It seems, although, that the automotive shopping for public doesn’t care that a lot in any respect if what lives beneath, say, their Audi is just like what lives beneath their Skoda. I’ve heard individuals say “it’s mainly a Volkswagen beneath” a few Skoda to persuade themselves they’ve bought a well-engineered finances automotive.
However I don’t assume I’ve heard somebody say the identical about their Porsche Cayenne. They appear contented that Porsche has completed additional work someplace and that it was price paying for.
And because it seems that few individuals appear to care both approach, in my expertise automotive makers right this moment appear much less guarded about speaking platforms and architectures than they was once.
That has made it a lot simpler to speak to designers and engineers about their vehicles. It has helped them to elucidate new fashions and helped us perceive them. It has additionally (and it’s doable that they like this much less) made it simpler to quiz them about upcoming variants, significantly in the case of sporty variations.
If we all know a selected engine suits or could make a specific amount of energy, or if we all know a platform has been made to accommodate four-wheel drive, then absolutely, engineer, you could possibly, you realize, make a GTI/R/RS/and many others, couldn’t you? Do inform us extra.
Typically that has prompted a transparent reply: “Sorry, mate, that platform can’t be four-wheel drive, and it might be too costly to engineer it in a different way for just some sporty vehicles, so there can be no actually quick variant of that automotive.”Within the case of EVs, issues aren’t fairly so simple.
4-wheel-drive EVs want solely a motor on the again, not a driveshaft from the entrance. But when the rear suspension, a subframe or the physique isn’t designed to accommodate one, it’s nonetheless an costly re-engineering job.
Or fairly it was. It seems that this explicit platform limitation may now not apply. It’s steered that the upcoming Volkswagen ID 2 R may have not solely a strong entrance motor but additionally a motor inside every rear wheel.
No room for a motor and a differential underneath the boot ground? No drawback: within the hub it might go. I hadn’t considered that earlier than, however I believe it mainly means nearly any platform might find yourself internet hosting any drive configuration {that a} producer chooses.
