Quote:
Originally Posted by ZDan
Benefit to ditching the rear seats is that they can move the rear wheels way forward, just behind the driver, where they should be for FR sports cars. This tremendously improves front/rear weight distribution. Rear seats are why our cars are 54/46. Not really a problem for our cars because of the lowish power, but for Supra power/weight it's not so good... Not having +2 seats allows the Supra to have 50/50 distribution despite a long and heavy inline six up front.
Personally, I prefer a short wheelbase for sports cars. If it's gonna have a 106+" wheelbase it might as well be a sedan. Or a wagon.
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Being off from 50/50 weight distribution is only a problem if you don't change the stagger of the tire widths/spring rates/sway bar rates to account for it. See Porsche.
Maybe 8-10 inches extra is a bit much, but bringing it to a similar WB as the twins, let's say 102", would make rear seats viable. I like longer wheelbases also because they make sliding more predictable. Modern cars have accurate enough racks to have super fast steering so you don't need to rely on a short wheelbase to change direction quickly.