Volkswagen Iltis

VW Iltis standard version

The VW Iltis (Type 183) is a sport utility vehicle, the 1970's until the late 1990s was part of the Bundeswehr's fleet of late. Chance he is (as of April 2007) still to be found at PATRIOT air defense organizations as a telecommunications carriage ( " radio - polecat ").

The polecat was developed by the Audi NSU Auto Union AG, and was a replacement for the DKW Munga ( " Multi-purpose Universal SUV with four-wheel drive " ), whose production at Auto Union expired at the end of 1968. As an interim solution until the delivery of the first Iltis vehicle was procured by the army of the VW Type 181.

The all-terrain vehicle, the Bundeswehr officially as a truck 0,5 t gl tmil (0.5 tonnes payload, teilmilitarisiert, all-terrain ) out, was used as a general minicar in a number of tasks, eg as a management and communication vehicle, to public transportation of persons as vehicle license for anti-tank weapons and makeshift medical evacuation.

The canvas top and removable ( Plan ) doors allow for the use in the open and closed state. The medical version was delivered with an extended roof to allow a transport of wounded lying.

The Quattro principle of Audi was inspired by the all-wheel system of the polecat.

The polecat was also produced for the civilian market, but never reached because of the high price of a larger consumer base. In 1982, the price of 39,300 DM about three times a VW Golf in basic equipment. In today's currency and adjusted for inflation, this represents a total of 37,600 euros.

After cessation of production at Volkswagen, the production line was sold to the Canadian company Bombardier, which established the Iltis in minimally modified form, including for the Canadian Forces. The Belgian army also referred polecats Bombardier, these vehicles were mounted with Canadian parts in the Belgian VW plant in Brussels and the German Ur - Iltis in many ways more similar than the Canadian. The German Bundeswehr replaced their Iltis vehicles by the Wolf gl, which is based on the Mercedes -Benz G-Class. This guy had already participated in the 1970s in the tender, which then, however, ended with the procurement of the VW Iltis.

Body

The body was an evolution of the DKW Munga. The Iltis is an open -road vehicle with the following external dimensions:

The wheelbase is only 2017 mm, so that the risk of bottoming while riding over smaller hills is very low. However, the ride comfort suffers on short successive bumps the vehicle reacts with strong pitching. Initial shortcomings led to buckling of the body of the A-pillar; they have been corrected by an internal reinforcing plate.

The vehicle's curb weight is 1340 kg.

Motor

Is powered Iltis either by a water-cooled four-cylinder petrol engine in -line engines with 1.7 liter displacement and 55 kW (75 hp) or in the construction years 1987-1988 by a turbo diesel with 1.6 liter displacement and 52 kW ( 70 hp). The maximum torque is 140 Nm at 3000 min -1. Polecats with diesel engines were manufactured at VW in Belgium in around 880 units exclusively for the German army. The polecats to produce parallel in Belgium were all gasoline.

Drive

The power delivered to the Bundeswehr VW model had no front differential lock, all other models were delivered with such a lock.

The vehicles have rear-wheel drive, the front wheel drive is switched on. The locking rear differential and (if present ) on the front are manually switched on, the front axle can be locked only when the all-wheel drive. The all-wheel drive and differential locks can be turned on at any speed. The front-wheel drive is integrated in the gearbox. This has normal 4 forward gears and one reverse each forward gear and terrain that are not synchronized. The road gear can be engaged only when zugeschaltetem front axle ( wheel drive ).

Performance

The VW Iltis accelerates in 21 seconds from 0 to 100 km / h and reaches a top speed of 130 km / h The low performance are not least due to the relatively high vehicle weight.

Due to the high gravity of the vehicle and the usual in the Bundeswehr version tires tends the vehicle to slide into tight corners or tilt. For this reason, the Bundeswehr recommends every driver to drive the vehicle with zugeschaltetem front axle ( wheel drive ).

Others

The VW Iltis was not developed at Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, but at the Volkswagen Group subsidiary Audi in Ingolstadt and produces, among other things there as well. Prior to its launch, a polecat prototype was used together with sedans from Audi under winter conditions in Scandinavia in vehicle tests as a support vehicle.

Jörg Bensinger, former test leader and intellectual father of the Audi quattro, drove the Iltis in these tests and then put the former Management Board of Audi vehicle development department, Ferdinand Piëch, close to build a four wheel drive road vehicle.

A special feature of the Iltis used in the army is his electrical system with an operating voltage of 24 volts. Associated with this are occasional high prices for replacement parts such as starter or ignition system. Prior to the installation location of the batteries under the rear seats, a cover plate is attached, this is inserted as a baffle plate at water crossings in front of the grille.

Version comparison between Bombardier and Volkswagen

The differences from the early German model to the Belgian (some features were taken when built in Belgium Turbo Diesel):

• Dashboard displays for all-wheel and lock, with corresponding switches on the gears
• Additional instruments for on-board voltage, radio battery voltage and coolant temperature
• Vorderachssperre
• Side indicators
• Modified harness
• On the left front fender removed or modified antenna reception
• On the right rear part no screw holes for antenna angle
• Changed spade bracket under the bonnet for U.S. Spade
• Reinforced drive shafts all around
• Standard front axle lock
• Uniroyal tires T9 or MICHELIN X
• Exchanged lock lever made ​​of plastic to metallic Cam
• Doors have 2 zippers, back and lower edge of the disk
• Rear doors have rectangular windows
• Wider cooler
• Manifold air cooled
• Screw jack in the right storage box
• Bolted body and frame with 6 instead of 4 rubber mounts

Motorsport

1980 achieved all four at the second rally Oasis (now the Dakar Rally ) launched VW Iltis top rankings. The winner was the team Kottulinsky / spoon man whose winning vehicle is issued with the starting number 137 in original condition in the Auto Museum in Wolfsburg. The other three teams took positions 2, 4 and 9 These results are also particularly noteworthy, since it is largely concerned with mass production vehicles.