Looking back at early performance cars and race cars, only people with impeccable driving skills and expertise were able to drive them the way they were meant to be. A few popular cars, such as the Porsche 911, started with a simple-engineered vehicle with everything manual and required quite the effort to drive sportily.
However, modern electronics with the power of microprocessors have made some unthinkable things happen, such as traction control, automatic emergency braking, and active aerodynamics.
Similarly, torque vectoring is used to enhance the handling of a vehicle by varying the torque delivered to individual wheels in real-time, which would result in better grip levels from the tires. This technology is directly integrated within the differential and is currently seen in RWD and AWD vehicles.
However, the system made its debut in the 5th generation Honda Prelude, which came in an FWD layout. At present, some performance vehicles, such as the Porsche 718, the Porsche 911, the Audi RS3, and the Volkswagen Golf R, implement torque vectoring.
Types of Torque Vectoring Systems
To begin with, there are two main types of torque vectoring systems out there: Differential Torque vectoring and Brake-Based Torque Vectoring. In the differential type, the vectoring system is directly integrated within the differential of the vehicle and has complicated engineering along with being expensive. The brake-based torque vectoring system is simpler and utilizes the braking system of the vehicle to inhibit the functions of a torque vectoring system. Let’s look at the types of torque vectoring systems below:
4. Differential Torque Vectoring
This is the most commonly used method of torque vectoring where the differential itself is a limited-slip unit. The torque vectoring system is a combo of hardware and software, where the software is implemented through an electronic control module.
The module decides how much torque to send to each wheel according to the driving conditions. While active, the system limits the slippage of wheels and sends more torque to the opposite wheel to recover or balance the condition. However, in some cases, the system is used to induce oversteer to have a controlled drift mode in some cars.
3. Brake-Based Torque Vectoring
Brake-based torque vectoring is something that has come up in recent times, and front-wheel-drive vehicles also get to enjoy the benefits of this system. The basic construction of an FWD layout makes it practically impossible to implement the system since the front axles are responsible for both steering the vehicle and moving t it
As such, the torque vectoring system engages and disengages the brakes on the front wheels. By reducing the speed of the inner front wheel, the outer front wheel spins at a higher speed, inhibiting the torque vectoring effect and resulting in sharper cornering.
However, this system does have one main disadvantage: the brakes wear out and heat up excessively when the vehicle is repeatedly subjected to performing cornering acts. The Volkswagen Golf GTi and the Mercedes-AMG CLA45 are two examples of cars with brake-based torque vectoring systems.
2. Clutch-Pack Differential Vectoring
This is the most complex type of torque vectoring system, where the differential itself gets miniature clutch sets. These clutch sets can engage and disengage the individual wheels to deliver a precise amount of torque to them.
This setup is different than the traditional torque vectoring system since the torque of each wheel is controlled individually, allowing enhanced handling and control over the vehicle during enthusiastic driving sessions. The Ford Focus RS is one such vehicle to get a clutch-pack torque vectoring system.
1. Electric Torque Vectoring
This is the latest type of torque vectoring system found in electric performance vehicles and hybrid performance vehicles. Generally, performance electric vehicles have at least two electric motors driving a couple of wheels individually.
With this layout, the torque vectoring system is easy to implement by controlling the torque output from each motor to inhibit the torque vectoring effect. With this system in EVs, low-speed maneuverability in tight spaces can also be improved. The Audi e-tron Sportback S and the latest Acura NSX are two examples of vehicles with electric torque vectoring.
