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33-548: The rear-wheel drive Phoenix was introduced for 1977 as an upscale version of the Pontiac Ventura , and replaced the Ventura entirely for 1978. The Phoenix differed from the Ventura in only minor details such as the grille and its square headlights and yellow rear turn signals. The Phoenix was available as a 2-door coupe or a 4-door sedan , with a 3-door hatchback available beginning in 1978. There were two trim levels available,

66-710: A gear set —two or more gears working together—to change the speed, direction of rotation, or torque multiplication/reduction in a machine . Transmissions can have a single fixed-gear ratio, multiple distinct gear ratios , or continuously variable ratios. Variable-ratio transmissions are used in all sorts of machinery, especially vehicles. Early transmissions included the right-angle drives and other gearing in windmills , horse -powered devices, and steam -powered devices. Applications of these devices included pumps , mills and hoists . Bicycles traditionally have used hub gear or Derailleur gear transmissions, but there are other more recent design innovations. Since

99-458: A 3-speed manual (available with either column or floor shift), 4-speed manual, or a 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic automatic. For 1980, the Phoenix was downsized and moved to the front-wheel drive X platform , and was available as a 2-door coupe or a 5-door hatchback . It was the first front-wheel drive production model from Pontiac. The base and LJ models were still available for this generation, as

132-401: A fixed-gear or two-speed transmission with no reverse gear ratio. The simplest transmissions used a fixed ratio to provide either a gear reduction or increase in speed, sometimes in conjunction with a change in the orientation of the output shaft. Examples of such transmissions are used in helicopters and wind turbines . In the case of a wind turbine, the first stage of the gearbox is usually

165-583: A lineup mostly or entirely made up of FR cars. Japanese mainstream marques such as Toyota were almost exclusively FR until the late 1970s and early 1980s. Toyota's first FF vehicle was the Toyota Tercel, with the Corolla and Celica later becoming FF while the Camry was designed as an FF from the beginning. The Supra, Cressida, Crown , and Century remained FR. Luxury division Lexus has a mostly FR lineup. Subaru's BRZ

198-437: A planetary gear, to minimize the size while withstanding the high torque inputs from the turbine. Many transmissions – especially for transportation applications – have multiple gears that are used to change the ratio of input speed (e.g. engine rpm) to the output speed (e.g. the speed of a car) as required for a given situation. Gear (ratio) selection can be manual, semi-automatic, or automatic. A manual transmission requires

231-449: A range of approximately 600–7000 rpm, while the vehicle's speeds requires the wheels to rotate in the range of 0–1800 rpm. In the early mass-produced automobiles, the standard transmission design was manual : the combination of gears was selected by the driver through a lever (the gear stick ) that displaced gears and gear groups along their axes. Starting in 1939, cars using various types of automatic transmission became available in

264-532: A standard 4-speed manual transmission or optional 3-speed automatic. The high-output 2.8 L LH7 V6 was standard on the Phoenix SJ/SE for 1982 and was available as an option for all other Phoenix models. As with its sister cars (the Chevrolet Citation , Buick Skylark and Oldsmobile Omega ), the Phoenix's image suffered because of poor workmanship, two recalls for 1981, and a dangerous tendency for

297-615: A transverse front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive layout. In Australia, FR cars remained popular throughout this period, with the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon having consistently strong sales until their discontinuation in the late 2010s. In Europe, front-wheel drive was popularized by small cars like the Mini , Renault 5 and Volkswagen Golf and adopted for all mainstream cars. Upscale marques like Mercedes-Benz , BMW , and Jaguar remained mostly independent of this trend and retained

330-584: Is an FR car. The fact that a driveshaft is needed to transfer power to the rear wheels means a large centre tunnel between the rear seats; therefore, cars such as the Mazda RX8 and the Porsche Panamera forgo a centre rear seat and divide both seats by a centre tunnel. In the 21st century, most cars are FF, including all front-engined economy cars, though FR cars are making a return as an alternative to large sport-utility vehicles. In North America, GM returned to

363-475: Is connected to the engine via a torque converter (or a fluid coupling prior to the 1960s), instead of the friction clutch used by most manual transmissions and dual-clutch transmissions. A dual-clutch transmission (DCT) uses two separate clutches for odd and even gear sets . The design is often similar to two separate manual transmissions with their respective clutches contained within one housing, and working as one unit. In car and truck applications,

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396-548: Is essentially a conventional manual transmission that uses automatic actuation to operate the clutch and/or shift between gears. Many early versions of these transmissions were semi-automatic in operation, such as Autostick , which automatically control only the clutch , but still require the driver's input to initiate gear changes. Some of these systems are also referred to as clutchless manual systems. Modern versions of these systems that are fully automatic in operation, such as Selespeed and Easytronic , can control both

429-652: The 300 and Charger on a FR platform. They also maintain FR layout on the now unibody Grand Cherokee and Durango . Hyundai and Kia have also been working with new FR-based vehicles in the US, the Genesis Coupe and Sedan, the Equus and the new Kia Quoris . Ford, on the other hand, seems to be moving away from FR-based vehicles with the discontinuation of the Panther Platform in 2011 and

462-637: The Corvette , Firebird and Camaro . Ford's Mustang has stayed rear-wheel drive, as it must maintain a sporty presence, as were Ford's full-size cars based on the Ford Panther platform (the Ford Crown Victoria , Mercury Grand Marquis , and Lincoln Town Car ) until they were discontinued in 2011 in favour of the Ford Taurus, which Ford discontinued production in 2019, being formally available with either

495-431: The torque and power output of an internal combustion engine varies with its rpm , automobiles powered by ICEs require multiple gear ratios to keep the engine within its power band to produce optimal power, fuel efficiency , and smooth operation. Multiple gear ratios are also needed to provide sufficient acceleration and velocity for safe & reliable operation at modern highway speeds. ICEs typically operate over

528-617: The 1970s. After the Arab oil embargo of 1973 and the 1979 fuel crises , a majority of American FR vehicles (station wagons and luxury sedans) were phased out for the front-engine, front-wheel drive (FF) layout – this trend would spawn the SUV-van conversion market. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most American companies set as a priority the eventual removal of rear-wheel drive from their mainstream and luxury lineup. Chrysler went 100% FF by 1990 and GM 's American production went entirely FF by 1997 except

561-527: The Australasia-only Falcon in 2016. Excluding trucks, vans, and SUVs, the Mustang is the only FR vehicle remaining in their lineup. With the increasing popularity of electric vehicles , RWD layouts have become more common again, as the packaging advantages of FWD layouts do not apply to these vehicles, whereas the generally more powerful drivetrains benefit from the better traction during acceleration of

594-454: The DCT functions as an automatic transmission, requiring no driver input to change gears. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) can change seamlessly through a continuous range of gear ratios . This contrasts with other transmissions that provide a limited number of gear ratios in fixed steps. The flexibility of a CVT with suitable control may allow the engine to operate at a constant RPM while

627-498: The RWD layout. Modern electronic stability control largely negate the potentially more difficult handling during challenging circumstances. Some examples of electric models utilizing a RWD layout are the single motor variants of the Tesla Model 3 , Volkswagen ID.4 and Kia EV6 . Transmission (mechanics) A transmission (also called a gearbox ) is a mechanical device which uses

660-499: The US market. These vehicles used the engine's own power to change the effective gear ratio depending on the load so as to keep the engine running close to its optimal rotation speed. Automatic transmissions now are used in more than 2/3 of cars globally, and on almost all new cars in the US. Most currently-produced passenger cars with gasoline or diesel engines use transmissions with 4–10 forward gear ratios (also called speeds) and one reverse gear ratio. Electric vehicles typically use

693-412: The base and LJ, with a performance-oriented SJ package as an option. Available engines included Pontiac's then-new 151 cu in (2.5 L) Iron Duke I4 , a 110 hp (82 kW) 231 cu in (3.8 L) Buick V6 , a 140 hp (104 kW) 305 cu in (5.0 L) Chevrolet LG3 V8 , and a 350 cu in (5.7 L) Chevrolet V8 . Transmission choices included

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726-487: The car to lock the rear wheels upon emergency braking (1980 models only). The Phoenix was replaced for 1985 by a revived Grand Am on the front-wheel drive GM N-body platform , while the Phoenix's basic architecture lived on under the A-body Pontiac 6000 , which was introduced in 1982. Rear-wheel drive Rear-wheel drive ( RWD ) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which

759-401: The clutch operation and the gear shifts automatically, without any input from the driver. An automatic transmission does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving conditions. The most common design of automatic transmissions is the hydraulic automatic, which typically uses planetary gearsets that are operated using hydraulics . The transmission

792-545: The driver to manually select the gears by operating a gear stick and clutch (which is usually a foot pedal for cars or a hand lever for motorcycles). Most transmissions in modern cars use synchromesh to synchronise the speeds of the input and output shafts. However, prior to the 1950s, most cars used non-synchronous transmissions . A sequential manual transmission is a type of non-synchronous transmission used mostly for motorcycles and racing cars. It produces faster shift times than synchronized manual transmissions, through

825-419: The engine at the front of the car and the transmission at the rear of the car, in order to provide a more balanced weight distribution. This configuration is often referred to as a transaxle since the transmission and axle are one unit. Many of the cars built in the 19th century were rear-wheel drive, often with the engine mounted at the rear of the car. The first rear-wheel drive car with the engine mounted at

858-586: The engine drives the rear wheels only. Until the late 20th century, rear-wheel drive was the most common configuration for cars. Most rear-wheel drive vehicles feature a longitudinally-mounted engine at the front of the car. The most common layout for a rear-wheel drive car is with the engine and transmission at the front of the car, mounted longitudinally. Other layouts of rear-wheel drive cars include front-mid engine, rear-mid engine, and rear-engine. Some manufacturers, such as Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Porsche (944, 924, 928) and Chevrolet (C5, C6, and C7 Corvettes), place

891-418: The front was an 1895 Panhard model, so this layout was known as the "Système Panhard" in the early years. The layout has the advantage of minimizing mechanical complexity, as it allows the transmission to be placed in-line with the engine output shaft, spreading weight under the vehicle. In comparison, a vehicle with the engine over the driven wheels eliminates the need for the drive shaft (replacing this with

924-447: The most appropriate speed for the wheels. As power is the product of torque and angular velocity, spinning the shaft faster for any given power reduces the torque and allows a lighter shaft construction. In an era when petrol was cheap and cars were heavy, the mechanical advantages of the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (FR) drivetrain layout made up for any disadvantage in weight terms. It remained almost universal among car designs until

957-743: The production of FR-based luxury vehicles with the 2003 Cadillac CTS . As of 2012, all but the SRX and XTS are FR-based vehicles. Chevrolet reintroduced the FR-based Camaro in 2009, and the Caprice PPV in 2011. Pontiac also had a short run with the FR-based G8 and Pontiac Solstice . A Chevrolet replacement for the G8 called the Chevrolet SS was released in 2013 and uses the FR layout. Chrysler and Dodge reintroduced

990-431: The transaxle of lighter combined weight), but has the disadvantage of concentrating all the weight in one location. In order to reduce the relative weight of the drive shaft, the transmission was normally split into two parts: the gearbox and the final drive. The gearbox was normally produced with its highest gear being 1:1, which offers some mechanical advantages. The final drive, in the rear axle, would then reduce this to

1023-419: The use of dog clutches rather than synchromesh. Sequential manual transmissions also restrict the driver to selecting either the next or previous gear, in a successive order. A semi-automatic transmission is where some of the operation is automated (often the actuation of the clutch), but the driver's input is required to move off from a standstill or to change gears. An automated manual transmission (AMT)

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1056-452: The vehicle moves at varying speeds. CVTs are used in cars, tractors, side-by-sides , motor scooters, snowmobiles , bicycles, and earthmoving equipment . The most common type of CVT uses two pulleys connected by a belt or chain ; however, several other designs have also been used at times. Gearboxes are often a major source of noise and vibration in vehicles and stationary machinery. Higher sound levels are generally emitted when

1089-497: Was the SJ trim package; the SJ package was made as a full trim level for 1982. There was a minor exterior refresh and a new PJ model for 1983, followed by a name change for the LJ and SJ to LE and SE, respectively, for the 1984 model year. Available engines were a 2.5 L Iron Duke 4-cylinder , carried over from the previous Phoenix, and a new 2.8 L LE2 V6, both of which were mated to

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