Quote:
Originally Posted by bruce.augenstein@comcast.
My knowledge of various awd systems being a bit superficial, perhaps I could use a little schooling here, as well as making sure of your position.
I should say that anecdotal evidence isn't worth much in terms of proof, but I'm a little surprised about your opinion because of my experience with our 2000 A6 4.2. This car's off-the-line performance was sluggish enough that I thought card-carrying members of the Anti-Destination League had infiltrated Audi's engineering department, but it was no slouch out on the road. In fact, on two separate occasions it managed to hold its own against a pair of 540s from a highway roll. Of course, it made more power (300 to 282), but it also weighed a fair bit more, it being a bigger car plus Quattro. Those bimmers could slaughter me off the line, but everywhere else, it was pretty even, with me seeming to have the upper hand as speeds rolled into triple-digit territory. The car wasn't anything special in terms of performance, either, running a best of 14.9 @ around 93 mph at the local drag strip, so it isn't as if I had a ringer or anything.
In any event, it didn't seem as if Quattro was hurting me a whole bunch, powerwise.
Can you tell me why Quattro suffers more power loss than, say, the awd in your bimmer? Is it the Torsen center diff? If not, what is it?
Thanks,
Bruce
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Ha! I traded my 2001 A6 4.2 Quattro for the 335xi. From my butt dyno, clearly not all 300 hp cars are equal and not all AWD systems are equal.
I remember a run I had when I was alot younger and dumber in Mexico, I could barely keep up with a E46 325 at higher speeds on the Highway.
The 335xi's allows torque spliting front to rear up to 100% while the present is something like 30/70:F/R, I believe I read somewhere at high speeds, the torque up front goes to zero.
BTW, a A6 4.2 on paper is very similar to a 335xi. Both have 300 hp and about 300 ft pounds of torque. The A6 weighs 3638 pounds and the 335xi weighs over 3700 pounds.... But the 335xi is in the 13s and traps over 100 mph....this couldn't be clearer data that something is intercepting the power between the flywheels and the wheels.