Quiz: what the hell has peasant gone and bought now?

peasant

Augeo wrote: »

All grip isn't permanent 4x4 though is it? .....

It is...and it isn't.
A viscous coupling is sort of Schroedingers cat of 4x4 systems

(My old Syncro had a viscous coupling too, so I have a bit of experience with this system)

Due to the high viscosity of the fluid in the coupling, the system is never FWD (or RWD) only...at least 2-3% of the force go through the coupling to the other axle at all times.

The higher the speed, the bigger the force becomes (sources vary, but about 10% at higher road speeds seems to be an agreed number)

As soon as you have speed differences between front and rear, the system can go from 2-3% to 50/50 in a split second...the higher the speed at which this happens, the shorter the reaction time.

Hardcore 4x4 enthusiasts aren't fans of viscous couplings as at low speeds the transition sometimes doesn't happen quick enough for them. This is particularly an issue on sand. Driving slowly on sand, all the main driven axle needs sometimes is one or two rotations to become completely dug in, in those situations the viscous coupling may not be quick enough to prevent that from happening and the force is only transferred to the other axle once it's too late and the vehicle is already half stuck...two more rotations and it's all over on both axles.

For normal road usage and light offroading on bad roads a viscous coupling is more than good enough and can really be seen as permanent 4x4...it will be there when you need it. At the same time is more flexible and forgiving than a solid connection and allows usage in sharp turns / on dry roads and other taxing conditions without binding or breaking things in the drivetrain.

Another advantage is that it is a simple and pretty much unbreakable system...no electronics, no complicated gears to go wrong.

Worst case scenario the coupling will go soft or hard over time and you just replace it for a few hundred 10-20 years down the line.

Great explanation, very informative.
Thank you

peasant

So, how slow is a naturally aspirated 1.2 with 90 PS?

10.3s 0- 100 km/h

12.4s 50 - 120 km/h (in 3rd gear)
7.5s 80 - 120 km/h (again in 3rd gear)

plenty fast enough methinks


or you could approach the whole acceleration issue in a more sedate fashion and in higher gears

obviously not my videos nor have I verified the times, but it feels about right



On another note:

I still get startled when I walk up to the little red wonder in a carpark full of other cars how very TINY it is in comparison :eek: ...it feels so much bigger from the inside

alias no.9

Well wear. I like the styling on the Ignis with a blend of retro and modern touches, neither overdone, cleverly concealing the practicality. We all remember the Wagon R which failed miserably on that front.