive semi-amphibious off-road vehicle originally developed for use by the US military in the Vietnam War. The Goat uses an articulated chassis, so that from distance it appears to be a four-wheel drive vehicle pu ...

Gama Goat * U.S. M939 heavy cargo truck * U.S. MTVR all-terrain cargo truck * U.S. FMTV MTV * U.S. M123/123A, M125/125A prime mover/heavy cargo truck * Indian

Ashok Leyland FAT 6×6 The Ashok Leyland FAT 6×6 is an all-terrain military truck developed and produced by Indian automobile manufacturer Ashok Leyland. Designed for towing heavy artillery guns, it will replace the aging fleet of Scania SBAT111S used by the Indian ...

cargo truck Military/commercial * Canada

Western Star Trucks Western Star Trucks Sales, Inc. is an American truck manufacturer headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and a subsidiary of Daimler Truck North America, which is in turn a wholly owned subsidiary of the Germany-based Daimler Truck. History In 196 ...

* Czech Tatra T815 * German

Mercedes-Benz Actros The Mercedes-Benz Actros is a heavy-duty truck introduced by Mercedes-Benz at the 1996 Commercial Vehicle IAA in Hanover, Germany as the replacement for the SK. It is normally used for long-distance haulage, heavy duty distribution haulage ...

* German Mercedes-Benz Zetros * Russian Ural-4320 * Russian ZIL-131 * Ukrainian KrAZ-255 * U.S. Oshkosh M911 (also produced as 8x6 with a liftable second axle) Commercial * Commercial 6×6 prime movers were made by Hayes Manufacturing and Pacific Trucks. which also produced heavy haul

s. The

Freightliner Business Class M2 The Freightliner Business Class M2 is a model range of medium-duty trucks produced by Freightliner. In production since June 2002, the M2 is the successor to the FL-Series introduced in the 1990s. In terms of size, the M2 is produced in Cla ...

is a commercial medium-duty truck sold in the United States and available in a 6×6 configuration. Conversions * Six-by-six conversions of four-wheel drive trucks are made, such as the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (CA), who ...

Perentie The perentie (''Varanus giganteus'') is the largest monitor lizard or goanna native to Australia. It is one of the largest living lizards on earth, after the Komodo dragon, Asian water monitor, crocodile monitor, and intersecting by size with ...

Land Rover Defender The Land Rover Defender (initially introduced as the Land Rover 110 / One Ten, and in 1984 joined by the Land Rover 90 / Ninety, plus the new, extra-length Land Rover 127 in 1985) is a series of British off-road cars and pick-up truck, pickup ...

and "Landcruiser Sherman"), as are 6×4 versions (with only front and rear or front and middle axles driven). Recreational ATV/UTV *

Polaris Industries Polaris Inc. is an American automotive manufacturer of RZR, motorcycles, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, and neighborhood electric vehicles headquartered in Medina, Minnesota, United States. Polaris was founded in Roseau, Minnesota, where ...

has produced a number of six-wheel drive

ATVs ATV may refer to: Broadcasting * Amateur television *Analog television Television stations and companies * Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra * ATV (Armenia) * ATV (Aruba), NBC affiliate * ATV (Australian TV station), Melbourne * ATV (Austria) * A ...

and UTVs for many years, based on a standard Magnum, Sportsman or Ranger with an extra axle and a cargo box over the rear wheels.

Concept cars

Concept car A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or ...

testbed A testbed (also spelled test bed) is a platform for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of scientific theories, computational tools, and new technologies. The term is used across many disciplines to describe experimental res ...

, and limited production commercial examples include: * Hennessey Ford

VelociRaptor ''Velociraptor'' (; ) is a genus of small dromaeosaurid dinosaur that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous epoch, about 75 million to 71 million years ago. Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in th ...

6×6, with a 30-inch extended frame and six driven wheels.
6x6 Six Wheel Drive Jeep.
Fully custom chassis, body and drive-line. Twin front axle *

Ford Seattle-ite XXI The Ford Seattle-ite XXI was a 3/8 scale concept car designed by Alex Tremulis and displayed on 20 April 1962 on the Ford stand at the Seattle World's Fair. Description The car contained novel ideas that have since become reality: interchangeab ...

(concept car) * Tyrrell P34 Twin rear axle * Bogie-drive (Twin axle) 6x6 vehicles are built by 6x6 Australia Pty Ltd and have full load-sharing coil-spring rear suspension with full-time bogie-drive (Twin axle) drive in the rear, and an integrated "roll steer" function built into the suspension design. All 6x6 Australia Pty Ltd vehicles are ADR-compliant with IPA for both "heavy" and "light" vehicles. *

Dodge T-Rex The Dodge T-Rex is a Ram-based concept vehicle produced by Dodge in 1997 with three axles and six-wheel drive Six-wheel drive (6WD or 6×6) is an all-wheel drive drivetrain configuration of three axles with at least two wheels on each axle ca ...

* Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6 4x4 plus two without load-share, meaning far less wheel articulation for off-road, needing five differential locks to operate

Gallery

File:M25 Tank Transporter Dragon Wagon pic1.JPG, 10-wheel

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

6×6 Pacific Car & Foundry Co.-built M26 armored tank transporter tractor unit File:Deuce and a half truck.gif, 10-wheel U.S. Army 6×6

M35 2½ ton cargo truck M35, M.35 or M-35 may refer to: Military * M35 series 2½-ton 6×6 cargo truck, a US Army truck * , a Royal Navy mine countermeasures vessel launched in 1982 * ADGZ or ''M35 Mittlere Panzerwagen'', a 1930s Austrian Army heavy armored car * Cannone ...

, with one front and two rear axles File:Valmet 1502 six wheels.jpg, Six-wheeled

Valmet Valmet Oyj is a Finnish company and a developer and supplier of technologies, automation systems and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. Valmet has over 200 years of history as an industrial operator. Formerly owned by the S ...

1502 tractor, with a bogie axle at the rear File:Flickr - Official U.S. Navy Imagery - Marines on the move..jpg, 6-wheel U.S. Marines 6×6 MTVR, with one front and two rear axles File:Slovakia army 868.jpg, Unusual two forward and one rear axle configuration of the Czech

TATRAPAN The Tatrapan is a 6x6 special military vehicle produced by the Slovak defence industry company VYVOJ Martin Developed for various utilization by Slovak armed forces as well as export purposes. Design Tatrapan is an armoured off-road vehicle ...

File:KamAZ military tank transporter.jpg, A Russian KamAZ military tank transporter carrying an SU-85M File:Hayes Arbegui 2010.JPG, Hayes extra-heavy 6x6 (10-wheel) truck operated in Spain by Transportes Arbegui

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Six-Wheel Drive Car layouts Six-wheeled vehicles All-wheel-drive vehicles

Examples

Concept cars

Gallery

See also

Notes