Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano: soon with 4WD?
Ferrari is in the throes of developing a four-wheel drive system, according to Italiaspeed.
Dubbed ‘insertable 4x4’, the aim is to remove the frictional drive-train losses that accrue from permanent 4WD -- although there's not much you can do about the extra weight it entails.
Ferrari reckons that it's created a setup "which is easy and cost effective to implement, free from the drawbacks described above and which at the same time allows for an increase in performance, stability and traction control in all grip conditions."
The Prancing Horse reckons it wants to make its cars usable in all conditions, including those when poor grip prevails. "Insertable four wheel drive allows the driver to decide whether to use rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive", said Modena.
But, said Ferrari, drivers cannot always know about hazards such as sheet ice. So the default is for the car to run using RWD but the front wheels are connected via a second clutch that decouples them from the rear wheels most of the time.
The insertable transmission system transfers torque to the front wheels when a difference between the rotation speed of the front and rear wheels occurs -- effectively when the driving wheels slip. Additionally, there's a range of sensors that detect yaw and acceleration.
The system works with both front and mid-engined layouts. While there's no information about when, or even if, such a system is likely to form part of a Ferrari road car, it's clear that Fezza's taking a long hard look at four-wheel drive.
Maybe Ferrari MD Jean Todt is fed up of reading stories about Ferraris in high-speed crashes...