What is the Transaxle Design?

The term “transaxle” may be self-explanatory. But if you’re not familiar with it, here’s a quick guide to what transaxle means.

What is the Transaxle?

The word transaxle is a combination of the words transmission and axle. In a front-engine, rear-wheel drive car, the engine and the transmission are usually located at the front. However, in a transaxle configuration, the engine is mounted at the front and the transmission at the rear. This solution provides great weight distribution and is therefore used especially in sports cars.

Porsche’s “transaxle era” began in 1976 with the introduction of the Porsche 924. This was Porsche’s first front-engine, rear-wheel drive model. The Porsche 928, which was created at the same time as the 924, was unveiled a year later. The transaxle structure was chosen to improve the car’s weight distribution. The engine transmits power to the rear axle via a driveshaft housed in a rigid cover pipe.

In an age when drive systems did not have the benefit of electronic assistance, this principle was an innovative concept for a sports car. It ensured neutral and very stable handling qualities. In addition to the favorable distribution of weights, this arrangement offers advantages in the area of vibration problems. The long distance between the two bearings each front and rear means a specially good protection from vibrations in the interior.

The Porsche 924 was followed by the 944 and the 968 models. The 928 was built over a period of nearly two decades. Porsche’s trans­axle era ended in 1995, after nearly 400,000 cars had been built.

Porsche 928 transaxle system. Image by Porsche