Photo: Opel
Expected to hit European dealers as an Opel and as a Vauxhall, the all-new Insignia Grand Sport can be equipped with Twinster all-wheel-drive, a system developed by British outfit GKN Driveline.
The company that created the smallest disconnecting AWD system in the world uses the Twinster moniker for its trick torque vectoring technology. Compared to conventional torque vectoring, which uses planetary gears, the Twinster all-wheel-drive system employs two hydraulically-actuated clutches.
Their purpose is to distribute the engine’s torque between the front and rear axle, as well as between the two rear wheels. The clutch pack on the rear drive unit can also disconnect, thus helping with fuel economy when there’s no need for all-wheel-drive. The GKN Twinster system is also present in applications such as the Range Rover Evoque and the Ford Focus RS.
In the case of the 2017 Opel / Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport with the 8-speed automatic transmission, the automaker markets the GKN-developed solution as being the best way to put power down to the road, regardless of weather (think dry, moist, wet, snowy, or icy asphalt). Another highlight of the system is the fact that there’s no need for a differential. In other words, the GKN Twinster is a packaging marvel that helps with keeping curb weight down.
When the going gets sporty, the software that governs the system is programmed to send more torque to the outside rear wheel. As such, the GKN Twinster induces rotation around the vertical axis (i.e. yaw), helping the Insignia corner harder, better, and react faster to the driver’s input. Yaw damping, meanwhile, can be set for from high (Tour mode) to low (Sport mode). On that note, it’s highly likely that the soon-to-debut Insignia Grand Sport OPC / VXR will be gifted by its maker with Focus RS-like Drift mode.
“The new generation Opel Insignia sets new benchmarks for midsize automobiles,” said William F. Bertagni, vice president of GM’s European vehicle engineering division. “Torque vectoring represents the state-of-the-art in transmitting power to the road. The new Insignia with torque vectoring all-wheel drive matches the best in the industry when it comes to ‘fun-to-drive’.”
Their purpose is to distribute the engine’s torque between the front and rear axle, as well as between the two rear wheels. The clutch pack on the rear drive unit can also disconnect, thus helping with fuel economy when there’s no need for all-wheel-drive. The GKN Twinster system is also present in applications such as the Range Rover Evoque and the Ford Focus RS.
In the case of the 2017 Opel / Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport with the 8-speed automatic transmission, the automaker markets the GKN-developed solution as being the best way to put power down to the road, regardless of weather (think dry, moist, wet, snowy, or icy asphalt). Another highlight of the system is the fact that there’s no need for a differential. In other words, the GKN Twinster is a packaging marvel that helps with keeping curb weight down.
When the going gets sporty, the software that governs the system is programmed to send more torque to the outside rear wheel. As such, the GKN Twinster induces rotation around the vertical axis (i.e. yaw), helping the Insignia corner harder, better, and react faster to the driver’s input. Yaw damping, meanwhile, can be set for from high (Tour mode) to low (Sport mode). On that note, it’s highly likely that the soon-to-debut Insignia Grand Sport OPC / VXR will be gifted by its maker with Focus RS-like Drift mode.
“The new generation Opel Insignia sets new benchmarks for midsize automobiles,” said William F. Bertagni, vice president of GM’s European vehicle engineering division. “Torque vectoring represents the state-of-the-art in transmitting power to the road. The new Insignia with torque vectoring all-wheel drive matches the best in the industry when it comes to ‘fun-to-drive’.”
Google News