Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
What FWD cars are holding their own against RWD cars?
First you have to decide on what they should be holding their own against. As there are many different kinds of tracks and races. At that point it is very simple to pull up Youtube and find a FWD car beating a RWD car. It happens on a regular basis. That’s not to say that no RWD cars can win a race against a FWD as that would be ridiculous, but it just goes to show that it can go both ways and regardless of what your layout is, there is always a faster car.
As I've said, I don't own a FWD performance car (my last four cars have been RWD performance oriented coupes/sedans) so I have no bias in their favor. I'm just reasonable enough to understand that there is more than one way of accomplishing the same task.
I'm not got going to even start with all the misinformation/Assumptions in this thread(you can't educate the ignorant)
To take a car that is cheap and slow and turn it into something sexy and fast is the American way!
That's what our fathers did with hotrods in the 50 and 60's.
First you have to decide on what they should be holding their own against. As there are many different kinds of tracks and races. At that point it is very simple to pull up Youtube and find a FWD car beating a RWD car. It happens on a regular basis. That’s not to say that no RWD cars can win a race against a FWD as that would be ridiculous, but it just goes to show that it can go both ways and regardless of what your layout is, there is always a faster car.
As I've said, I don't own a FWD performance car (my last four cars have been RWD performance oriented coupes/sedans) so I have no bias in their favor. I'm just reasonable enough to understand that there is more than one way of accomplishing the same task.
So we are talking modified cars? That changes everything and makes this whole debate meaningless.
So we are talking modified cars? That changes everything and makes this whole debate meaningless.
I generally refer to modified cars because that's what I do with my cars as a hobby but it’s not hard to find a RWD car that will have a hard time with a stock Focus ST, MazdaSpeed 3, Integra Type R, Mini Cooper S, etc.
You're correct that in some ways a debate with modified cars is meaningless because quite often that can boil down to how much money you can afford to throw at it but it’s still worth discussing because most enthusiasts do have finite budgets and picking a platform to modify often starts with an evaluation of cost (to buy the car, to reach your goal, etc).
Colorado is right. Some people here are trying their damnedest to put words in his mouth, but what he's saying is that with all things being equal, a FWD car is never going to be the best choice for a race car, or a rally car, or any other type of competitive racing. The only time it would be... is if the class is for FWD only. Other than that, there are better choices out there with better handling and potential. If some of you guys disagree with that... well, your opinion is wrong.
Doesn't mean you can't respect someone who has a passion for FWD cars, but call a spade a spade and realize that most of those types of cars were never intended to be raced in any way, shape, or form.
Actually he said that 95% of racing cars were RWD and that FWD pretty much sucks. They dont neccersarily "suck", they are different. RWD race cars account for closer to 65-75 % of all the road racing stock out there on any given day when you combine professional and amateur classes. And many FWD cars have beaten RWD cars, going back decades and right up till today, especially in touring car classes and non AWD rally classes.
As someone thats paid to race myself I dont discriminate between drive layouts. The bestvrace car Ive ever driven is the NEXT one on the schedule.
It was probably his douche like manner that triggered said responses. That will happen when you feel like you have to correct people about being a "racing entthusiast" vs an auto enthusiast.
Honestly, why can't someone who owns a modest car not still be an enthusias too, who likes and enjoys his car?
Must there be a class system that says you must own car X or "better" to modify it, do things to change it's looks, or drive it a little more aggresasively for the fun of it?
Civics are not the car for me either, but there are some really passionate people who own them, modify them, and do some amazing things with them!
I do not have to like the the Civic, but I see no reason to not have any respect for an enthusiast just because they own one either. To each their own.
Well said.
I have owned them all RWD/V-8's, FWD/4 cylinder Turbo's, 4WD/6 cylinder and RWD/V-6'S and I enjoyed them all regardless of their drive train layout. My next car will most likely be AWD. The thing that makes this hobby so great is the fact there is something for everybody and I am not going to criticize any ones choice just because it's different than mine.
I don't own a Civic and they certainly aren't my preference (not too fond of the sound of naturally aspirated fours either) but I've seen plenty of well built cars that can handle their own for the task that they were built to handle. They can be built relatively cheaply to handle very well in the curves which is a hoot for tight road courses or mountain driving. Due to their weight, 300hp goes a long way in the older cars and it isn't terribly difficult to get to that figure. Hell even 200hp in the twisties should be decent.
There's a favorite twisty road on the way to NYC... the Saw Mill Parkway. And I've driven it in my Civics and also in an Acura GSR sedan. I greatly prefer driving it in a lesser hp car because it's safer to go full throttle and play with the momentum. In a higher hp car, there's a much greater potential for going into a corner too hot... and you know that braking mid-corner is a huge no-no. Too many higher hp cars spin out and crash when they take a corner too fast. "When in doubt, throttle out" is often forgotten in a panic moment.
There's a favorite twisty road on the way to NYC... the Saw Mill Parkway. And I've driven it in my Civics and also in an Acura GSR sedan. I greatly prefer driving it in a lesser hp car because it's safer to go full throttle and play with the momentum. In a higher hp car, there's a much greater potential for going into a corner too hot... and you know that braking mid-corner is a huge no-no. Too many higher hp cars spin out and crash when they take a corner too fast. "When in doubt, throttle out" is often forgotten in a panic moment.
you can break mid turn, you just have to know how to drive sideways AKA drift. accelerating out of a corner also produces a gravity change the base, turning the car sideways, i doubt the average joe knows or even understands drifting.
many higher hp sports cars can handle better than people think, just dont go in with ****ty brakes and bald tires.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
