Quote:
Originally Posted by serialk11r
The FRS is considered really neat because it has RWD, but there's nothing really interesting about the formula imo.
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Nowdays RWD sport cars are more of a dying breed it seems. Especially one that is well built overall and with LSD. It also have good throttle response, which is rare! Low cog. Its relatively light. It does not have all that "safe understeer" that most cars have. Low grip tires. And all at a reasonable price (in most countries) with good looks. That whole package makes it interesting.
LSD - only enthusiasts wants and needs that
NA- not right in these times. Turbo is more efficient (I would have preferred turbo due to Co2 taxes.)
Tires - More usually equals better
RWD- Buliding a FWD on an already existing platform would be cheaper
Just buliding RWD car is more rare, and Toyota/Subaru did so much more right. (if it was not for BMW there would not be sold many new RWD cars in EU)
The thing with RWD cars are that from a production point of view they are inferior in terms of cost, practicality, weight and drivetrain loss compared to a FWD with combustion engine. RWD (driver) cars are more of a niche market. Because they are mostly just made to be sport cars or to have a better driving experience than their FWD "rivals".
A good thing I see with EV technology is that it might change drivetrain layout back to towards RWD. It may become more mainstream in the future again. RWD seem to be better in EV cars in terms of cost and practicality (I think) And it does not seem like weight and drivetrain loss are a disadvantage in a RWD EV. Its probably easier and more desirable to produce EV cars with RWD too.
Im I the only one having those thoughts? Just look at the i3. "Easy to make" with RWD. A car of that size would not have been possible to make RWD and with a decent weight distribution if it had a heavy combustion engine in the front. Electric drivetrain made that possible.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNDNmFeJTUw"]BMW I3 Concept, how it's built, with a body on frame - YouTube[/ame]
The Koreans might become a bit of a game changer in the future tough. Kia/Hyundai are really in attack mode.
Kia might actually become a BMW rival if they opt for RWD sporty cars. Which is a possibility.