Hi, guys. Really happy to see 3 cylinder engines in the game now, as well as the new bodies, etc., but I’ve noticed a few problems with the build so far.
The biggest issue? I can’t get longitudinal FWD to work at all. In any of the three or so bodies that I’ve tried with either a ladder or monocoque chassis. Can you guys please fix this ASAP?
‘can’t get it to work at all’ means what? The option doesn’t show up? Or the engine doesn’t fit? The latter is because of how Automation has implemented FWD longitudinal, placing the engine in a front-mid position behind the wheels which in most car bodies doesn’t offer much space for the engine.
It could just be coincidence that the three bodies you chose simply don’t allow longitudinal placement. That is a known issue, where for some reason certain bodies just don’t accept it even though it might be physically possible.
Okay. I did manage to get a longitudinal engine to fit in one of the biggest car bodies(the '50s not-Cadillac), but I do hope they fix this particular problem ASAP, though-there are definitely a lot more bodies in this game that could plausibly fit a longitudinal placement engine, for sure!
I think this is mostly a matter of how you define that engine layout, it just doesn’t fit many cars as is in that way, but “the other way around” wouldn’t be much different in result. I think what you are asking for is to ignore the placement of the gearbox, and that is not something we plan on doing.
Hmm…well, okay.
I went back and did a comparison of two cars I made with the exact same body, and the two different longitudinal drivetrains, and the engines don’t seem to be placed all that differently…just that the gearbox is indeed switched on the FWD. Is that typical for real cars, btw, in regards to those few that do have longitudinal FWD?
The only cars that come to my mind with longitidunal FWD are Audis, and they all have the engine in front of the axle, so exactly opposite of how it is in Automation. Oh, and Saab 99, which AFAIK has the engine over the axle.
Front-mid and front engine should be an option, the same as rear and (rear-)mid is. Would it really be so difficult to implement? Seems like you just mirror the current layout and you’re most of the way there aside from the intake and exhaust; I mean, isn’t the rear/mid setup just being recycled on either end? For that matter, what about rear transverse?
I kinda like the way it is now 
(although it is rather impractical) because of the weight distribution. I have seen that configuration of FWD before, in pictures of rather old cars.
I have messed a little bit with it in game, and I can fit rather vigorously V6s with not much problem
EDIT: some pics…
A modest 2.6L v6
I wonder if boxer-4 will be able to get higher capacities in such short spaces?
What body is that?
I think that the FWD longitudinal layout, with the same scheme as the longitudinal AWD, but without the cardan and rear differential (obviously), is a most realistic solution.
The other right way of making Long FWD is turning the engine 180° - basically having the engine in front of the axles and not behind. The gearbox stays the same.
An AWD gearbox is not designed to send 100% power to the front wheels. It wont work that good. Solution is: Using Cars with a longer than usual overhang and having a correcly setup engine bay.
Alternatively: Do it the Saab way - tilt the engine by 60° and do some gearbox weirdness and driveshaft madness.
