Call me stupid, but why does my car have a rear axle drive "tunnel" in the middle, when the car is FWD? Are there any RWD or 4WD configurations (chevy, daewoo, pontiac, etc) out there? Or is it just structural intregity to give the body a bit more resistance against flexing?
it adds structure sure, it is also used to run the exhaust to the back of the car while keeping low ground clearance. oh and its also a convenient place to put the shifter linkage, other than that, is it necessary? maybe not in the aveo..
Well the shifter linkage, yes... So I can see why it's needed at the front seats. I didn't realize that the exhaust runs through it though, that explains a lot. Took me a little while to find images about it (I don't fit underneath my aveo I'm afraid) - pretty cool. The exhaust does have a ton of space there - I guess it gets pretty hot.