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Following [WcW]'s post and an earlier idea of mine (which I can't remember what it was), it occurs to me that a mid-engined pickup would have a good-sized niche market.
Making use of the lack-of intruding wheelwells we can fit a nice flat 2-4 cyl boxer in there, not a V8 which you'd have to put in
the bed. Some portions of the engine could extend into the cab behind/under the seats. Perhaps there'd be a foot or so between the cab and the bed (think a regular cab with the bed from an extended-cab model).
Under the solidly lockable bonnet would be a very large, bottomed, protected cargo area for the toolboxes while working and the suitcases while vacationing. Given the large size it's easily envisioned to have separate upper and lower trays; the lower could be used for removeable electric battery packs to make a hybrid with the front wheels all electric.
PROS:
- much better handling and braking when unloaded
- built-in protected lockable "trunkspace" obviating the need for bed-borne toolbox inserts
- shorter driveshaft while retaining RWD advantages for loaded operation
- shorter exhaust run
- flat cab floor
- would look extremely cool with 2 vertical exhaust stacks :)
CONS:
- not as much front-end protection in case of a collision
- slightly lower maximum bed load weight before you have to install dually wheels on the back (note that towing capacity remains the same of course)
- some engines may be more difficult to reach for roadside/driveway repair.
As a hybrid you could run daily with electric/ICEassist then take the battery packs out to make more room for luggage for long trips, leaving only the regen pack. Might even be room in the "gap" for a couple of CNG cylinders (possibly ignoring the fact that they're placed right above the engine).
rear-engine pickup conversion
VoltsWagon
[FlyingToaster, Jun 26 2009]
What is a "pickup truck" ?
http://en.wikipedia...g/wiki/Pickup_truck
North American phenomenon mostly: a general purpose light truck with an unenclosed bed with sides and a tailgate; often used for off-roading fun as well as utility purposes. [FlyingToaster, Jun 26 2009]
Japanese microtrucks
http://www.minitruck.ca/
are often mid-engined.. although technically they are "utes" [iron_horse, Jun 26 2009]
Jeep Hurricane
http://en.wikipedia...wiki/Jeep_Hurricane
[21 Quest, Jun 26 2009]
[link]
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Look up 'Bedford Rascal'. This is a mid engined van or pickup. |
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//Look up 'Bedford Rascal'//
Mid-engined, true, but hardly sporty. |
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A good design might be a vertically-mounted 4 or 6 cylinder boxer engine, with a dry sump and the gearbox below, and the centre diff below that in the centre of the chassis. If the engine was air cooled, there could be air intakes/vents on the cab roof. |
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Access would be excellent as removing cab interior panels and the front panel from the rear cargo area would give access to both sides of the powerplant. |
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Because the engine would be high up, it would improve wading ability with no need for a snokel air intake. |
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The vehicle would look somewhat like a Forward Control Land Rover, or maybe a Stalwart. |
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What would be the ramifications in terms of car safety during crashes etc.? |
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Your legs would be the crumple zone. |
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Realistically there would be singnificant testing to make sure it is safe. In this sort of design you can assume that parts of the design do not need to be discussed as they simply need to be done. |
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"//Look up 'Bedford Rascal'//
Mid-engined, true, but hardly sporty.
— TolpuddleSartre, Jun 26 2009" |
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If the intention is to produce a properly sporty vehicle, you wouldn't start with a pickup. They have a high centre of gravity and the aerodynamics of a small block of flats. |
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As mentioned by 8th, the FC Landrover is already mid engined and with the standard V8 might be classed as sporty. This is especially true for those of us who enjoy the sport of off roading. |
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//car safety//
in front-engined cars there's an engine between you and anybody trying to crawl down your throat. |
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On the other hand, the CG change would improve handling, acceleration and braking (more even weight distribution). [edit]: though I imagine fully loaded you'd then have a certain amount of oversteer. |
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[8/7] The vehicle I envision would look like a normal pickup truck except with a one foot moulded cowling between cab and bed. I'm trying to keep the former engine compartment for use as battery-pack location, toolboxes and luggage while retaining some of the safety features engendered by a long bonnet/hood. |
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[Twizz] Sporty is as sporty does: people over'ere use them also for off-roading(a "sport") because of the ground clearance and solid rear axle, but there is a segment that mods them to be highway-only groundhuggers (dunno why, I'm with you on that one that there's better vehicle classes to choose from: there are already plenty of mid-engined sports cars for that genre). |
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yeah, I like those little trucky things <microtruck link>; I don't think they do highways, though I could be wrong |
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[edit] - they can do highways but they're all right-hand drive... and are those little engines wasteful 2-cycle ? |
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[FlyingToaster], they will do highway speed.. ish. 80 klicks is comfortable cruise, maxing out around 120. They are road-legal in Canada as "collector" imports (15 years and older). But not in the states. They are part of the "kei" class of vehicles from Japan - a legislated specification that qualifies for reduduced taxes etc over there. Max engine size is 660 cc, many are turbo'd, all are 4-stroke as far as I know. |
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I like the idea, and I love boxer engines, but the point of putting a monster V8 in a pickup is that it generates more power than a 4-cyl boxer, which is necessary in order to move a large, heavy vehicle that can carry and tow heavy loads. Putting a small engine in a pickup only works if you build a small, lightweight truck, in which case what you are talking about is a mid-engine Subaru Baja. |
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You could do something like a straight-8 mounted perpendicular to the long axis of the truck, situated behind the front seats. You'd end up with a two-seater that would have a cab-portion not much longer that a crew-cab. Of course, since everything would be moved forward, a crew-cab version with the engine behind the rear seats would be about the same length overall as its front-engine equivalent. |
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As for the obvious reduction in crash-safety, I have two notions. First, it could be designed with the front axle slightly forward of the front-seat position, with short crumple zones in the frame both forward and aft of the axle and a funny-looking protruding bumper. Second, would it be possible to engineer something that would transfer kinetic energy from the forward impact into another part of the vehicle? I'm envisioning some sort of cantilever-type device that would cause the center of the frame to buckle upward to the rear of the passenger compartment, absorbing some of the energy without relying on crumple zones in the immediate vicinity of the impact. |
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The Jeep Hurricane has 2 engines, one in front and one in back, so it's balanced very nicely. |
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were all waiting for somebody to build it. |
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