View Poll Results: FWD vs. AWD. vs. RWD

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  • Front

    3 2.70%
  • Rear

    62 55.86%
  • All

    46 41.44%
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Thread: FWD vs. RWD. vs. AWD

  1. #61
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine
    So how come the Quantum is only one second slower than the Alpine round Crail track ?

    1600cc 1005hp FWD
    That could be why.
    Thanks for all the fish

  2. #62
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    i think he means 105hp

  3. #63
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    Quote Originally Posted by KnifeEdge_2K1
    i think he means 105hp
    Doesn't take a genious to work that out.

  4. #64
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    Quote Originally Posted by crisis
    Which has better performance is a bit ambiguous but the majority of racing cars , and certainly those built to a formula are RWD, so that must count for something?
    Formula I had one win of an AWD car, the Ferguson in the early sixties (on a wet track in a race not counting for the championship). In the late sixties Lotus, Matra and McLaren developed AWD systems again but after a while FIA banned the use of AWD, and the ban is still there.

    The Miller FWD cars in the twenties were quite famous and fast as well, IIRC they even won Indianapolis.
    "I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams

  5. #65
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    Quote Originally Posted by Koenigsegg_CC
    RWD is the best for road surfaces, 4WD for non-road surfaces and FWD if you are a fool
    ever driven a Mini? (a real one?)
    "I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams

  6. #66
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    Quote Originally Posted by henk4
    Formula I had one win of an AWD car, the Ferguson in the early sixties (on a wet track in a race not counting for the championship). In the late sixties Lotus, Matra and McLaren developed AWD systems again but after a while FIA banned the use of AWD, and the ban is still there.
    But they weren't any faster than the alternatives.
    The extra weight and steering problems and general handling liek a wallowing battleship made them a non-event. Everybody had pretty much given up when the FIA banned it
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

  7. #67
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    In the modern aero-centric F1 design AWD would be more problem than its worth....

  8. #68
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    Quote Originally Posted by RacingManiac
    In the modern aero-centric F1 design AWD would be more problem than its worth....
    that's very true but lets not forget the matter at hand, we're talking about road cars ... or at least gt cars based on road cars ...

    f1 cars could fly for all i care but that wont change the fact we still need 4 wheels and an engine

  9. #69
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    AWD is great if I deal with a lot of snow, but the extra fuel consumption and extra parts to maintain, all with the potential to break, make it not really worth it to me otherwise.

    Still, I think it should be an option on more cars...
    An it harm none, do as ye will

    Approximately 79% of statistics are made up.

  10. #70
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    the fact is all things considered (for performance) awd is superior to rwd and fwd, by a long shot too

    with awd you'll be able to accelerate faster in a strait line and thru a corner, its a simple fact, even when factoring in drivetrain loss and extra weight

  11. #71
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    Quote Originally Posted by KnifeEdge_2K1
    with awd you'll be able to accelerate faster in a strait line and thru a corner, its a simple fact, even when factoring in drivetrain loss and extra weight
    You don't.
    When grip is avaialbel the RWD wins.
    REASON ? Weight transfer - in accelreatign HARD most of the weight shifts OFF the front tyres so they dont' actually grip much and the rears do all the work. So given a comparable engine power and CAR weight an RWD will get out of corners faster when grip is available.
    Through corner can be improved on AWD with smart diffs or crude diff lock up and ignore the tear on the drivetrain
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

  12. #72
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    what i meant was with 4wd you'd be able to use traction at all 4 wheels to accelerate so you're using maximum potential, with rwd you need to accelerate at a certain rate b4 all the grip of the car can be put to use

    at any given point a 4wd car can use all the grip, a rwd cant, and through a corner where sudden accleration will cause a change in slip angle a 4wd should theoretically be faster since getting on the gas wouldnt cause a spin out or power oversteer

  13. #73
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    at no point will there be NO weight to the front wheels, ... if that happened accelerating would be the least of your problems, the front wheels will technically not be in contact with the road and internal friction will cause them to slow down, once you start to slow the front tyres will rapidly return to the corrosponding road speed and that shift will cause an imbalance which will cause you to most likely loose control and spin

  14. #74
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    theoretically you have 2 cars one 4wd and one rwd theoretically with 50/50 weight distribution the rwd car can only accelerate at 50% of it's potential since its only using 2 tyres at standstill, once its accelerating weight shifts back and it's acceleration will increase, with 4wd on the other hand you will be able to accelerate at max potential from the start, and once weight transfer occurs the center diff will change torque bias accordingly

    true after a while the extra weight and driveline friction will cause the rwd to pull ahead but for all intents and purposes this effect is only relevent at the top end

  15. #75
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    Quote Originally Posted by KnifeEdge_2K1
    theoretically you have 2 cars one 4wd and one rwd theoretically with 50/50 weight distribution the rwd car can only accelerate at 50% of it's potential since its only using 2 tyres at standstill, once its accelerating weight shifts back and it's acceleration will increase,
    You forget the big increase in grip that weight transfer causes.
    AND that the front tyres of an AWD trye cannot be too wide or the car has horrendous slip-steering issues.
    AND that if you mix tyre sizes significantly that you cause MAJOR wear on the diffs of an AWD.

    SO, an AWD car is limited on tyre width for practical purposes.

    The racing IMSA Audis being the exception BUT they ran different setups and had replacment strategies built in to their racing program.

    RWD cars do not have as sever a limitation, so the front's can be optimised for size and grip for steering and the rears for grip.

    THUS in PRACTICE an equal power/weight RWD will exit corners faster than an AWD in dry grip situations.
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

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