Alfa Romeo Spyder

[Coventrysucks]

However, one thing that really puzzles me about Spider range is - why on earth does cabriolet need 4WD? I mean, nobody drives cabriolet in snowstorm, now do they.

Why does any car need 4wd, since driving in a snowstorm is neither recommended or sensible, even in a capable off-roader?

[Revo]

Why does any car need 4wd, since driving in a snowstorm is neither recommended or sensible, even in a capable off-roader?

All right then, let me rephrase that.

Open topped cars are generally ment to be enjoyed in sunny weather (with a exception of British, who seems to think otherwise). In a normal driving environment, 4wd doesn't have any real advantage over 2wd, does it?

[kingofthering]

99 8Cs will be coming to the US.

Sadly I won't be able to buy one. (cries)

[Ferrer]

All right then, let me rephrase that.

Open topped cars are generally ment to be enjoyed in sunny weather (with a exception of British, who seems to think otherwise). In a normal driving environment, 4wd doesn't have any real advantage over 2wd, does it?

I don't think putting 260bhp and 320Nm through the front wheels would be a clever idea...

[LandQuail]

Why does any car need 4wd, since driving in a snowstorm is neither recommended or sensible, even in a capable off-roader?

Stand back, folks. In fact, go ahead and make yourselves a sandwich. A Subaru owner is about to start talking about AWD.

Sure, nobody 'needs' a four-wheel drive performance car, except maybe Petter Solberg. In normal driving conditions good ole' rear-wheel drive works a charm, and front-wheel drive, well, it tries its best with mixed results.

I actually had a soul-searching moment when I found out a few speed shops could do a permanent RWD conversion on my STi. For a price, I could turn my any road, any where, any time, make-it-look-easy sportscar into something rather more challenging and rewarding to fire out of a tight hairpin — you know, perfectly modulated throttle with the rear tires stepping those tantalizing few inches out of line from apex to exit — rather than a eye-widening, monsterous lunge to which the driver contributes little.

So, is AWD really all sound and fury, signifying nothing? Or is it really worth the extra weight and almost-unavoidable understeer bias?

Ultimately, since I am deep in hillbilly country and there are still many, many unpaved roads on which the STi is absolutely as fun as two panthers in a gunny sack — largely because of AWD, I decided to stick with it. FTW.

It's not as involving, and it's maybe not as fun at the end of the day, but I believe AWD has its place on certain cars. Purists turn white at its mention, but Lamborghini summed up the beauty of AWD in a pair of three foot long letters stuck to the side of one of their fastest Diablos: VT, vicious traction. That manic first-gear punt out of a tight corner (or a supermarket parking lot) just can't be matched by anything driving only a pair of its four wheels.

That being said, I'd hate to see a day where all the manufacturers thought AWD is a prerequisite for performance. 'Cause it's emphatically not.