The Ferrari FF has attracted a lot of attention at this year's Geneva Motor Show, mostly for its shooting-brake shape and top-of-the-range status. But for tech lovers, what really stands out about this car is the four-wheel-drive system under its skin, a first for a series production Ferrari model. Understanding how the system works beats everything else for engineering geeks, so Ferrari has offered us a detailed video on the 4WD system.
As the company previously stated, the 4RM configuration weighs 50 percent less than conventional four-wheel-drive systems and doesn't affect the ideal weight distribution (53/47 rear/front). When grip is high, torque is sent to the rear wheels only, as with any other Ferrari.
But when slippery conditions arise, the system automatically sends torque to the front wheels via a front-mounted transfer case called “Power Transfer Unit” (PTU). This takes power directly from the crankshaft (and not the rear-mounted gearbox) sending it to the front wheels through two clutches that also ensure the torque vectoring function. Sounds complicated? The video below explains it better.
By Dan Mihalascu
No comments:
Post a Comment