![]() |
|
![]() |
#181 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,876
|
Front wheel drive has its uses, many members on one side of the family who basically live on unsealed roads drive Avalons, Magnas, a 380 and an Aurion.
Actually one of the first FWDs was the Citreon Traction Avant, marketed for its superior traction on rural roads due to front wheel drive. On muddy or dirt roads front wheel drive is fantastic as you are steering the wheels which are putting the power down. You steer the wheel and bite into the corners, dragging the car out of the mud. Also much harder to get bogged, because if you get stuck you steer the wheels side to side until it bites. In the FWD/RWD debate the traction benefits of FWD are often overlooked and in many snowy icy parts of the world FWD is used as a selling point. |
||
![]() |
![]() |
#182 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 12,077
|
Quote:
Power of a 4 cylinder with the fuel economy of a badly tuned V8. (and yes I have owned one and driven both) |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#183 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,127
|
In tarmac rallying fastest cars are FWD than AWD and noone uses RWD. Enough said.
|
||
![]() |
![]() |
#184 | |||
Fordaholic
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 884
|
Quote:
|
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#185 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 12,077
|
Quote:
It was quite slippery and almost completely radar invisible (which is why I bought it) but in straightline acceleration it was not even close to V8 falcons, monaros or commodores. I was given a RX8 for a weekend by the local Mazda guy to see if I wanted to buy one. Incredibly underpowered and used more fuel than my F6 at the time. Although, in that your login is the most powerful rotary engine mazda make, I suspect you are probably a rotorhead and therefore tend to view them with rose coloured glasses. |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#186 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 11,293
|
Quote:
couldn't beat Brocky's 400 hp 5.0 V8 Commodore. Enough said.. |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#187 | |||
Fordaholic
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 884
|
Quote:
|
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#188 | |||
Fordaholic
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 884
|
Quote:
|
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#189 | |||
Nutty Professor
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 548
|
Whilst I agree with most of what you have said Cosmo, I can't support your claims of rotary awesomeness with a good conscience.
The fact is, rotaries work about as well as the batteries in a Prius. Good in theory, but barely if at all in the real world.
__________________
Quote:
|
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#190 | |||
Fordaholic
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 884
|
Quote:
|
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#191 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 11,293
|
Quote:
350-400 hp, 9.9 litre/100 klm with turbos eh? Sure your nose isn't 12 inches long? |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#192 | |||
Fordaholic
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 884
|
Quote:
|
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#193 | |||
Fordaholic
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 884
|
Quote:
|
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#194 | |||
FORMERLY TX3DUDE
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: "THE GONG"
Posts: 2,487
|
Quote:
Here's some targa results http://www.targa.org.au/Results/2009.html Last edited by Ghiadude; 20-03-2010 at 07:39 PM. |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#195 | ||||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 11,293
|
Quote:
Quote:
28mpg from something that light is more than likely - and sorry, I now believe you.. ![]() |
||||
![]() |
![]() |
#196 | ||||
Nutty Professor
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 548
|
Quote:
If you understand how rotaries work (as I suspect you do), you will know that the concept itself is very clever. In reality, there are all sorts of problems with the design, not least of which is the apex seals. Maybe sometime in the future, after Mazda has invested some more money into the design and we have some materials that do not yet exist, rotaries will be a viable alternative to the piston engine. Until then, they are different for the sake of being different and are nowhere near as practical in the real world as their piston counterparts. Having such a tiny engine produce 300-400hp is no doubt very cool, but a V8 or Turbo 6 with the same power is much more streetable and reliable, whilst weighing approximately the same if it's well designed. I do get the rotorhead point of view, but right now the piston engine is the lesser of two evils, from an engineering standpoint. But I'm working on a third option ![]() Nutty Professor out.
__________________
Quote:
|
||||
![]() |
![]() |
#197 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 2,602
|
http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf/BBC9E490B1212043C1257690004147F0/$FILE/263%20(10-11)-161209.pdf
See article 5 WTCC regs - FWD is allowed to run 30kg lighter than RWD - to even it up. This difference was in place when the Super Tourers were running here.
__________________
Quote:
|
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#198 | |||
Fordaholic
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 884
|
Quote:
As for the power to weight thing the rotary weights are very light compared to a six or eight, then put it in a car that weighs a minimum of 1275 ( I think that is what an RX8 is) gives you a very potential street car. Last edited by cosmo20btt; 20-03-2010 at 09:07 PM. |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#199 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 12,077
|
Quote:
Kerb weight: 1379 or 1402 depending on model Power:170 kw @ 90 bazillion RPM Torque: 211Nm (less than a Hyundai Sonata) http://www.mazda.com.au/Models/Curre...fications.aspx 0-400 in about 15 seconds. Have you actually driven one? I have and they are gutless. Sprouting specs of modded vehicles is just silly. Factory XR6Ts do not do 10 second quarters or over 300km/h but modded ones have. |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#200 | |||
Fordaholic
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 884
|
Quote:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RX8 |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#201 | |||
Nutty Professor
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 548
|
The RX8 has clever doors, that's about it.
Sorry mate.
__________________
Quote:
|
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#202 | |||
Fordaholic
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 884
|
Quote:
![]() |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#203 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,127
|
Quote:
I meant tarmac sections of Wrc rally's. FWD cars were quicker on those sections tham AWD and RWD is not really featured... Have a look at this car - 306 Maxi http://www.rallybuzz.com/video-peuge...-maxi-kit-car/ |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#204 | |||
Fordaholic
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 884
|
Quote:
|
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#205 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 12,077
|
Quote:
The thread is about front wheel drive. You dragged it off topic spruking on about Mazda rotaries and quoting various favourable specifications which all, when checked, appear to be wrong. One of the problems with being a keyboard warrior is that on the internet information is available to all so make sure you are right before posting your "facts" or at least when you are completely wrong admit it........ |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#206 | |||
Regular Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 354
|
Quote:
i was going to continue reading this thread and then comment but GOD DAMN!!!anyone who believes that a FWD car cannot be faster then a RWD car, for my case i will present the: Ford Focus RS! a 224KW FWD Monster. IT is the FASTEST car around the Ford Handling test track at Lommel, even faster then the Super car of Ford, the Ford GT. Here is a little taste of some of its lap times from all different circuts http://www.fastestlaps.com/car486e32318475a.html and there are a few really high class RWD cars i see in the focus is faster then segment. |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#207 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,706
|
Quote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQi0y...eature=related Great driver uses every piece of the road. |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#208 | ||
Whoa, this is heavy!
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Eastern Melbourne
Posts: 466
|
I've never been a big believer in the whole FWD vs RWD debate...I personally think it's a load of nonsense. You buy a car that suits YOUR taste and YOUR driving style, you cant put all FWD's in a basket and say they're crap.
I've owned a few different cars over the years, and i cant say I'm biased to either camp. The two best cars I have personally owned were an R31 Skyline (RWD) and a '79 Golf (FWD). Both cars had fantastic handling (admittedly, the suspension in the Skyline was well sorted), and I was never left wanting from either. Personally, I think the whole FWD vs RWD thing is a little stupid. Both cars have their pros and cons, but obviously to a point. RWD can obviously handle far greater power than a FWD, but does that mean it will handle better? Not quite. Look at any top drivers cars lists throughout time, and you'll have cars like Mk1 Golfs, Peugeot 205's, and Renault Clio Williams' sharing space with cars like BMW M3's and Mazda MX-5's. Set up a FWD or RWD properly and it will handle brilliantly. Why should it matter if it's FWD or RWD, if it can corner and accelerate quick, you're gonna have fun either way. Unfortunately most car makers FWD's now are primarily set up for city driving, not B road blasts, hence why people stay away, and people develop these mindsets. Each to their own. Look at the car as a whole, not just it's engine layout.
__________________
Liquid Silver 2002 AU III Fairmont wagon Le Mans Red 1990 SA Capri Turbo
|
||
![]() |
![]() |
#209 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 11,293
|
Quote:
There are good and bad examples on both sides of the fence... |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
#210 | ||
FORMERLY TX3DUDE
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: "THE GONG"
Posts: 2,487
|
ill simplify it for anyone who says "x" FWD is quicker than "y" RWD
if they were to have the same power to weight same rubber same driver on the same day - the rwd will always win because of the LAWS OF PHYSICS. as for the RS being quicker than the GT are you serious??? they must not have been trying very hard!! Top Gear power lap times as an example.. Ford GT 1.21.9 Ford Focus RS 1.29.3 THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT FWD'S are inherently BAD!! they can handle good excellent and beat some stiff opposition. but like i said all things being equal.... |
||
![]() |