| Honda has come up with the most amazing
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| | More power to outer rear wheel for better
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| 4-wheel-drive system, not for off-roaders
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| | cornering
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| but to improve the handling and stability
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| | The side-to-side variation in power is
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| of fast cars. It is being used first in
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| | used to improve cornering power and
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| the new Acura RL (Honda Legend).
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| | stability. For example, when you
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| Why is it so advanced? This SH-AWD system
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| | accelerate through a corner, extra power
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| has the potential to increase cornering
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| | through the outer rear wheel counteracts
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| power and cornering safety by leaps and
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| | understeer, letting the car corner on
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| bounds. It will be ideal for supercars as
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| | rails. In fact, stability control systems
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| well as luxury coupes.(More information
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| | used on many cars now do this by reducing
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| about supercars at )
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| | the amount of torque sent to the inner
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| First, it allows the amount of power sent
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| | wheel – this means that you
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| to the wheels to be varied from 30% front
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| | actually corner slower than you could do.
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| and 70% rear to 70% front and 30% rear.
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| | SH-AWD lets you corner faster.
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| True, some other systems get near that,
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| | On the over-run, you don't need that, and
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| but this allows the system to adjust
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| | less power is sent through the outer
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| itself to completely different
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| | wheel for optimum stability. But that
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| conditions. On top of that, it can alter
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| | isn't enough because when a car corners,
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| the torque from zero to 100% to the left
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| | the outer wheels have to travel further
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| or right rear wheel.
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| | than the inner ones – by 5-10% on
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| In other words, all the power can one to
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| | very tight corners, so the outer wheel
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| the right wheel one minute, and if
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| | normally goes slower.
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| necessary can be reversed so that all the
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| | Honda overcomes this with some gears in
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| power goes to the other wheel in an
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| | the back axle gear set which actually
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| instant. This might be needed in slushy
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| | drive the outer wheel faster when
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| or snowy conditions, where there was a
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| | cornering! This improves maneuverability
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| patch of bare road for a bit on one side
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| | and cornering at low speeds.
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| offering good grip, but a bit later on a
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| | Electro-magnetic multi-plate clutches
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| bare patch on the other side.
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| | All this is accomplished by multi-plate
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| In addition to those features, the outer
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| | clutches operated electro-magnetically
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| rear wheel can be speeded up so that it
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| | – a world first – and the
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| goes faster than the inside wheel! All
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| | gear/clutch set used for acceleration. In
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| done continuously depending on
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| | fact, these gears also serve as the rear
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| conditions. A few years ago this would
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| | differential.
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| have considered desirable, but science
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| | An advantage of the electro-magnetic
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| fiction.
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| | clutches is that the electronic
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| More power to the rear wheel for
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| | controller does not need to control a
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| acceleration
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| | hydraulic actuation system as used
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| Confused? Well, let's start with the
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| | normally but an electric actuator –
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| front-to-rear power. When you accelerate,
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| | this reduces cost and weight.
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| the weight of the car is thrown on to the
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| | Is this the best thing since sliced
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| back wheels by the force of acceleration,
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| | bread? For the person who wants to have
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| so you want more power to go to the back
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| | stability and control, and doesn't want
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| wheels – if it all goes to the
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| | to know what is happening to the car
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| front you get wheelspin. When cornering,
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| | -yes. Such a system is bound to reduce
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| you generally want as much or more power
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| | the input the driver gets from the road.
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| to the rear wheels. SH-AWD does that.
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| | He will be less aware of whether the
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| On the other hand, when you are cruising
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| | surface is slippery, or whether the car
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| along, you want more power to the front
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| | is understeering more than usual because
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| wheels as this increases stability.
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| | the SH-AWD system is correcting things
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| SH-AWD also does that.
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| | all the time.
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