4wd?

[Bart_Maztra]

Last week in Austria i saw an old espace 1st generation as scrap in someone's garden. There was something as "quatro" written on the back.
Is this a 4wd espace?

[Lennart Sorth]

Is this a 4wd espace?

Indeed - and Roy has one (expect an update here :-)  )
It handles better (no understeer) - is great through snow, and is able to (legally) have more connected to the towbar.

I don't recall how many were actually built, but I am pretty sure it was more than a handful.

/Lennart

[Anders Dinsen]

I don't know either, how many were built, but indeed a good amount, and both the J11 (even also before the facelift) and J63. The production was stopped in 1995, I think. Early ones had the 2.0 litre fuel injected engine, later ones the 2.2 with catalytic converter.

Most of them suffers from seized limited slip couplers to the rear differential, however, and since this is an unserviceable and quite expensive part, I doubt if they are still as good as they were. Some have had the rear drive shafts and prop shaft removed because of that.

But a very nice car indeed!

/Anders

[roy4matra]

Last week in Austria i saw an old espace 1st generation as scrap in someone's garden. There was something as "quatro" written on the back.
Is this a 4wd espace?

Yes, it sounds like the Espace Quadra which I have.  It looks the same as a standard 2WD but it has permanently coupled 4WD.  The gearbox has an extra output at the back, a carbon fibre propshaft to the rear (first mass produced carbon fibre part on any car by a major manufacturer) a viscous coupling and the rear differential.

The Viscous coupling is a sealed unit and very expensive and it has a limited life - maybe 100,000 miles, but it also varies with use - between a friend and myself we have had five Quadra with different mileages and one with low mileage had seized whilst another with higher mileage was still good. (so you cannot just put it down to mileage)

I know a lot more about them now so if anyone wants more details just ask.

Roy

[Fred]

I can recall a Quadra version of the Renault 21 Turbo as well.

[roy4matra]

I can recall a Quadra version of the Renault 21 Turbo as well.

Yes this used almost the same gearbox, but the propeller shaft was not carbon fibre, and the differential was switched in or out electrically. (no viscous coupling)

Renault also made some Safrane 4WD in France (and they made a Trafic 4WD too).  Not sure if they were sold anywhere else, but certainly not in Britain.

Roy