Rear wheel drive

Nigel S · #1 (**Post Link**) 16-04-2003

Is rear wheel drive a sad loss or just best left in the 1970's?

Do we veiw RWD with rose tinted glasses, thinking of power sliding around on a dry track or road and having a good laugh? Do we forget about trying to keep such a car on the road in the ice and snow and not driving your family into a ditch?

RicksAlfas · #2 (**Post Link**) 16-04-2003

Where's the sit on the fence option??!!

I learnt in FWD, and have always had FWD, as I am sure many other people have these days. However, what I like with RWD is that when pulling out of a steep uphill junction, of which there are many round here, you get propelled forward with a big oomph and not dragged out scrabbling about like a new born badger.

Ivo · #3 (**Post Link**) 16-04-2003

bring back RWD to combine it with FWD to get AWD, I say

Spiderman · #4 (**Post Link**) 16-04-2003

My first 3 cars were all rwd.Even my old Triumph with a mere 60bhp was fun,especially in the wet.
But ,having said that a competent modern fwd chassis is a lot more confidence inspiring on an unfamiliar,dark,wet country road...........

logiclee · #5 (**Post Link**) 16-04-2003

Having held a licence sine the early 80's all my first cars were RWD and yes my list of 25 cars I have owned includes a Cortina.

I also used to Rally a 200bhp RWD Chevette that weighed about 700kg. Good fun indeed.

I say bring back RWD, its the enthusiasts choice. FWD is OK for Shopping!!!

Lee

Amsterdavid · #6 (**Post Link**) 16-04-2003

I would love to have a RWD car if i could afford one! It's so much more instinctive to drive...

Oooh... i'm going to be dreaming about that S2000 again tonight... sorry, got me all excited again wink

THROTTLEMAN · #7 (**Post Link**) 16-04-2003

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Ivo:
bring back RWD to combine it with FWD to get AWD, I say

<hr /></blockquote>Tractor, Ivo?

Stori · #8 (**Post Link**) 16-04-2003

Well I have had both front and rear wheel drive cars including the Famous Alfetta 116 series GTV.
When you look at where Front wheel drive has come from. The massively terminal under stearing Mini and compare it to the 147 you realise that the system that Alfa use is absolutely brilliant.
I can see that the advantages of All Wheel drive, but the advantage of a well set up front wheel drive compared to a well setup rear wheel drive on a road going is not as great.
Sure on the race track better to have rear wheel drive but on the road .........?

Reuven · #9 (**Post Link**) 17-04-2003

I agree with Stori that FWD cars have come a long way up in technology terms & are great cars to drive on public roads.

As for RWD Yes if you want to go onto that race track you will find a difference when you pace down the track in your HSV or XR8 and leave tyre marks down the track with a cloud of smoke!

But Personally I say AWD cars are the way to go more control & better handling on road & off, its the next generation of cars at least I hope so

.

selespeed · #10 (**Post Link**) 17-04-2003

I love rear wheel drive, but I have to admit FWD cars have improved a lot over the years. Even 250 horses is not a real problem anymore on a FWD (unless the roads are wet) and I call that a great achivement.

black_gtv_v6 · #11 (**Post Link**) 17-04-2003

RWD is good for finesse and track driving. AWD for low traction conditions although AWD is likely to result in understeer albeit at a higher speeds than FWD. RWD is king for steering purity as no power is being transmitted to the front wheels HOWEVER the car need to be really well sorted (suspension/chassis) otherwise FWD/AWD is likely to be better, especially on public roads. Still...I'd like to be able to light up the rear wheels on my next Alfa, otherwise I will be off to another maker. frown

DengKao · #12 (**Post Link**) 17-04-2003

Maybe Selespeed has some more info on this,
but I heard that Alfa/Lancia/Fiat is going to bring out a RWD for the US market.

I am not sure which one exactly, so there might be a small change that there will come a RWD sooner or later.

Greetz,
Deng

selespeed · #13 (**Post Link**) 17-04-2003

As far as I know the top models will eventually get AWD like the Brera and the GTA's but I am not surprised if the will make the Brera in a RWD version as well (the concept car is RWD).

147owner · #14 (**Post Link**) 17-04-2003

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Stori:
Well I have had both front and rear wheel drive cars including the Famous Alfetta 116 series GTV.
When you look at where Front wheel drive has come from. The massively terminal under stearing Mini and compare it to the 147 you realise that the system that Alfa use is absolutely brilliant.
I can see that the advantages of All Wheel drive, but the advantage of a well set up front wheel drive compared to a well setup rear wheel drive on a road going is not as great.
Sure on the race track better to have rear wheel drive but on the road .........?<hr /></blockquote>Stori, got it one...The underlying assumption is that RWD, good, FWD bad. It ain't so. There were some pretty bad handling RWD cars over the years, and there were some brilliant FWD cars too. It's the car that matters, not how its driven...Besides, Alfa's been building FWD cars for 30 years now..Even then an Alfasud would run rings around the RWD Alfas of the time. But having said that, RWD better for powerful cars, but for the others FWD is no disadvantage at all.
Kevin
PS I suppose taking this to its logical conclusion all cars should have rear mounted engines and RWD for the best oversteer experience...

147owner · #15 (**Post Link**) 17-04-2003

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Jamie and the magic torch:
Nothing beats looking at the road ahead through your side window !

<hr /></blockquote>I've done that in front engine FWD, front engine RWD and rear engine RWD. Probably my old Alfasud was the best of them all, but I suspect for ultimate speed, the 147 would be fastest of all. Certainly the 147 has the most grip...

Fraser · #16 (**Post Link**) 17-04-2003

There's a fast corner off a large roundabout near my hometown. Needless to say there have been a few accidents at it, two of which I have witnessed first hand, plus another two where I've seen the debris. In three of the accidents the cars were BMW 3's, and the fourth was a merc coupe. My mate has also seen an XK8 written off there.

In the dim and distant past I had a Corolla GT Coupe. Brilliant RWD car. I could not get that car round those corners anything like I can in my FWD Alfa or in any number of more sedate FWD cars I've driven since then. It wasn't just the speed in the Corolla - it just felt butt-clenchingly edgy.

I can accept that RWD may be the purist's wet dream - but for everyday use, and a bit of fun on the open road, it's got to be a well sorted FWD or AWD for me.

VeloceMitch · #17 (**Post Link**) 18-04-2003

<blockquote>quote:<hr /> There's a fast corner off a large roundabout near my hometown. Needless to say there have been a few accidents at it, two of which I have witnessed first hand, plus another two where I've seen the debris. In three of the accidents the cars were BMW 3's, and the fourth was a merc coupe. My mate has also seen an XK8 written off there.

<hr /></blockquote>I can relate to this. I love exiting roundabouts using the natural understeer you get with FWD. keep the right hand lock on use progressivly more throttle at the right moment and the car will understeer toward the exit, then change lock and power out of the roundabout. Great fun

Except I tried in a BMW 330i, once and its not quite the same with RWD!. Thank god for traction control!

All the cars I have owned and most I have driven have been FWD, and in my opinion it easier and safer when you are driving quickly. I am well aware that most top racers, and testers would prefer RWD, but for us mere mortals FWD is much more forgiving in the real world.

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