New Focus. Torque Vectoring?
Discussion
Just saw an advert for a Ford Focus, apparently it has 'torque vectoring control' as standard.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but surely 'torque vectoring' is just a fancy new name for a limited slip differential, which has been fitted to many cars, as standard, since (I'd guess) the 1960's.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but surely 'torque vectoring' is just a fancy new name for a limited slip differential, which has been fitted to many cars, as standard, since (I'd guess) the 1960's.
It's just a progression of the traction control/stability systems that use the ABS to brake individual wheels. In this case it simply applies some braking to the inside front wheel in a corner. Pretty much just a software update of the stability control system, but called "Torque vectoring" by the marketing t
ts to make it sound like something really impressive.
ts to make it sound like something really impressive.I'm not 100% sure, but I think it's a kind of traction control. It monitors both of the front wheel speeds, and and if one of the wheels starts to wheelspin (usually the inside wheel), it applies the brakes to that wheel. That, in theory, sends more torque to the other wheel and retains better grip. I suppose it's the same principle as ABS, but sort of opposite.
QuackHandle said:
O/T - I don't know why, and I'm probably in the minority here, but auto-parking and the like really annoys me, what's wrong with driving into a parking space? I wouldn't be able to trust it, no matter how thoroughly it had been tested.
It only reverse parks itself 
once its found a space big enough & less than a foot to spare it will do it. Though you do have to do the pedals QuackHandle said:
O/T - I don't know why, and I'm probably in the minority here, but auto-parking and the like really annoys me, what's wrong with driving into a parking space? I wouldn't be able to trust it, no matter how thoroughly it had been tested.
Being a modern car you probably need it as you will have fk all rear or side visibility 
New golfs have had the park assist for a while, seems it does a fine job of kerbing the alloys if you look aroud.
Never really seen the point of it for me or parking sensors on smaller cars, made sense on my e60 when I couldnt really spot the ends of it but in a golf/focus with a flattish hatch, pdc or anything else is a waste of money imo.
Never really seen the point of it for me or parking sensors on smaller cars, made sense on my e60 when I couldnt really spot the ends of it but in a golf/focus with a flattish hatch, pdc or anything else is a waste of money imo.
littleredrooster said:
That's clever. How does it split the power between the wheels, then?
There are two types of TVC - one uses the brakes (as on the Focus), while the other from GKN is more complicated:"Two units per axle provide the requested vectoring torque by a superimposition planetary gear set electronically controlled at the ZF system level by an electric motor actuated clutch. GKN Driveline's actuator hardware consists of a wet clutch and a two-stage ball ramp mechanism to achieve the accuracy within the required response time."
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