New Quaife front-wheel drive sequential ‘box…

…that you can experience firsthand in a Mk3 Focus RS at MotorsportDays LIVE

By John Howell / Thursday, 6 October 2022 / Loading comments

There’s usually some chatter going on in the PH forums about Quaife, because if you’re after a transmission upgrade, Quaife’s ‘boxes tend to be high up the list of manufacturers to head to. And it’s just revealed the future of its front-wheel drive offering.

It’s the all-new QBE46Z gearbox, which it’s showing off in a Mk3 Focus RS at MotorsportDays LIVE – the show’s on at Silverstone from the 4th-5th November in case you were wondering. The QBE46Z replaces QKE45Z, and, like that, should drop straight into the RS using its original M66-‘box mounts, with no modifications to the standard bellhousing, clutch or driveshafts.

The company says this new unit ‘lays the foundations for all future Quaife front-wheel drive application sequential conversion gearkits and gearboxes.’ It’s said to improve shift times and reduce the chances of a miss-shift when you’re going through the ‘box in either direction.

You can also checkout the QBE60G gearbox in a Caterham 420R. It’s one of Quaife’s most successful gearboxes, with 1,800 having been manufactured to date, and is ‘race proven up to 400hp’ It drops in as a ‘direct replacement for the popular Ford Type 9 and fits a wide variety of cars with a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout.’

If 400hp is a little tepid for you, then you can also chat to the guys on the Quaife stand about more extreme units, like the QBE69G. That’s a ‘go to’ for drifters and drag racers alike, with its ability to manage over 1,200hp without going pop.

This isn’t just a static display, by the way. Pop down to Garage 18 at MotorsportDays LIVE and book a slot with the Quaife test team for a first-hand experience of the Focus RS and 420 R, as well as a selection of customer and distributor cars fitted with Quaife’s products.


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