History of Porsche All-Wheel Drive Performance
Daily Slideshow: Porsche built one of the very first all-wheel-drive cars in history. And over the years, they've perfected that technology.
From the Beginning
When you think of all-wheel drive performance, you undoubtedly think about Porsche. But did you know that the iconic German automaker actually built one of the very first all-wheel-drive cars in history?
Ferdinand Porsche himself designed and built the Lohner-Porsche racing car, which utilized four electric wheel-hub motors. And that way ahead of its time vehicle was just the beginning of what is a storied AWD timeline for the brand.
Type 360
In 1967, Porsche developed the Type 360, more commonly known as the Cisitalia racing car. With a supercharged 12-cylinder engine and incredibly lightweight construction, this would have been a competent racer in its own right. But the addition of part-time all-wheel drive took this car to the next level.
959
Fast forward to 1981, and Porsche was experimenting with implementing all-wheel-drive technology in road-going cars. They developed an AWD 911 Turbo Cabriolet for the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, then installed a part-time AWD system in the Type 953 racer for the Paris-Dakar rally.
That same drivetrain technology then trickled down to the legendary 959, which employed center-differential lock and rear differential locks that were actuated both manually and automatically.
964
Just a few years later, in 1988, the very first all-wheel-drive 911 was finally upon us. The Type 964 was the first series-production car with all-wheel drive, and it featured a rather innovative design- what Porsche referred to as “differential slip-controlled” drive across all four wheels.
993
For 1994, Porsche built on the 964's all-wheel-drive design with the 993 generation 911 Carrera 4. And for the first time ever, the 911 Turbo was available in all-wheel drive. Porsche's new AWD design focused on reducing weight, which made it the lightest all-wheel-drive system on the market when it debuted.
996
The 993's AWD design carried over to the 996-gen 911 but featured a viscous coupling which ran in the oil bath of the front axle drive unit. That allowed for more effective cooling, even under high load. Porsche also deleted the transaxle tube to further reduce weight and make room for water cooling pipes.
Cayenne
The Cayenne wasn't just a breakthrough as Porsche's very first SUV. It also employed some new and innovative all-wheel-drive technology. In basic mode, Porsche Traction Management (PTM) transmitted 62% of engine power to the rear wheels and 38% to the front wheels.
But using an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch operated by an electric motor as a variable center-differential lock, it was possible to vary the distribution ratio according to the driving situation. And thus, actively influence longitudinal and lateral dynamics.
997 Turbo
In 2006, PTM trickled down to the 911. Especially, in the 997 Turbo. There were some changes, of course. The core element employed here was an electromagnetically actuated multi-plate clutch that was used to transmit propulsion force to the front axle as required.
The clutch of the 911 Turbo was designed for a peak torque of 400 Newton meters, which in practice seems like overkill. Even at 300 Newton meters, the front wheels lost their grip on dry road surfaces and began to spin.
Macan
The basis of the 911's new PTM-equipped AWD technology has come full circle in the Macan and Panamera. Porsche continues to evolve these systems with every iteration, seeking to perfect the balance of power between all four wheels. After 30+ years of innovation, it's safe to say that we've come a long way from those early days of all-wheel drive performance!
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