To be a little more precise, Audi developed 4WD for Volkswagen starting in
1976 with the VW Iltis project.  The real funny thing is the Audi and
Volkswagen did not pay for the R+D of this - the German Army did!

The Iltis 4WD system is really neat!  The Iltis is a front engine (75hp 1.7L
solid lifter Golf engine) rear wheel drive "jeep".  The transmission is a
modified Audi LS100 transmission that has R-G-1-2-3-4.  On either side of
the e-brake handle are two leavers.  The leaver on the passenger side
engages the front wheels for four wheel drive - normally the Iltis is rear
wheel drive.  The leaver on the driver side engages the rear differential
lock in the German and Canadian Army vehicles and it also locks the front
differential in the Belgian and some civil versions (very rare) of the
Iltis.  Visually the Iltis 4WD system looks a lot like the Quattro system.
The rear differential is visually 100% identical along with the drive shaft
as compared to the 1980 ur-Quattro.  After the Iltis went into production in
1978 for the German army Audi started to make it more civilized by adding a
user lockable center differential (for a total of three diffs) as opposed to
a on/off front differential, in later years of the quattro system Audi
switched to a torsen differential for better power "splitting".  The Audi
quattro system is superior to the Iltis 4WD system in my opinion.  My future
project for an Iltis is to install an Audi 80 2.0L engine with the Quattro
drive train... should be an interesting project!

Syncro has several different flavours, T2 (Vanagon with VC), A2 and A3 (Golf
with VC), B3 and B4 (Passat with VC) and B5 (Passat with Audi quattro).  The
front engine cars have more in common with the Audi quattro system than the
T2 Syncro system does.  The major difference between the Syncro and quattro
drive trains is the Viscous Coupler as opposed to a locking differential to
transfer power from the front to the rear (or vice versa).

-- David Marshall - Volkswagen Enthusiast - Quesnel, BC, Canada   --
-- 78 VW Rabbit, 79 VW Iltis, 80 VW Caddy, 84 VW Westfalia        --
-- 85 VW Cabriolet, 87 Audi 5000 Quattro, 88 VW Syncro Double Cab --
-- David's Volkswagen Home Page        http://www.volkswagen.org  --
-- Fast Forward Autobahn Sport Tuning  http://www.fastforward.ca  --
-- david@volkswagen.org (pmail) or vanagon@volkswagen.org (list)  --

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of JordanVw@AOL.COM
Sent: October 29, 2000 5:57 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: What is an Audi Quattro......?

In a message dated 10/29/00 3:43:26 AM Eastern Standard Time,
ingalls_mark@HOTMAIL.COM writes:

<< What is and Audi Quattro? >>

LOL!!   Audi is the company that pioneered the AWD system. Tho subaru put
the
AWD into their vehicles first in the late '70's, audi followed right behind
them around '80 with a more refined system. ive owned 2 audi turbo quattros
before, and the all wheel drive system is virtually bulletproof..well made..
Also, ive been on the quattro list for about 4 or 5 yrs now, and i never
hear
about quattro owners having problems w/ the all wheel drive, (wish i could
say the same for the rest of the car :<)
chris
'86 audi 5kt
a few vw vans