Quote:
Originally Posted by Arragonis
I can confirm there is no clutch pedal, its an electrickery controlled clutch. I went and sat in one to check but no test drive was forthcoming 
But yes, size - my preference has always been for small cars, even a Focus would make me think I'm pulling a lot of weight and area around I'm not using. FWD can be exciting and reqarding "on the limit", you need to experience an original Mini (below) or a Peugeot 205 GTI. This guy is having fun.
The latter (the 205 GTI) I would take a small bet on being able to keep pace with the BMW 335 on a twisty road, and as for a Mustang the 205 would pull away - and this was a car from 1984. It can extreme though, this big Italian saloon / sedan has a Ferrari V8 in it from the 308/328 series - from the factory.
AWD - In a car intended for bad weather or conditions then it is required. For a normal car for normal use I would say the additional weight, and complexity are a waste. There are quite a few threads with people running Subarus who don't get good FE vs similarly sized cars which do. Plus of course the guy who said 200hp is the limit for FWD was working for Audi selling us the benefits of something called Quattro. People here have taken SAAB 9000s to 350 and 400hp with FWD.
AWS - I think this was a fad introduced in the mid-80s by Honda and Mazda who were in a technology war at the time - the 626 Coupe vs the Prelude I think. Again for normal drivers in normal cars (not a Nissan GTR for example) AWS has little advantage over improved suspension design which we have now with things like passive rear steer.
Plus of course to take advantages of these advanced systems would take the skills of a driving god.
Which of course we all are, no ?  |
I'll have to find a
real manual from the parts bin then.
On small cars and FWD: Yes, I too prefer small cars. I'm not saying FWD can't be fun to drive but it inherently is less efficient in a traction sense. When I said the thing about AWD and AWS I meant it in a racing application. Sorry for the confusion!
I have personally gotten my Rabbit's tail to step out without the e-brake on multiple occasions (on pavement), so I know what FWD can do at the limit. It's much safer for beginners than RWD but if you're serious about racing it's hard to beat rear or all.
For those who don't know what I'm talking about. Your tires can only make so much grip. Driving the front wheels which also steer puts more strain on them than if you turned with the fronts and drove with the rear.
My friend's dad has a first gen Saab 9-3 putting down something ridiculous for hp. I can't remember, but that would smoke a Mustang GT in its sleep.
And yes, I am a driving god.
