Name That Shifter, No. 79: 1969 NSU Ro80

On Monday we presented this week's shifter and asked you to identify the make and model of the vehicle from whence it came. The first and only commenter to correctly identify it as an NSU Ro80 was Wolfman, who will receive a Save the Manuals button and sticker as a reward. The Ro80 pictured here is from our November 1969 issue. On the outside, the NSU looks fairly pedestrian, but underneath one can find several neat technologies. First and foremost was the Ro80's rotary engine, which featured two rotors and put out 129 hp. The Wankel powered the Ro80's front wheels through a three-speed manual transmission with an automatic clutch. Much like Porsche's Sportomatic of the same era, the NSU's gearbox had both a torque converter and an electronically actuated dry clutch. The car had a fully independent suspension, as well as disc brakes at all four corners. Cooler still, the two front discs were mounted inboard. Read full story » from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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