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43-496: The Volvo B10M is a mid-engined city bus and coach chassis manufactured by Volvo between 1978 and 2003. It succeeded the B58 and was equipped with the same 9.6-litre horizontally mounted Volvo diesel engine mounted under the floor behind the front axle. An articulated version under the model name Volvo B10MA was also offered, as was a semi-integral version known as the C10M , with

86-500: A city bus , in which form it was also very popular. It was available as B10M-46, B10M-50, B10M-55, B10M-60, B10M-62, B10M-65 and B10M-70, where the number represents the wheelbase in decimetres. Many bodybuilders did however shorten or extend the chassis to fit their needs. No later than 1981 a tri-axle chassis was introduced, available as B10M-50B, B10M-55B, B10M-60B, B10M-65B and B10M-70B, with some bodybuilders extending them up to 7.25 metres wheelbase. A double-decker version of

129-573: A few had a Dutch Hainje / Berkhof ST2000  [ nl ] , Berhof 2000NL  [ nl ] or a Berkhof Excellence 500 body. In Belgium, most of the buses on B10BMA chassis were owned by public operators while the B10B buses belonged to private leasers, working on contract with these operators. While most of these buses are now withdrawn in Belgium, De Lijn still owns some articulated Jonckheere Transit 2000 G. The articulated version of

172-492: A front-engine or rear-engine car. When the engine is in front of the driver, but fully behind the front axle line, the layout is sometimes called a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, or FMR layout instead of the less-specific term front-engine; and can be considered a subset of the latter. In-vehicle layout, FMR is substantially the same as FR, but handling differs as a result of the difference in weight distribution. Some vehicles could be classified as FR or FMR depending on

215-652: A more favorable deal with Ikarus Bus . In Australia, the B10M was purchased by government operators Adelaide Metro , Brisbane Transport and Metro Tasmania , as well as private operators, with large fleets built up in Sydney by Busways and Westbus , and in Melbourne by Grenda Corporation and Sita Buslines . Three-axle B10Ms were fitted with high and double decker coach bodies with AAT Kings , Ansett Pioneer , Australian Pacific Tours , Greyhound and Westbus among

258-648: A number of B10Ms were built and used in the United States. The American B10M was manufactured mostly in its articulated form (which was purchased by SEPTA , SamTrans , and New Jersey Transit ) though a standard length B10M model was made for the RIPTA with one example going to SEPTA as compensation for delays. Canadian production of the B10MA articulated bus under licence to Ontario Bus Industries nearly took place, however it fell through when that company negotiated

301-458: A problem in some cars, but this issue seems to have been largely solved in newer designs. For example, the Saleen S7 employs large engine-compartment vents on the sides and rear of the bodywork to help dissipate heat from its very high-output engine. Mid-engined cars are more dangerous than front-engined cars if the driver loses control - although this may be initially harder to provoke due to

344-405: A progressive and controllable manner as the tires lose traction. Super, sport, and race cars frequently have a mid-engined layout, as these vehicles' handling characteristics are more important than other requirements, such as usable space. In dedicated sports cars, a weight distribution of about 50% front and rear is frequently pursued, to optimise the vehicle's driving dynamics – a target that

387-549: A single-deck bus was complemented (and was largely replaced) by the low-floor rear-engined B10L and B10BLE chassis in some markets in the late 1990s. In 2001 the B10M was replaced by the B12M , sporting a larger 12.1-litre engine and the engine position of the C10M/B10M-C. [REDACTED] Media related to Volvo B10M at Wikimedia Commons Mid-engine design The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive format can be considered

430-621: A successor to the B57 , it found more or less the same place in the markets where it was available. The B9M had the same 9.6-litre engine as the B10M, but at lower outputs. It sold well in the Nordic countries , with the exception of Denmark, where only a few were sold. The model was available at least past 1996. In the United Kingdom , the B9M-46 was sold as a shorter 9.5 to 9.7 metre version of

473-1113: A total of 180 Alexander PS-types on Volvo B10M chassis from 1990 to 1996. Mainline's first Alexander PS-types were the first to be bodied on a Volvo chassis. Kelvin Central Buses also purchased 60 PS-types between 1995 and 1997. Following the purchase of Mainline and SB Holdings by the FirstGroup , these buses were dispersed around First's other operations. On the Scania N113CRB chassis, Busways Travel Services took an order of 20 Scanias with PS-type bodies, while Nottingham City Transport took an order of eight. Yorkshire Traction purchased five Scania PS-types in 1992 as their first new full-size buses since deregulation . Sixteen Dennis Lances with dual door Alexander PS-type bodies were built for London Buses subsidiary Selkent , while in Hong Kong, Kowloon Motor Bus took on 24 Lances with PS-type bodywork. Two examples on

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516-401: A vehicle safer since an accident can occur if a vehicle cannot stay in its own lane around a curve or is unable to stop quickly enough. Mid-engine design is also a way to provide additional empty crush space in the front of the automobile between the bumper and the windshield, which can then be designed to absorb more of the impact force in a frontal collision in order to minimize penetration into

559-408: Is typically only achievable by placing the engine somewhere between the front and rear axles. Usually, the term "mid-engine" has been primarily applied to cars having the engine located between the driver and the rear drive axles. This layout is referred to as rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive , (or RMR) layout. The mechanical layout and packaging of an RMR car are substantially different from that of

602-489: The MTR Corporation because of the merge of mass railways service in Hong Kong in late 2007. In 1994, Stagecoach Hong Kong ordered five B10Ms with Alexander PS bodied and THD101GC engine fitted, these B10Ms were serviced at private house estates residential services in Hong Kong operated by Stagecoach company. But in 1996, Stagecoach company Hong Kong closed, these Volvo B10Ms were sold to New Zealand. The B10M as

645-807: The Volvo B10BLE CNG . 300 B10M Mark IIIs were delivered between November 1992 and June 1993. They were bodied by Duple Metsec , and had received mid-life refurbishment. Most units received a two-year lifespan extension due to insufficient replacement buses, and were all retired by June 2012. 475 B10M Mark IVs were delivered between June 1995 and December 2000. They were bodied by either Duple Metsec , PSV Soon Chow or Walter Alexander Strider . Most buses extended their lifespan by two years, and 30 DM3500-bodied buses received another one-year extension in 2017 due to insufficient replacement buses. All these buses have been retired as of 23 December 2018. A 14.5m B10M Superlong tri-axle bus , bodied by Duple Metsec ,

688-525: The Volvo B6 midibus chassis, while Stagecoach Manchester also took on comparatively large numbers of PS types-bodied B10Ms. Most were withdrawn by 2016 due to regulations mandating low-floor buses , but some were retained as late as 2020 as school buses by Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire . The second-biggest operator of the Alexander PS-type were Mainline Buses , who ordered

731-604: The 1950s and 1960s, e.g. the AEC Reliance . The Ferrari Mondial is to date the only successful example of a true mid-engined convertible with seating for 4 and sports car/supercar performance. A version of the Lotus Evora with a removable roof panel is anticipated but no definite date is known. Like any layout where the engine is not front-mounted and facing the wind, the traditional "engine-behind-the-passengers" layout makes engine cooling more difficult. This has been

774-417: The 1990s, Stagecoach standardised on the bus version of the B10M as their full-size single decker . Most received Alexander PS bodies but some received Northern Counties Paladin bodywork. Stagecoach also took numerous examples of the coach version with Plaxton 's Interurban bodywork and Jonckheere 's Modulo bodywork. South Yorkshire Transport and Kelvin Central Buses also purchased large numbers of

817-538: The B10M constructed by Saracakis under the name "Alexandros" in 1993, 1995 and 1997. All the buses were ordered by Thessaloniki Urban Transport Organization in Thessaloniki , Greece . In Thessaloniki 44 buses (1997 version) still in use but OASTH fitted them with modern telematics GPS tracking systems. The older versions were recycled and some of buses were sold to Astiko Ktel Patron (the transport organization of Patras ), and are still (Q3 2015) in use in

860-715: The B10M from 1985. From 1984, a RHD version of the B10M-55B was available as the B10MT, later also B10T. In 1984, Swiss bodybuilder Ramseier & Jenzer collaborated with Volvo to unveil a semi-integral coach known as the C10M , with the engine in the middle of the chassis. Production of the C10M was ended in 1987, but the position of the engine was still available as an option and became known as B10M-C. Coach operators National Express , Park's of Hamilton , Shearings and Wallace Arnold all purchased large quantities of B10Ms. In

903-571: The B10M was developed for Strathclyde PTE in 1981. It was launched in early 1982, with a downrated engine from the coach , and was named Citybus (also known unofficially as B10MD or D10M). Most early examples were bodied by Alexander Coachbuilders , who provided a modified version - common to all Volvo double-deck chassis bodied by the company after 1980 - of their popular and attractive R type bodywork. Eastern Scottish and Fife Scottish bought many of these early versions in 1985–1987. Two were exported in 1984, one of them to Singapore Bus Service and

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946-803: The buyers. In New Zealand, two Volvo B10Ms with VöV bodies built by Coachwork International were ordered by Auckland Regional Council in 1985. These are the only Volvo buses to receive the VoV body. In 1996, five ex-Hong Kong Stagecoach Volvo B10Ms were sold to New Zeleand from Hong Kong because of disposal in Hong Kong residential bus services. At least 168 B10M and B10MA buses were purchased by Belgian operators ( SNCV / NMVB , TEC and De Lijn ). They were fitted with carbodies built by Belgian manufacturers : Van Hool ( A120  [ fr ] , Linea  [ fr ] ), Jonckheere ( TransCity , 056 , Transit  [ nl ] , Communo  [ nl ] , Transit 2000  [ nl ] ) and

989-521: The case of the Ferrari FF taking power from both ends of the crankshaft with two separate gearboxes. These cars use a traditional engine layout between driver and rear drive axle. Typically, they're simply called MR; for mid-rear (engined), or mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout cars. These cars use mid-ship, four-wheel-drive , with an engine between the axles. These cars are "mid-ship engined" vehicles, but they use front-wheel drive , with

1032-877: The city of Patras , Greece. They operate routes connecting the outskirts of Patras to the city center and the city center to the University of Patras in Rion. In 2015, all the Astiko Ktel Patron buses were fitted with GPS tracking systems for use with modern real time bus arrival boards at the bus stops and a mobile application. In Hong Kong, three bus companies purchased Volvo B10Ms. Citybus (CTB) ordered 10 Volvo B10Ms with Van Hool bodied and THD101GD engine fitted between 1990 and 1992 for their border-crossing service between Hong Kong and Mainland China. In 1997, CTB ordered two more Volvo B10Ms with China Volvo bus bodied and DH10A engine fitted into its border fleet. After

1075-411: The closure of border-crossing service, those B10Ms has been sold to private tourist bus companies in Hong Kong. Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation ordered 15 Volvo B10Ms in 1995 for replacing second-handed MCW Metrobus fleet, with Northern Counties bodied, ZF4HP500 gearbox and Volvo THD102KF engine fitted. These buses also fitted with Lazzerini chairs inside the interior. All ex-KCRC B10Ms has sold to

1118-446: The engine in front of the driver. It is still treated as an FF layout, though, due to the engine's placement still being in the front of the car, contrary to the popular belief that the engine is placed in front of the rear axle with power transferred to the front wheels (an RMF layout). In most examples, the engine is longitudinally mounted rather than transversely as is common with FF cars. Alexander PS The Alexander PS-type

1161-578: The engine in the middle of the chassis. Designed as a successor to the Volvo B58 , a large portion of B10M chassis were built in Sweden, but some were built in other countries, like the United Kingdom and Brazil. The B10M was one of the best-selling chassis in the United Kingdom throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Having originally been produced only as a coach chassis, the B10M was made available as

1204-413: The engine placed between the driver and the front axle. This layout, similar to the above FMR layout, with the engine between driver and the front axle, adds front-wheel drive to become a four-wheel drive. An engineering challenge with this layout is getting the power to the front wheels past the engine - this would normally involve raising the engine to allow a propshaft to pass under the engine, or in

1247-562: The factory-installed engine (I4 vs I6). Historically most classical FR cars such as the Ford Models T and A would qualify as an FMR engine car. Additionally, the distinction between FR and FMR is a fluid one, depending on the degree of engine protrusion in front of the front axle line, as manufacturers mount engines as far back in the chassis as possible. Not all manufacturers use the Front-Mid designation. These cars are RWD cars with

1290-439: The fore and aft weight distribution by other means, such as putting the engine in the front and the gearbox and battery in the rear of the vehicle. Another benefit comes when the heavy mass of the engine is located close to the back of the seats. It makes it easier for the suspension to absorb the force of bumps so the riders feel a smoother ride. But in sports cars, the engine position is once again used to increase performance and

1333-521: The front tires in braking the vehicle, with less chance of rear-wheel lockup and less chance of a skid or spin out. If the mid-engine vehicle is also rear-drive the added weight on the rear tires can also improve acceleration on slippery surfaces, providing much of the benefit of all-wheel-drive without the added weight and expense of all-wheel-drive components. The mid-engine layout makes ABS brakes and traction control systems work better, by providing them more traction to control. The mid-engine layout may make

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1376-410: The last delivered in 1999. Singapore Bus Service evaluated a mid-engine Volvo B10MD double-decker bus bodied by East Lancashire Coachbuilders in 1984. No further double-deck B10MD units were acquired however. A second B10M demonstrator was an air-conditioned single-deck bus bodied by Van Hool and was acquired in 1986. It was also the only Volvo B10M Mark I acquired by Singapore Bus Service and it

1419-483: The original layout of automobiles. A 1901 Autocar was the first gasoline-powered automobile to use a drive shaft and placed the engine under the seat. This pioneering vehicle is now in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution . Mounting the engine in the middle instead of the front of the vehicle puts more weight over the rear tires, so they have more traction and provide more assistance to

1462-536: The other to Kowloon Motor Bus , but was destroyed by fire in 1988. The Citybus lasted until the end of B10M production but fell out of favour after Volvo re-engineered the Leyland Olympian as the Volvo Olympian in 1993. The B9M was launched in 1982 as a light-weight, stripped-down, budget version of the standard B10M. It was available as B9M-46, B9M-50, B9M-55 and B9M-60. Although technically not

1505-443: The passenger compartment of the vehicle. In most automobiles, and in sports cars especially, ideal car handling requires balanced traction between the front and rear wheels when cornering, in order to maximize the possible speed around curves without sliding out. This balance is harder to achieve when the heavy weight of the engine is located far to the front or far to the rear of the vehicle. Some automobile designs strive to balance

1548-536: The potentially smoother ride is usually more than offset by stiffer shock absorbers . This layout also allows the motor, gearbox, and differential to be bolted together as a single unit. Together with independent suspension on the driven wheels, this removes the need for the chassis to transfer engine torque reaction. The largest drawback of mid-engine cars is restricted rear or front (in the case of front-mid layouts) passenger space; consequently, most mid-engine vehicles are two-seat vehicles. The engine in effect pushes

1591-412: The rear passenger seats forward towards the front axle (if the engine is behind the driver). Exceptions typically involve larger vehicles of unusual length or height in which the passengers can share space between the axles with the engine, which can be between them or below them, as in some vans, large trucks, and buses. The mid-engine layout (with a horizontal engine) was common in single-decker buses in

1634-412: The superior balance - and the car begins to spin. The moment of inertia about the center of gravity is low due to the concentration of mass between the axles (similar to standing in the middle of a playground roundabout, rather than at the edge) and the spin will occur suddenly, the car will rotate faster and it will be harder to recover from. Conversely, a front-engined car is more likely to break away in

1677-506: The type with Alexander PS bodies. The B10MA articulated variant was of limited popularity among bus operators in the United Kingdom. British Caledonian Airways took four in 1988, the next examples sold in Britain were supplied eight years later, with the delivery of four to Ulsterbus . Stagecoach was the biggest customer for the model in the UK, purchasing 18 in the mid- to late-1990s, with

1720-591: Was a step-entrance single-deck bus body built by Walter Alexander Coachbuilders in Falkirk , Scotland and was produced from 1988 to the late 1990s on the Dennis Lance , Mercedes-Benz O405 , Scania N113 and Volvo B10M chassis. The Alexander PS-type was developed from the Alexander's single-deck export body for Singapore Bus Services , and was based on the domestic P-type with a revised front end. It

1763-679: Was initially launched in the United Kingdom on the Scania N113CR chassis in 1988. The Alexander PS-type was ultimately succeeded by the Alexander ALX200 and Alexander ALX300 low-floor bus bodies. The Alexander PS-type on the Volvo B10M chassis was the primary single decker for the Stagecoach Group through the 1990s, with 100 delivered to Stagecoach Cumberland from late 1992 following production delays with

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1806-844: Was purchased in 1995 (UITP Congress 1995) and retired in October 2012. A 19m B10MA articulated bus , also bodied by Duple Metsec , was purchased in 1996. It was known as "Asia's Longest Bus". In 2006, it was sold to Bayes Coachlines in New Zealand. For Expo '85 in Tsukuba , Fuji Heavy Industries bodied 100 B10MLs. Seventy-nine were exported to Australia in 1986 with Brisbane Transport , Busways , Grenda's Bus Service , Hornibrook Bus Lines , Invicta Bus Service , Kangaroo Bus Lines , Metro-link Bus Lines , Metropolitan Transit Authority , Premier Roadliners , Sunbury Bus Service and Surfside Buslines purchasing examples. From 1983 to 1986,

1849-457: Was sold to an operator in New Zealand by the end of the 1990s. SBS Transit purchased 977 units between 1988 and 2000, making up a large part of its single-decker bus fleet. The Volvo B10M Mark IIs were the first to be used, with 200 delivered between March 1988 and April 1989. They were retired by May 2008 after fulfilling their 19-year lifespan, except one which was sold to New Zealand. The Mark IIs were replaced by Scania K230UB Euro IV and

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