i wasnt aware there were really that many, however, in the V8 post down below, it sounds like RWD saves HP. How is that possible? or am i just taking things out of context?

 

No not much difference for RWD vs RWD in the hp thing.

RWD cars can be set up closer to 50/50, drive wheels are diff than the steering wheels and power oversteer is easier w/ RWD.

Thing is, most if not all here probably can't drive well enough to take advantage of the above anyway.

 

You mean FWD vs. RWD right ?

Yup. When weight is distributed more evenly, it gives you a better launch, and usually faster 1/4 times.

What does that mean ? Are you saying that since the Maxima is a light, small displacement car anyway we wouldn't benifit much from RWD ? (Stock)

 

No. It means that everyone will tell you that RWD is sooo much better for handling but in reality these same people probably can't drive well enough to take advantage of the RWD configuration. The differences on a well set-up fwd and rwd come in the higher portions of both car's handling limits. These limits are probably higher than most here can take advantage of.

ie.. a normal rwd driver will get his *** handed to him by a well trained fwd car driver on the track.

 

Iiiiiiiiiiii see. So your saying the handling advantages of RWD over FWD are so minimal that a FWD car could easily out-handle a RWD car. This is true becuase I could cream my friends RWD mustang in the twisties.

 

Stock out of the box, most FWD cars have WAY too much understeer built in to really do anything well IMHO. but just a RWB and everything changes. I would never say a FWD car could EASILY outhandle a rwd car. But it just depends. A stock Acura Integra type-R will outhandle ALOT of RWD cars out there. What I'm an saying is, the driver makes up a very large portion of what the car can do. It's not just the car.

I have seen beat up crappers, kill shiny new ultra-expensive cars on the autocross track.

 

I understand now.

RWD fearz FWD modded for suspension.

 

dont forget the best part of RWD, DRIFTING!!



..must...get...240.....or....download....drifting. ....videos....

 

Quattro for Dummies is going to be my new book.

 

Although RWD offers a much better weight distribution (BMW boasts a near 50/50 on all their cars), the difference is really in the hands of the driver. However FWD cars tend to have MUCH more understeer than RWD cars. However you must consider that handling is generally better in RWD cars because there is a seperate set of wheels just for power (4WD of course being the best handling). However like Jeff92se said, it all depends on the driver, and also alot on what cars you are comparing. Some RWD cars will smoke their FWD competitors in every way and other vice versa.
-Cyrus

 

wat th e dif between understeer and over steer

 

there is a big advantage to rwd in launching, i drive my maxima and get a some bad wheel hop popping the clutch, but then i drive my dads rwd and those hook up nicely due to the weigh shifting back on to those wheels, huge advantage, theres a reason why most sports cars are rear wheel, better handling, better acceleration also by the by this is probably a general forum Q

 

Anyone seen Pulp Fiction? "English mother#ucker do you speak it!"

 

This used to baffle me for the longest time when I was reading car mags and such. Heres the best way to think of it;

You are always turning, of course, in the case of under or oversteer, and it happens at the point that your tires loose grip, not before.

With over-steer, say you're making a hard left, you get to a point where your tail gets loose, what happens?? You start going more left than you intended. Your car is oversteering. Your tail got so loose(in toher words the rear tires lost grip) that it slid out, changing the direction of your car, making it go more of what your were doing. Going left, it goes more left. Going right, it goes more right, etc. Severe over steer will lead to a spin out.

With under steer, let's say you're making a hard right. Because your car is much heavier in the front (like FWD cars like our Maximas) you will feel the car lose traction in the front 1st. What happens? your hard right gets a little wide, and you would have a tendency to turn more right to compensate. You're understeering.

As you get more into the ways of understeer and over steer you'll see that cars known for handling tend to under steer/over steer in a very manageable fashion.

Last, a 4 wheel drift, that happens when your car is understeering and over steering at the exact same time and rate. Very, very difficult to achieve. Having a car with AWD and a 50/50 weight distribution helps a whole lot, tho.

Get it? Class dismissed.

DW

 

Yea, I've seen Pulp Fiction. It also showed one of the advantages of RWD, in Harvey's launch in the oh-so-beautiful NSX.

Yes, a well-handling FWD will normally beat a RWD monster on a windy, twisty track, but if the guy driving the RWD really knows how to control his car well, then a comparable FWD will be no match (comparable meaning its hard to compare an Integra Type-R with a T/A, due to quite a bit of weight difference, but I've seen T/As that have good drivers handle better through twisty areas than Type R's at the autox).

Of course, it's a lot easier to lose control in a RWD, and a little bit more difficult to recover than in a FWD.

 

whats the diffrence betwwen rwd and fwd.....doing donuts of course.....damn i miss my stang !.....

 

o and i forgot burnouts!

 

of course, this is not the case when you have 300hp and 400foot pounds of torque (at the rear wheels) and tires that can't handle it. they spin forever resulting in poor ET's. the first time i took my 442 to the track i couldn't do better than a 14.6 at 101mph. the time was poor because i had to ease into the throttle for the first second or two and then lay into it. with drag radials it did 13.7 at 102mph.

 

We can't forget in drag racing RWD has a clear advantage over FWD and thats the weight distrubution. FWD cars have a tendency to be nose heavy so the car has a tendency to plow ahead (understeer). Whats more is the funfactor though. Theres nothing like busting the rear end loose of a RWD car when nailing it around a corner, or when doing heavy acceleration. In FWD all you'll get is the front end plowing or the front tires spinning with the car going nowhere, respectively. FWD is also harder to work on because most are transversely mounted engines and transmissions. Because of this, the front overhangs of the car is usually pretty substantial. Just look at the short nose of a BMW, looks MUCH better then our 4 foot extended noses that bottom out.

 

this is not entirely true. RWD cars are also nose heavy: my 442 has roughly a 57/43 front/rear ratio as did most RWD cars made in the USA from the '80's and earlier. The front ends also plow (or understeer) on RWD cars unless the suspensions were changed at the factory for performance models (or aftermarket upgrades such as stiffer springs, rear stabilier bars, etc.).

 

now that was just mean spirited

 

it really depends on what kind of race and what kind of driver. think about F1 race, they still use the RWD setup instead of the AWD because much of the energy is lost on the front wheel if AWD is used (think about the super wide tires at the back and narrow tires at front)
But in rally race, it's a different story. you see AWD, RWD, and FWD. The driver does matters!!!!!!!!

 

I believeF1 uses RWD because it's the rules. I would guess if they could use AWD they would. It's not really a power thing as they could probably get as much as they needed(if the rules didn't penalize them w/ weight or power)

 

I gotta question. Jeff you could probubly answer this.

Is their ANY advantages for FWD over RWD racing/handling wise ?? It seems to take the sports outta a sports car.

For a car like the Maxima, would RWD maxima ANY difference in 0-60 and 1/4 times ?? If so, how much ? I would think that the Maxima's engine is small enough that FWD could achieve just as good times as if the maxima's drivetrain was AWD or RWD. What do yall think?

 

1) No not really. Maybe if there were races where you had to drive in the rain or snow all the time. hehe.

2) The max *might* be able to get better 0-60 or 1/4" times if RWD. But it would be just due to the fact that the weight transfers to the driving wheels upon launching. But I have seen some incredible 60ft times on FWD cars that use slicks and "wheelie/traction bars"

Everyday, the gap between fwd/rwd becomes smaller and smaller. But I doubt you will see any super high hp production cars utilizing FWD and a platform. Would not make sense. AWD super cars are the next hip thing nowdays.

 

I agree with Jeff that a good driver means more than having a RWD car. Back in my younger days I had 300ZX and 944 and hung-out with people who had Supras, Z's or 944s. It took me some time to get used to driving FWD cars when I started to drive 4-dr sedans. My driving skills have also improved over the years. With a FWD I now can probably beat the old me with a RWD.

It's still very entertaining to drive my friends' RWD 944, Mercedes, and BMW once in a while.

 

I was thinking the same the other day. I would love to wring out a nice RWD car sometime. It's been years! haha. I would probably 180 and crash. lol

 

Last time when I drove my friend's 944 turbo S, I took a turn a little too hard and the car started to fish-tail. Fortunately it all came back to me and I was able to save it.

 

Are you guys saying FWD is easier to control, especially under hard handling ?

 

No. Under hard handling condition, RWD is actually easier to control. However, in my personal opinion, it's easier for one to master the skills of driving a FWD than a RWD. But once you have mastered driving a RWD, you will a big advantage over a FWD.

 

Not really, if I remember correctly, but I might be wrong. The FIA do have some regulation on safty and the shape and the size of the auto, but, remember, it's a F1, which means there is almost no rule on the power or weight (in the safety point of view, so no turbo allowed). But when it comes to speed, energy efficency, weight distribution, and aerodynamic become a big issue, not just the power (so that you don't find a V-20 or W-26 or whatever in a F1).
They don't use AWD or FWD because it requires driveshaft to pass through the fuel tank and past the dirver to the front wheel so that the added weight and complexity has no benifit but causing understeer for the FWD due to the torque distribution on the front wheel and lost of effiecency for the AWD.