Anyone else coming from high power FWD having trouble readjusting to RWD?

[mid_life_crisis]

I have been driving FWD for a couple of decades now, specifically a Mazdaspeed3 for the last 6 years. I forgot how different it is driving a RWD vehicle. The FWD pulls you through turns, so it requires a completely different driving style that to be honest I think works better on the street where it isn't always safe to deliberately throw the rear end out like you can with a RWD.
Anyone else have trouble readjusting at first or am I just too freaking old?

[CSG Mike]

Finding an empty lot to slide around in, or a skidpad/drift clinic might be very helpful for you to get used to catching the rear.

[leon78]

Originally Posted by mid_life_crisis

I have been driving FWD for a couple of decades now, specifically a Mazdaspeed3 for the last 6 years. I forgot how different it is driving a RWD vehicle. The FWD pulls you through turns, so it requires a completely different driving style that to be honest I think works better on the street where it isn't always safe to deliberately throw the rear end out like you can with a RWD.
Anyone else have trouble readjusting at first or am I just too freaking old?

Yup...came from a genwon speed3 myself....whole diff driving experience going from high HP FWD to no HP RWD...took me a bit to learn how to get the most out of the car....FWD is so much more forgiving…but this car has made me a better driver 10 fold.

[sohcanddohc]

I still mix it up a bit. Stage 2 with Diablo tune SRT4 has been my fun car for the past 6-7 years. I mixed it up with a redline sky for a while. But now I am very happy with the FR-s. Drive it hard and find the limits then adjust where needed. Having to keep the rpm's up took me a little to get used to.

[Element Tuning]

What problem/symptom exactly are you having a hard time adjusting to?

I've been in and out of FWD for years and I have the opposite tendency which is to toss a FWD car aggressively into the turn because I always knew it wouldn't straighten/push as power was applied. I would think a FWD driver would be too aggressive initially in an attempt to rotate the car which in an FRS/BRZ would have you chasing the tail

[plucas]

I wouldn't call a mazda speed3 a high hp fwd car. That is all I have to add

[Captain Snooze]

Originally Posted by leon78

FWD is so much more forgiving

That would depend on the car. My previous car was fwd and exhibited creamy smooth lift off over steer which made line correction a doddle in the dry but in the wet I had to be very careful about lifting off the throttle (how ever slowly) going around bends other wise a spin was likely. While I think some one with more skill (and bigger balls) could have made it dance in the rain that some one wasn't me.

[DarkSunrise]

I've taken both my GTI and FR-S to the track this year and haven't found it too difficult to switch between them. As everyone mentioned, you just have to be ready to countersteer with the FR-S under power.

On a side-note, I've found an odd, off-camber downhill corner where the GTI will oversteer under neutral-throttle whereas the FR-S will remain planted. Did not expect that. I suspect the GTI is so nose-heavy that it unloads the rear wheels on downhill corners.

[mid_life_crisis]

Originally Posted by Element Tuning

What problem/symptom exactly are you having a hard time adjusting to?

I've been in and out of FWD for years and I have the opposite tendency which is to toss a FWD car aggressively into the turn because I always knew it wouldn't straighten/push as power was applied. I would think a FWD driver would be too aggressive initially in an attempt to rotate the car which in an FRS/BRZ would have you chasing the tail

It is pretty obvious that my car needs a major driver modification.
Maybe I should look into autocrossing. If I knock down a few cones learning how to get the tail out in a controlled manner it isn't going to hurt anything.

[Element Tuning]

Originally Posted by mid_life_crisis

It is pretty obvious that my car needs a major driver modification.
Maybe I should look into autocrossing. If I knock down a few cones learning how to get the tail out in a controlled manner it isn't going to hurt anything.

We can all use a driver modification

If had any advice to give in making the adjustment to the FRS/BRZ platform would be to rely less on accelerating through the turn. Instead take advantage of the car's incredible turn in and carry more speed (momentum) through your turn. Squeeze the throttle slower as pass your apex.

I mostly race AWD so I'm used to hammering the throttle way before the apex so hopping into this car resulted in excessive power on oversteer due to my driving style. Once I adapted it was more about controlling a momentum drift and that is when the "magic" of racing this car comes to light.

We can tune out much of the on throttle oversteerwith our custom valved suspension so when you're ready give us a call. After all the sooner you can get on the throttle the faster your lap will be

Thanks,
Phil Grabow

[rice_classic]

I'm a little sensitive to folks that refer to FWD cars that are "forgiving". That is a reference to a FWD street car. Just as RWD street car is also forgiving.

A properly setup FWD race car, is one of the least forgiving, hateful and frightening things to drive at the limit. It has to be because if it's not, it's not fast.


With that being said...

A significant difference is how you control the rear when it steps out.

A FWD driver in a RWD car will tend to push on the throttle to save a slide (making it worse). A RWD driver in a FWD car will tend to lift off the throttle to save a slide (making it worse).

[leon78]

Originally Posted by plucas

I wouldn't call a mazda speed3 a high hp fwd car. That is all I have to add

FailWheelDrive plus this torque on street tires.

Sent from my yotaru. now Free

[FLYFISHR]

Having grown up with RWD I hated FWD (wife's car) with a passion. I found that the only thing it did was plough forward and into the ditch when there was any snow on the roads. I always had to use the ebrake to bring the back end around so I could point it in the right direction. I know some people swear by FWD, I just sweared at it.

[Kostamojen]

Sorting out this car a little will help too.

I was having trouble adjusting to my BRZ after coming from a Impreza (non turbo) and how it reacted to mid-corner power delivery. I learned a LOT from my first Auto-x the weekend before last. Having traction control off and driving to the limit and past it really teaches you a lot...

But it also turns out a lot of it can be helped with some small mods, like front camber bolts with more negative camber applied, front swaybar, and of course better tires. I learned a lot of that from fellow FRZ drivers who had already sorted out their cars and were running competitive times (and from info here as well).

Now I'm quite confident driving this car in pretty much any situation already. I'm actually excited to maybe do a track day sometime in the future and see what I can do with more progressively longer high-speed corners!