Why the extra gears though? Couldn't they do a similar thing without all the extra gubbins up front?
Ah, the suspension setup. So perhaps you could do a hardtail with a similar hidden RD but lose some of the extra gears up front for weight and drivetrain efficiency.
Supre drive!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyqWMJieMOo&t=88s