Transaxle

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Transaxle

A transaxle, in the automotive field, is a major mechanical component which combines the functionality of the transmission

Transmission (mechanics)

Using the principle of mechanical advantage, transmissions provide a speed-torque conversion from a higher speed motor to a slower but more forceful output or vice-versa....
, the differential

Differential (mechanics)

A differential is a device, usually but not necessarily employing gears, capable of transmitting torque and rotation through three shafts, almost always used in one of two ways....
and associated components of the driven axle
Axle

An axle is a central shaft for a rotation wheel or gear. In some cases the axle may be fixed in position with a bearing or bushing sitting inside the hole in the wheel or gear to allow the wheel or gear to rotate around the axle....
into one integrated assembly. Transaxles are near universal in all automobile configurations that have the engine placed at the same end of the car as the driven wheels: the front-engine, front-wheel drive layout, rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout and rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout arrangements.

Many mid

Mid-engine design

A mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile internal-combustion engine between the rear and front axles. Another term for this is mid-ship....
and rear-engined

Rear-engine design

In automobile design, a rear-engine design layout places the engine at the rear of the vehicle. The center of gravity of the engine itself is past the rear axle....
vehicles use a transverse engine

Transverse engine

A transverse engine is an engine in which the crankshaft is oriented side-to-side relative to the length of the vehicle. This is also sometimes called an east-west engine....
and transaxle, similar to a front wheel drive unit.

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Encyclopedia

A transaxle, in the automotive field, is a major mechanical component which combines the functionality of the transmission

Transmission (mechanics)

Using the principle of mechanical advantage, transmissions provide a speed-torque conversion from a higher speed motor to a slower but more forceful output or vice-versa....
, the differential

Differential (mechanics)

Mid-engine design

A mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile internal-combustion engine between the rear and front axles. Another term for this is mid-ship....
and rear-engined

Rear-engine design

Transverse engine

Longitudinal engine

In automotive engineering, a longitudinal engine, also sometimes known as a north-south engine, is an internal combustion engine in which the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, front to back....
and transaxle like Ferrari

Ferrari

Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1928 as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles in 1947 as Ferrari Joint stock company....
's 1989 Mondial t

Ferrari Mondial

The Ferrari Mondial is a 2+2 coupe automobile produced by Ferrari from 1980 through 1993. It replaced the angular Ferrari GT4. The "Mondial" name came from Ferrari's history — the famed Ferrari 500 Mondial race car of the early 1950s....
which used a "t" arrangement with a longitudinal engine connected to a transverse transaxle, a design the company continues to this day. Front wheel drive versions of modern Audi

Audi

AUDI AG, is a Germany car manufacturer which produces cars under the Audi brand, . The name Audi is based on a latin translation of the last name of the founder August "Horch", itself the German word for ?hear." Another explanation for the origin of the name is as an acronym for ?Auto Union Deutschland Ingolstadt."...
s, from the A4 upwards also use a similar layout, but with the transaxle also mounted longitudinally.

FR transaxles

Front-engine, rear-wheel drive vehicles tend to have the transmission up front just after the engine, but sometimes a front engine drives a rear-mounted transaxle. This is generally done for reasons of weight distribution, and is therefore common on sports car

Sports car

A sports car is a term used to describe a class of automobile. The exact definition varies, but generally it is used to refer to a low to ground, light weight vehicle with a powerful engine....
s. Another advantage is that the driveshaft

Driveshaft

A drive shaft, driving shaft, propeller shaft, or Universal joint#History shaft is a mechanical component for transmitting torque and rotation, usually used to connect other components of a drive train that cannot be connected directly because of distance or the need to allow for relative movement between them....
has only to endure the torque

Torque

Torque is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis . Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
of the engine instead of that torque multiplied by the 1st gear ratio

Gear ratio

The gear ratio is the relationship between the number of teeth on two gears that are meshed or two sprockets connected with a common roller chain, or the circumferences of two pulleys connected with a drive belt ....
, although it is therefore spinning at engine speed. This design was pioneered in the 1934 Škoda Popular and then in the 1950 Lancia Aurelia

Lancia Aurelia

The Lancia Aurelia is considered by many to be the first true Gran Turismo automobile. Designed by Vittorio Jano, the Aurelia was launched in 1950 and production lasted through the summer of 1958....
, designed by the legendary Vittorio Jano

Vittorio Jano

Vittorio Jano was an Italians automobile designer of Hungarian people descent from the 1920s through 1960s.Jano was born Viktor J?nos in San Giorgio Canavese, in Piedmont, to Hungarian immigrants, who arrived there several years before the birth of Jano....
. Since this placement of the gearbox is unsuitable for a live axle

Live axle

A live axle, sometimes called a solid axle, is a type of beam axle suspension that uses the driveshafts that transmit power to the wheels to connect the wheels laterally so that they move together as a unit....
(due to excessive unsprung weight

Unsprung weight

In a ground vehicle with a suspension , the unsprung weight is the mass of the suspension, wheels or Caterpillar tracks , and other components directly connected to them, rather than supported by the suspension....
), the rear suspension

Suspension (vehicle)

Suspension is the term given to the system of spring , shock absorbers and Linkage that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose ? contributing to the car's car handling and brake for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants comfortable and reasonably well isolated from road no...
is either independent

Independent suspension

Independent suspension is a broad term for any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically independently of each other....
or uses a de Dion tube

De Dion tube

A de Dion tube is an automobile suspension technology. It is a sophisticated form of non-independent suspension and is a considerable improvement over the alternative swing axle and Hotchkiss drive types....
(notably in the Alfa Romeos). The Nissan GT-R

Nissan GT-R

The Nissan GT-R is a sports car created by Nissan Motors, released in Japan on 6 December 2007, United States July 07, 2008, and expected to be released in the rest of the world by March 2009....
is unique in that it uses a rear transaxle with an AWD layout, the transaxle in this case also contains the differential sending power back to the front wheels via a separate driveshaft.

Notable FR vehicles with a transaxle design include:

1914-1939 Stutz Bearcat
Stutz Bearcat

The Stutz Bearcat was an United States luxury high-performance sports car made by the Stutz Motor Company. An evolution of the company's 1911 prototype roadster and Indianapolis 500 racer, the Bearcat name lasted from 1912 through 1924 and the DV-32 Straight-8 powered Bearcats and Super Bearcats of 1931-33....
1934-1944 Škoda Popular and Škoda Rapid
1946-1952 Škoda Tudor and Škoda 1101
1950-1958 Lancia Aurelia
Lancia Aurelia

The Lancia Aurelia is considered by many to be the first true Gran Turismo automobile. Designed by Vittorio Jano, the Aurelia was launched in 1950 and production lasted through the summer of 1958....
1951-1956 Pegaso Z-102
Pegaso Z-102

The Pegaso Z-102 was a sports car coup? produced in Spain between 1951 and 1958....
1961-1963 Pontiac Tempest
Pontiac Tempest

The Pontiac Tempest was an entry-level compact car automobile produced by the Pontiac of General Motors, introduced in September 1960 for the 1961 model year....
1964-1968 Ferrari 275
Ferrari 275

The Ferrari 275 was a 2-seat FR layout Gran Turismo automobile produced by Ferrari between 1964 and 1968. It used a 3.3 L Ferrari Colombo engine 60? V12 engine and produced 280-300 hp....
1968-1973 Ferrari Daytona
Ferrari Daytona

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4, better known by the unofficial name Ferrari Daytona, is a Gran Turismo automobile produced from 1968 to 1973. It was first introduced to the public at the Mondial de l'Automobile in 1968 and replaced the Ferrari 275 but, although it was also a Pininfarina design , the Daytona was radically different....
1972-1987 Alfa Romeo Alfetta
Alfa Romeo Alfetta

The Alfa Romeo Alfetta is a rear-wheel drive executive saloon car and fastback coup? produced from 1972 until 1987 by Alfa Romeo. It was popular due to its combination of a modest design with powerful engines, selling over 400,000 units until the end of its production run, but in the final years its sales were down due to Alfa Romeo's reliabi...
and Alfa Romeo 90
Alfa Romeo 90

The Alfa Romeo 90 is an executive car produced by the Italy automaker Alfa Romeo between 1984 and 1987.Designed by Bertone and introduced at the 1984 Turin Motor Show, the 90 was pitched between the Alfa Romeo Alfetta and the Alfa Romeo Alfa 6, both of which were soon discontinued after the 90's launch....
1976-1991 Volvo 300 series
Volvo 300 series

The Volvo 300 series was a rear wheel drive automobile sold as both a hatchback and a conventional sedan from 1976-1991. It was launched in The Netherlands shortly after Volvo Cars acquired a major stake in the passenger car division of DAF Trucks in 1973....
1976-1988 Porsche 924
Porsche 924

The Porsche 924 is an automobile produced by Porsche Aktiengesellschaft of Germany from 1976 to 1988. A two-door, 2+2 coup?, the 924 replaced the Porsche 914 as the company's entry-level model, and was the model that finally retired the Porsche 912....
1977-1992 Alfa Romeo Giulietta
Alfa Romeo Giulietta (nuova)

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta is an automobile manufactured by the Italy car maker Alfa Romeo. The car was introduced in 1977 and while it took its name from the original Alfa Romeo Giulietta of 1954 to 1965, it was a new design based on the Alfa Romeo Alfetta chassis ....
and Alfa Romeo 75
Alfa Romeo 75

The Alfa Romeo 75, sold in North America as the Milano, was a compact car sports sedan / compact executive car produced by the Italy automaker Alfa Romeo between 1985 and 1992....
1978-1995 Porsche 928
Porsche 928

The Porsche 928 is a grand tourer automobile sold by Porsche Aktiengesellschaft of Germany from model year 1978 to MY 1995, during which time it was one of their most expensive offerings....
1982-1995 Porsche 944
Porsche 944

The 944 is a sports car built by Porsche from 1982 to 1991. It replaced the Porsche 924 as Porsche's entry level model, although 924 production continued through 1988....
and Porsche 968
Porsche 968

The 968 is a sports car sold by Porsche Aktiengesellschaft from 1992 to 1995, it took over the entry-level position in Porsche's lineup from the Porsche 944, with which it shared about 20% of its parts....
1989-1991 Alfa Romeo SZ
Alfa Romeo SZ

The Alfa Romeo SZ or ES-30 was a high performance limited production sports car/road-concept car built between 1989 and 1991 with partnership via Centro Stile Zagato, Centro Stile Alfa Romeo and Centro Stile Fiat....
1992-2003 Ferrari 456
Ferrari 456

The Ferrari 456 and 456 M is a high-performance Ferrari FR layout grand tourer. The 456 was produced from 1992 until 2003. It was an overdue replacement for the defunct FR layout Ferrari 412 as the company's premium 4-seat V12 car....
1996-2005 Ferrari 550
Ferrari 550

The Ferrari 550 Maranello and 550 Barchetta were 2-seat Gran Turismo sports cars built by Ferrari. Introduced in 1996, the 550 was an upmarket Front-engine design V12 engine coupe of the kind not seen since the Ferrari Daytona....
/575M
Ferrari 575M Maranello

The Ferrari 575 M Maranello is a two-seat, two-door, grand tourer sports car built by Ferrari. Launched in 2002, it is essentially an updated Ferrari 550 featuring minor styling changes from Pininfarina....
1997-up Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette

The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car that has been manufactured by General Motors since 1953. The car was originally designed by Harley Earl, and named by Myron Scott after the fast corvette....
1997-1999 Panoz Esperante GTR-1
Panoz Esperante GTR-1

The Panoz Esperante GTR-1 was a race car developed by Panoz and Reynard Motorsport for grand tourer endurance racing in 1997. Although named after the Panoz Esperante roadster, the GTR-1 actually bore no mechanical relation to the production Esperante, instead sharing only minor styling points....
2003-up Aston Martin DB9
Aston Martin DB9

The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer launched by Aston Martin in 2004.The DB9 is the first new car to be built at Aston's Gaydon facility. The name "DB" stems from David Brown , the owner of Aston Martin for a significant part of its history....
2004-2005 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is a Gran Turismo produced by Ferrari since 2004. It is a large two door fastback coup?. The 612 Scaglietti was designed to replace the smaller Ferrari 456; its larger size makes it a true 4 seater with adequate space in the rear seats for adults....
2004-up Cadillac XLR
Cadillac XLR

The XLR is a retractable hardtop convertible marketed by the Cadillac division of General Motors, assembled in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Based on the GM Y platform automobile platform shared with the Chevrolet Corvette, the XLR uses the Cadillac Northstar engine rather than the GM LS2 engine found in the Corvette — along with its own st...
2004-up Maserati Quattroporte
Maserati Quattroporte

The Maserati Quattroporte is a luxury four-door sedan made by Maserati of Italy. The name translated from Italian literally means "Wiktionary:quattro Wiktionary:porta#Italian"....
2005-up Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Aston Martin V8 Vantage may refer to:* Aston Martin V8 Vantage * Aston Martin Virage * Aston Martin V8 Vantage ...
2006-up Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

The 599 GTB Fiorano is an Italian grand tourer produced by Ferrari. It is the brand's 2-seat Gran Turismo flagship model, replacing the Ferrari 575M Maranello in 2006 as a 2007 model year....

RR Transaxles

Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layoutis the preferred layout for Dune Buggy

Dune buggy

File:Beach buggy 1.jpgFile:Presdunebuggy.jpgA dune buggy is a recreational vehicle with large wheels, and wide tires, designed for use on sand dunes or beaches....
, Sandrail

Sandrail

A sandrail, or sand rail, or sandcar, or "rail" is a lightweight motor vehicle specifically built for traveling across sandy terrain. It's most popular to operate a Sandrail in actual sand dunes, like Algodones Dunes, Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes and Rasor Off-Highway Vehicle Area in California, St....
, and most other non-truck based race cars used in Off-road racing

Off-road racing

Off-road racing is a format of racing where various classes of specially modified vehicles compete in races through off-road environments....
. Mendeola Transaxles and Fortin Racing both from San Diego, Ca. are the largest providers of aftermarket transaxles for play and racing applications.

Four-wheel drive

1984-1986 Ford RS200
Ford RS200

The Ford RS200 is a mid-engined, four-wheel drive sports car produced by Ford Motor Company from 1984 through 1986. The road-going RS200 was based on Ford's Group B rally car and was designed to comply with FIA homologation regulations, which required 200 road legal versions be built....
- mid-engined, with the gearbox in the front;
2007-up Nissan GT-R
Nissan GT-R

The Nissan GT-R is a sports car created by Nissan Motors, released in Japan on 6 December 2007, United States July 07, 2008, and expected to be released in the rest of the world by March 2009....
- front-engined, with the gearbox in the rear.

Transaxle

FR transaxles

RR Transaxles

Four-wheel drive

See also