Double the trouble, or twice as good?

"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse) 04/13/2015 at 15:22 • Filed to: Twin engine

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Over the years several people have got what seemed at the time to be a really good idea.

If your car goes well with an engine at one end driving one pair of wheels, wouldn't it go even better with another one at the other end driving the remaining wheels? Four wheel drive and twice the power. What's not to like?

Here's one of the few to be made in any number, the Citroen Sahara.

You want to know more? Well, go !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

You want more of these contraptions?

VW built two bimotor Mk2 Sciroccos before coming to their corporate senses giving up on the idea.

This blue one had manual boxes:

And this red one had a pair of automatics

No, of course a twin makes no sense. Much heavier, no luggage space, much worse fuel consumption (Citroen thought of that one and had a lever allowing you to put one box in neutral and not use that engine), overheating of the rear engine, difficulty in matching gear linkages, clutches and throttles and so on and on.

But you wouldn't say no to one, would you?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Cé hé sin 04/13/2015 at 15:28

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There were of course also two Mini-based similar abominations: the rally "Twini Mini" and the prototypes of the Mini Moke for military use with two powerplants.

Cé hé sin > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 04/13/2015 at 15:30

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Yes, a lot of people got the idea. They dismissed the idea almost as quickly, except Citroen who actually made the Sahara for a few years.

They're now worth a fortune.

crowmolly > Cé hé sin 04/13/2015 at 15:32

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Seems to work ok sometimes.

Cé hé sin > crowmolly 04/13/2015 at 15:35

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Well, for a few seconds anyway.

Two isn't that ambitious:

KnowsAboutCars > Cé hé sin 04/13/2015 at 15:38

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The Scirocco wasn't the only twin engined VW. There was also this Jetta called Twinjet.

And this Pikes Peak Golf.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Cé hé sin 04/13/2015 at 15:39

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I get the sense that the authorities examining the Moke for possible military contract must have had one of those surreal interludes in which someone gradually realizes the person they're talking to is completely insane.
"Telling you, guv, this thing's a cracking good piece of kit. No need for a jack in your tyre change, right - just lift it up, stick it on a rock. Easy as you please. Clean it out - tip it up on one side and get a bucket. Right?"
"So, if it gets stuck with only two wheels spinning - what have you got in terms of clearing equipment? Winch? Sand ladder brackets?"
"Well, that's the clever bit, see - as long as it always goes out with four men, they can lift it over anything! Stumps, small ditches, little branches... I mean, if they set their packs down and all."
*eyebrow raises*
"Not to your liking? We've got this other one, y'see, with another engine and two trans, with a clever bit of rod, and... wait, where are you going?"

KnowsAboutCars > Cé hé sin 04/13/2015 at 15:44

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Why stop at three when you can have four?

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > KnowsAboutCars 04/13/2015 at 15:51

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Only 4?

Cé hé sin > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 04/13/2015 at 16:10

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That's Desperate Dan which uses four or five depending on the class.

But that's nothing:

Or you might prefer helicopter engines: