Porsche 944 meets Lotus 7?

[Huntsman]

So supposing someone built a Lotus 7esque car using the Porsche 944 engine and drive train?

The superb torque of the 944 lump, the balance of the rear transaxle, the light nimbleness of the Lotus 7?

• I'm right that the 944 is a rear transaxle? Hope so, if I'm wrong this thread is rubbish!

Fab or Rubbish?

[interloper]

The 944 four pot is a surprisingly long engine and when you are building a seven, torque isn't really a great consideration. A modern compact four cylinder is much more desirable, especially for weight distribution.

Also you would need to shorten the torque tube (prop shaft) otherwise you would have a rather long seven, the rear mounted transaxle would eat into fuel tank space, although it would aid traction.

Interesting idea but pretty flawed.

[MarJay]

There is barely any room under a 'caterfield' chassis for a diff, let alone an entire transaxle!

You may have clearance issues. Plus, I suspect if it offered any kind of performance advantage someone would have incorporated it in a 7 style kit caterfield thingy.

[tr7v8]

A guy on a US Locust forum was building a 924 based car. It looked pretty good & he sold it on before completion for I think family reasons.
Thread is here http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35...
I keep thinking of this since I have heaps of 944 bits in the garage.

[Sam_68]

MarJay said:

There is barely any room under a 'caterfield' chassis for a diff, let alone an entire transaxle!

:cough:



...there was also a Lola Mk. 1 replica called the Summerfield Solar, back in the early 90's, that used an Alfa transaxle, and I know of a couple of spaceframe Westfields with transaxles, too.

[NJH]

Not a great idea really, all of the components are very heavy. The torque tube for example is unbelievably heavy for what it is, we didn't weigh mine during the race car build but my brother reckoned as heavy as the gearbox. A 944 engine-torque tube-gearbox combo must be a good 300Kg, then if you elect to use the 944 torsion bar carrier and banana arms for your suspension its worse still as again its a very heavy rear suspension setup. Another point to consider is that the 944 is a dumb bell layout car, in other words quite a lot of the engine and gearbox sits outside the front and rear axle lines. If you imagine a gearbox that would typically sit behind an engine, but now move it back several feet then you have a 944 gearbox, ISTR it has a historical connection to the gearboxes used in Audi saloons back then. Lastly none of these components are going to be anything near new, a rebuild of a 944 engine for example is almost certainly going to cost more then a new Ford engine. The components are massively over engineered and very strong when used in a 1200Kg or so Porsche race car, total over kill in something light weight like a 7.

[T89 Callan]

944 engines are surprisingly big and the torque tube would make the job a nightmare.

I wouldn't consider it a particulary good kit car drivetrain.