NSU Ro 80

NSU Ro 80 (1971-1977)

The NSU Ro 80 was a sedan upscale the NSU Werke AG ( from 1969: Audi NSU Auto Union AG), which was manufactured by the summer of 1967 to mid 1977.

Model history

The Ro 80 was published in October 1967 with a streamlined body, which seemed unusual in her time. As one of the few production cars he was with a Wankel engine (85 kW) made ​​115 hp provided. This engine made ​​in the initial phase by frequent sealing strips defects problems, which, however, the producers met with kulantem motor replacement. Nevertheless, the reputation of the new model and the Wankel engine suffered considerably.

The realized in the design of Claus Luthe wedge shape was formative in automotive design of the 1980s. Especially with the appearance of the Audi Ro 80 was decisive for whole generations of vehicles. The vehicle offered inside with a width of 1475 mm at the front and rear lot of space, the leg room was great - knee space behind 170-280 mm, with a seat depth of 475 mm. The trunk was extended by separately removable backrests. The 83 -liter fuel tank was installed outside of the crumple zone in front of the rear axle. The interior noise level was low ( 73 phon at 100 km / h).

From Ro 80 to July 1977, only 37 406 copies were produced. He remained, technically, without successor. The last vehicle produced was handed over to the German Museum. Other vehicles include the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, in the depot of German Museum of Technology Berlin, the German two-wheeler and NSU - Museum and the Audi Forum in Neckarsulm, the museum mobile in Ingolstadt, in the EFA Museum for German automotive history in Amerang and exhibited at the Autostadt in Wolfsburg. The cutaway of the Ro 80 with which the car was presented at the IAA, is shown in the museum car vision as part of the permanent exhibition rotary engine.

The oldest surviving NSU Ro 80 carries the chassis number. 80,001,061, manufacturing date Thursday, October 19, 1967, color saguntoblau.

The "Ro" in the name stands for " rotary piston " as opposed to " K " as "piston" or " reciprocating " the VW K 70

Problems with the Wankel engine

In the first series engines, it came as a result of a design flaw to an increase in engine damage. Had the engines kept in the testing over 200,000 km, they lost to customers often quick to compression. Soon a wrong combination of materials has been recognized as a cause for it. Changes in materials and an altered division of the sealing strips were initially solve the problems. In conjunction with a Ferro - Tic- central part and a harder Elnisilschicht higher Siliziumkarbidanteil you later went back to the original sealing strips division. As of early 1970, the new Ferro - Tic- sealing strips were introduced into the series.

As also problematic, the double ignition with two spark plugs per chamber proved, on the one hand by the setting forth and secondly because of the high burn-up of the interrupter contacts, which in their wear caused by the displacement of the ignition point in the direction of pre-ignition engine damage. This has been resolved by the use of only one spark plug per chamber in communication with a high-voltage capacitor ignition ( HKZ ) at the expense of fuel consumption. The obliging exchange practice led at times to the fact that over 35 % of the allegedly defective engines were fine. After the ignition timing and the carburetor has been re-set and the engine had completed a trial run on the test, these engines were again delivered as replacement engines.

A considerable amount of damage to the engine went to the account of the torque converter, the one against the shift judder (caused by peripheral ports ) einbaute and was responsible in part for the increased consumption of the Ro 80. Since the Wankel engine could rotate significantly higher due to lack of speed limit, the torque converter stretched at high speed often radially so far out that the pump collided with in the wake of the turbine wheel. Since the transducer was also part of the engine oil circuit, thereby able shavings into the engine, which then immediately led to engine damage. Also proved to be a small needle bearing in the converter as vulnerable, its frequent failure also led to chips in the engine oil, and thus indirectly to a defective motor. This has been fixed by an increased conversion. From the autumn of 1971, an acoustic speed Warner was in conjunction with the new HKZ Bosch and thermal exhaust emission introduced and switched off the electric fuel pump at high engine speed, which prevented further damage to the engine.

First of all the 20,000 km oil change was a necessary, but this was accounted for later. Many drivers believe therefore, one would have more top up oil, whereupon some engines lay there without oil. This kind of engine damage was met with a modified two-flow oil pump. The inlet for the converter circuit was set higher. Before now the engine oil circulation was no more lubricant, sucking the converter circuit air, whereupon the converter oil pressure plummeted and the oil pressure indicator lit up. Ignored the driver, the warning lamp, the converter rendered no more strength to the transmission and the car stopped. At least now knew the negligent driver that he had forgotten to check the oil level.

Another problem, which also led directly to engine damage that was an oil metering pump without zero stop. This meant that if this pump was set wrong, no oil to lubricate the combustion chamber ( trochoid ) was delivered at idle. Then, a modified oil metering pump was used, which could no longer be set to zero.

The problem was that equating introduced several hitherto untried method in conjunction with the rotary engine. It was said jokingly of the Elnisilverfahren, it only works when the sirocco, which alluded to the weather sensitivity. Also, there were initially problems with the dosage and grain size of the embedded silicon carbide and the dosage of saccharin (used in electroplating as a leveler for nickel layers). Some of the workshops were overwhelmed with the technology around the engine. Some customers also developed downright criminal energy: Shortly before the expiration of the warranty they deliberately provoked an engine failure, to get a replacement engine without their own costs.

As the sealing strips problem seemed solved, it came to heaping engine damage. However, this was not this time to a design flaw, but to a supplier who is not stuck to the production rules.

In recent versions of the engines, the sealing strips consisted entirely of Ferro - Tic. These aggregates were found to be extremely robust. Besides the high life this last run trouble-free operation with the introduced at this time unleaded fuel was an argument for the Wankel engine of the Ro 80

Specifications

  • Engine: Two -disc rotary engine ( Wankel system ) 497 cm ³ per chamber, compression 9.0: 1
  • Ignition: 1967 to 1969 dual ignition (two spark plugs per chamber ), 1969-1977 high voltage capacitor ignition ( loop start ) with a candle
  • Fuel system: 2 Solex flat power - carburetor type 18/32 HHD or dual downdraft carburetor Solex 32 DDITS
  • Power: 85 kW ( 115 hp) at 5500 rpm, max. Torque 165 Nm at 4500 rpm
  • Body: Self-supporting, front wheel drive, front MacPherson strut suspension, trailing arm rear axle with spring - damper units and rubber auxiliary springs
  • Brakes: hydraulically operated with brake booster and load-dependent brake force control on the rear axle, four-wheel disc brakes, front inboard on the gearbox; Hand brake: mechanical internal expanding brake on rear wheels, 160 mm in diameter. Discs at the front: 284 mm, rear: 272.5 mm diameter. Dual-circuit brake system, first brake circuit on all wheels, second brake circuit acting only on the front wheels
  • Transmission: three-speed gear change gear, locking synchronized with parking lock. Hydraulic Fichtel & Sachs torque converter, electro- pneumatically operated with Einscheibentrennkupplung
  • Steering: Rack and pinion steering system with ZF steering oil circulation Help
  • Maximum speed: approx 180 km / h

Design Study

In 1971, the study Ro 80 2 2 Porte was presented at the Turin Motor Show. This was designed by Pininfarina model should be the successor of the Ro 80, but did not go to series. The technical data were taken largely from the Ro 80. A special feature represented the rear doors that were in opposite directions, so struck at the C- pillar. These known as suicide doors popularly doors are generally banned in Germany since 1961, because they are not pressed shut in case of accidental opening when in motion by the wind, but torn abruptly. For this reason, the rear doors of the Ro 80 2 2 Porte were overlapped by the front a bit, so they could be opened only with open front doors. Another feature represented the roof, which could be folded to a large extent to the back and placed on the luggage compartment flap. This design was a forerunner of modern-day retractable hardtops. To improve side impact protection, the doors were specially reinforced. This idea grabbed Volvo in 1991 with his Side Impact Protection System on again. 1971 had the vehicle is too futuristic, so development has been suspended.

Rear view

Interior

Car classification Curb weight Aerodynamics Deutsches Museum Rev limiter Needle roller bearing Robert Bosch GmbH
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