Xtrac Limited

Xtrac Limited, also known as Xtrac Transmission Technology, is a British engineering company founded in 1984 by the former Hewland engineer Mike Endean to make 4WD systems and gearboxes for rallycross and later rally and racing cars. Endean, together with Chris Goddard, who had been working on the electronic components essential to the system, in 1983 developed the first ever Xtrac 4WD system for Norwegian rallycross star Martin Schanche. Schanche had thought up the idea of a during driving changeable hydraulic 4WD system (his 1984 ERC winning Ford Escort Mk3 Xtrac/Zakspeed had a stepless FWD:RWD ratio of 28:72 to 50:50) and financed its development. This 560bhp strong so-called Xtrac 1 (see image at right) was bought by Endean in the mid-1990s, who is still racing it himself in carsprints and hillclimbs from time to time.