Let's say you got a front mounted engine AWD car and flipped the diffs upside down (left side becomes right side and vise versa), Would this make the car drive in the opposite direction?
From what I can figure out in my head it works . Then all you have to do is mount in backwards in a mini and you have a 2 seater, mid mount, AWD and engine dimensions are less of an issue because from the B pillars back is all engine bay .
I figure this is an easier and cheaper option for a donor car and spare parts too, EVO, Subaru/WRX.

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Why not put an extra idler gear in the gearbox to reverse the direction?

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Not too sure how you'd flip the front diff as I would've thought it'd be integral to the gearbox on an EVO, etc... Maybe something with independent diffs like a Land Cruiser would work

Or maybe you could find a rear/mid engine 4wd and transplant the bits into a mini...

Does such a beastie exist?

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VW Syncro van/ute springs to mind

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Biggest problem with your proposal is the engine location. Since the engine is forward of the front axle in front engine 4WD cars then it would end up hanging out of the boot in a mini sedan. Van or Hornet maybe, but sedan would be hard.

Bit like the 911 4wd system

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Yeah that's sort of what I was thinking but you'd need to see if you could make it short enough to fit in the back of the mini.

I was hoping that their was a common car that had a separate front diff, or one that could be easily moded .
Is their a major power delivery difference in a 4WD with transfer case set up? For example, 100hp through a Subaru set up or 100hp through a Suzuki sierra set up, would the suzi 4WD system loose more power in general through the drive train?

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Not sure on power losses, but id assume so.
The sierra (and most 4wds) have lockable front hubs. So to engage 4wd you need to engage 4 low or 4 high on the transfer case, then lock the hubs to make the front wheels turn. And you can only do it on loose surfaces as the gearbox winds up, as the wheels turn relative to each other. Similar idea to a locked diff.

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A transfer case is usually only found in offroad 4WDs now. Scooby doos and rEvolutions are constant AWD aren't they?

They use a viscous centre diff, then a diff at each end.
Land rover have done it since the 80s.
But theres always an option of a centre spool, but thats a lot of forces through the drivetrain.

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don't know why youi are talking about flipping diffs.
all you are talking about here is building a twini!

But if you want to see what a mid engine 4WD layout would be, look at the Lomborghini 4wd system or a Bugatti Veyron.

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If you mount a FWD engine longitudinioual - in line - run a shaft from the diff to the front and the rear, putt another diff on each end of the shaft. Wouldn't this give you a 4WD car with center diff?

I guess the uwual FWD engine & gearox would be smal enough to mount it long... in line in a Mini (making it a two seater of course).

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Damn thats a good idea. Have it rear engined. But weight balance could be a bit of a bitch to sort out. Its pretty substantial body mods though.

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