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Registered:
July 2005
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Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Thu, 11 August 2005 13:54
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Ok so maybe i've been starting too many new threads but theres not much else I can do in my current condition (crutches)
I would like to know what are peoples opinions of front drivers.
To my mind they are fine if you want a car for commuting or whatever, but when it comes to driving for enjoyments sake I would take a standard 120y or VW beetle over a turbocharged EXA or integra/civic type R. Even Auto is less annoying to me than FWD.
I know that some front wheel drive cars can be fast, but a new BMW X5 soft roader can lap the ring faster than a 911 and I know which i'd rather be driving.
I have owned 1 front wheel drive car (an '88 camira purchashed when I thought all that mattered was how new it was) and even though it was newer,more powerful and more comfortable than my previous car, god how I wished I could have my '79 rolla back.
Since then I have driven numerous other front drivers and some of them had nice seats/stereo/power delivery/exhaust sound/looks not one of them what what I would call fun to drive, scary and fast in some cases but not fun and no I don't try to drift everywhere.
What about you? can you get enjoyment out of front wheel drive handling and if so how? Also, is there anyone who likes front drive better than RWD (like my brothers camry driving friend claims to)
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
January 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Thu, 11 August 2005 14:53
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i own a ae92, and im buying another one hopefully tomorrow.
ive driven so many nice rears and there is no way that the rolla will ever come close to any of them. i mean, the most money id probably ever put into mods for a fwd car would be maybe 10g over like 5yrs. and most of the rwd have been easy that if not more. there is no way id get a better fwd then any of the rwd ive ever driven.
i think wen comparing fwd and rwd there both in a league of their own. i love drift so my opinion is gonna vary hard. handbrake, gravel, maccas tray. nuffin i could do in a fwd will compare to the things i dun in rwd. lol
gotta luv it 
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jason
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Registered:
October 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Thu, 11 August 2005 15:24
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A front wheeler was my first car. I personally don't like them.
Gave me the shits with understeer.
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Location:
Coffs Harbour
Registered:
October 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Thu, 11 August 2005 16:01
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with the right suspension and power mods fwd can be very fun trsut me  put the proper suspension in say sway bars and wat not u can hit corners very fast still and also extract good power out then yes they are very fun they can be a bit scary to drive sometimes... but if u can drive a high powered FWD car then u can drive any car
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Location:
Perth
Registered:
October 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 00:00
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Enjoyable driving in a FWD (similar to MR and AWD layouts) is more about maintaining maximum traction, and to do that, you can't approach corners the same way as in a RWD. That doesn't mean you have to drive slow, just differently.
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Location:
Central Coast, NSW
Registered:
February 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 00:05
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While RWD cars are preferable (the two cars i've owned are RWD) I still don't mind FWD cars.
On my red P's many moons ago my parents excel used to get a workout. I tell ya, little FWD hatchboxes are pretty fun to drive... a friend with a 323 protege with upgraded footwork and with it all dialled in, he certainly has a nice handling car, that's for sure.
The turn in is amazing, car holds the road great
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Location:
Campbelltown
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 00:24
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Really comes down to personal choice and availability. There are both great and shit cars both sides of the fence. I have driven a few FWDs in my time there okay and a lot more predictable. FWDs are great for ppl who aren't confident drivers cos should anything go wrong the best choice is to try and slow the car down, where often in a rwd car that can make a situation worse.
The difference with FWD and RWD, is generally you can pick up a shit/cheap rwd car and still have fun with it just at a lower speed, but cheap FWD are generally absolute puss boxes.
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Location:
Kearns Campbelltown Sydney
Registered:
June 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 00:58
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rwd with a locker, and nothing comes close to it, thats my opinion
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Location:
Central Coast, NSW
Registered:
February 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 00:59
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| Corona RT142 wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 10:24 |
Really comes down to personal choice and availability. There are both great and shit cars both sides of the fence. I have driven a few FWDs in my time there okay and a lot more predictable. FWDs are great for ppl who aren't confident drivers cos should anything go wrong the best choice is to try and slow the car down, where often in a rwd car that can make a situation worse.
The difference with FWD and RWD, is generally you can pick up a shit/cheap rwd car and still have fun with it just at a lower speed, but cheap FWD are generally absolute puss boxes.
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But CHEAP FWD cars are great for their purpose, the reason they are made...
for example, something like a suzuki swift cino was never made to set new records for doing the old pac run
those sorts of things, at the market they are aimed at, at the purpose they are designed for, the fulfill that role entirely...
It's not fair to hold that against a car like that.
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Location:
Campbelltown
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 01:02
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i never said they don't serve a purpose. They are also good for incompetent drivers as they meet the limits of them at a very low speed so should anything go wrong chances are they won't die.
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Registered:
May 2002
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 Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 01:21
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have any of you driven any type r / clio sport / poo0geot gti ?
they will change your mind about fwds (the ones that dont believe they are fun to drive)
but once you double the power, its true, they are no fun to drive.. too much wheelspin ..
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Location:
Campbelltown, NSW, Austra...
Registered:
January 2004
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Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 01:25
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| Corona RT142 wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 11:02 |
i never said they don't serve a purpose. They are also good for incompetent drivers as they meet the limits of them at a very low speed so should anything go wrong chances are they won't die.
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any slow car i.e. excel, old corona should keep an incompetant driver safe
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Location:
New Zealand
Registered:
May 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 01:28
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Actually I enjoy FWD's of RWD's. As crazy as that sounds, I just do. But id hardly say my car is the level of modifcations suspesion wise before Ill be happy with it (note full whiteline kit on its way)
But my mate owns an old Alfasud which is the most outstanding FWD ive even driven. It has quite a bit of suspesion work done to it but it still a 25 year old car. Liftoff oversteer is possible at any speed at nearly any angle, its one of those cars that just love to corner.
Anyway, Ive taken it up as my crusader to prove that FWDs have the ability to match it with other platforms. (Realisticly of course, no way I can compare my Tercel to a Ferrari)
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Location:
Hobart, Tasmania
Registered:
January 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 02:07
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Your right. But my FWD is just for commuting, I'm not into sillyness on the road, and I havent got a track car yet.
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Location:
Central Coast, NSW
Registered:
February 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 02:07
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| Les wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 11:25 |
any slow car i.e. excel, old corona should keep an incompetant driver safe
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Perth
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 02:13
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| #Fiend# wrote on Thu, 11 August 2005 21:54 |
I know that some front wheel drive cars can be fast, but a new BMW X5 soft roader can lap the ring faster than a 911 and I know which i'd rather be driving.
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Umm...no
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Location:
Campbelltown
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 02:16
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| justcallmefrank wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 12:13 |
| #Fiend# wrote on Thu, 11 August 2005 21:54 |
I know that some front wheel drive cars can be fast, but a new BMW X5 soft roader can lap the ring faster than a 911 and I know which i'd rather be driving.
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Umm...no
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I concur, not even an m5 laps the ring quicker than 911, unless your talking a 1970's 911 then we are mistaken. The X5's are quck in a straight line well the sports model are but still not blistering quick ie not as quick as an SS commodore.
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Location:
brisbane
Registered:
December 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 02:17
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i wouldnt call a integra type r a powerful fwd car... fwd is fun but i dont see how its predictable you try coming out of a corner at 80 or so and knowing weather its gunna under steer or just spin out of it if it understeers aint it fun to try and corect .... traction isnt a huge issue yes its a bigger isue than a rwd car but its all just a different drivin technique and a decent lsd.. i dont even have a lsd and i dont have a problem with holding with any v8 ss comodore, silvia , skyline etc obiously not one with 500hp... until 100 and then wiping the floor with him...
but i drive a fwd and either way dont really bother me.. rwd is a bit mroe fun but fwd has its fun to total different ball game.. its all personal preference
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Location:
Central Coast, NSW
Registered:
February 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 02:20
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| berad wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 12:17 |
i wouldnt call a integra type r a powerful fwd car...
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But it has VTEC, yo.
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Location:
brisbane
Registered:
December 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 02:34
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lol
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Location:
Campbelltown, NSW, Austra...
Registered:
January 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 03:27
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What do you think is the limit for a fwd power-wise without an lsd then?
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Location:
new castle
Registered:
July 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 03:29
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if you actaully goto the "articles" part of toymods under technical issues someone has been nice enough to write up all the pro and cons of FWD RWD and AWD
this still wont give a personal oppinion but gives a good run down on each
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Location:
Sydney NSW
Registered:
July 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 03:34
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The only FWD's id consider owning would be Pug 205GTI, or Renault Clio Turbo, that type of thing, Sorry, hondas suck teh big one.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Adelaide
Registered:
July 2004
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Location:
Newcastle, Australia
Registered:
March 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 04:05
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I have/had a V6 MX6 fwd as my first car, and the FWD predictability kept me out of trouble a few times. Now that I know more about cars I have a RWD car/barge to test the limits of. The MX6 is tons more fun to hammer through the mountain passes, but I'd pick an MR2 or MX5 any day for high speed cornering fun once you are experienced.
FWD = farken wrong direction!!
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Adelaide
Registered:
July 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 04:08
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ribfeast, put a set of JZX81 coilovers in your JZX83 and a good LSD and your cressy will be a lot more fun than your MX6 ever was 
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Location:
Epping, Sydney
Registered:
April 2003
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 04:39
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my FWD is fun
it's certainly not "no fun"
even though I will be buying a RWD or AWD in the future there is absolutely no way you can call my car "no fun".
FWDs can be fun, anything can be fun, just a question of attitude, though I think my car makes it easier to have fun in heheeh
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Location:
brisbane
Registered:
December 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 04:53
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| Camry_omega wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 13:27 |
What do you think is the limit for a fwd power-wise without an lsd then?
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well i ahve in the ranges of 180 and 190fwkw... and no lsd there is no limit but u just cant put it to the ground from a standing start hiway is where fwd shines lol
but each to there own i dont care wat people or wat people like its my car
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Location:
Central Coast, NSW
Registered:
February 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 05:00
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| Ribfeast wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 14:05 |
I have/had a V6 MX6 fwd as my first car, and the FWD predictability kept me out of trouble a few times. Now that I know more about cars I have a RWD car/barge to test the limits of. The MX6 is tons more fun to hammer through the mountain passes, but I'd pick an MR2 or MX5 any day for high speed cornering fun once you are experienced.
FWD = farken wrong direction!!
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The MX-6 is FWD?
fark... didnt know that
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Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 05:39
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| cannonball wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 13:34 |
The only FWD's id consider owning would be Pug 205GTI, or Renault Clio Turbo, that type of thing, Sorry, hondas suck teh big one.
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Correction - The Clio turbo is a mid-engine RWD crazymutherfucker hot hatch
Pug rubbish
Not delivered in Oz, only FWD ones came out here
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Location:
Campbelltown
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 05:44
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the 205 gti is supposed to be one of the great hatches of all time.
Hehe renault clio sport V6 mid ship round and round it goes where it stops nobody knows.
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Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 06:14
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| Corona RT142 wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 15:44 |
..
Hehe renault clio sport V6 mid ship round and round it goes where it stops nobody knows.
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not unless you know how to drive it
205 is a good car yes, 206 onwards.. apparently not as good
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Location:
Perth
Registered:
July 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 09:20
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We have a SSS putting out over 230hp atw,more now its had some 5 more PSI wound into it  ,it is an awesome car to drive,very predictable for cornering and power delivery,even more so with the VLSD,We recently took it to a Hill climb and with the R comp tyres on we finished mid field on the first go.
It was up there with Westfields,Race prepped Escort RS2000's and the like.
The other week we took it to a Wet Autokhana day,you know your doing something right when AWD drivers come up to and say they suffer more understeer than you do.
Bare in mind we have spent buckets on the suspension and handling on it,but its well worth it when you are complimented from veteran drivers on the cars drivability,handling and outright power control.
I love my RWD's,I bought my KE11 just for some silly fun that only a RWD can give,but in my 12 years licensed driving and owning over 15 cars in that time of all formats I can say that it takes skill to drive a hard core FWD and be competitive.
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Location:
1st street on the right
Registered:
November 2002
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 09:58
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205 GTI = Hottest hatch since Renault 5 Turbo and up to Clio Mid engine.
405Mi16 = Hottest 4door FWD. Passive Rear wheel steer is the key with the Pugs. Never had a hint of understeer in driving one. In fact I've driven a 4wd 405 also and found it to be less responsive.
But I still prefer for overall fun rear engine pendulumness. Must know how to drive.
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Club Member
Location:
Sydney, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 11:07
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I love my FWD's...
Just have to keep the handbrake adjusted  ...
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Location:
Melbourne
Registered:
February 2005
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Location:
Melbourne
Registered:
June 2002
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 13:38
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I had a SR20DE 00' SSS mildy modded engine and suspension and it was FUN! very under estimated and quicker than the AE86 100kw 4AGE! i know i had both at the same time and dragged them lol! corners were a different story.
RWD & FWD "FUN" are totally different types of FUN, but i prefer RWD
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Location:
Rockhampton QLD
Registered:
July 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 14:26
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| Corona RT142 wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 12:16 |
but still not blistering quick ie not as quick as an SS commodore.
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An ss is not what i would call blisteringly quick. 
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Location:
Melbourne
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 14:40
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| 86DRFT wrote on Sat, 13 August 2005 00:26 |
| Corona RT142 wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 12:16 |
but still not blistering quick ie not as quick as an SS commodore.
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An ss is not what i would call blisteringly quick.
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The new ones are pretty powerfull and have more torque than anyone could ever realy need.
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Location:
Rockhampton QLD
Registered:
July 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 14:54
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| Shraka wrote on Sat, 13 August 2005 00:40 |
| 86DRFT wrote on Sat, 13 August 2005 00:26 |
| Corona RT142 wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 12:16 |
but still not blistering quick ie not as quick as an SS commodore.
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An ss is not what i would call blisteringly quick.
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The new ones are pretty powerfull and have more torque than anyone could ever realy need.
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yeah but they need six litres to do it. they barely scrape a 13, theyre quick, but not "blisteringly".
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Location:
sydney, nearest store nea...
Registered:
November 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 15:54
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fwd cars in my opinion are a great car.
i have a vw golf and jus came back from a spin with my mates and their 180's and 200's up to newcastle backroads.
obviously i couldnt keep up but some lowering springs and better tyres has made all the difference from what it used to be, it was handling great with just abit of understeer, but im a shit driver just learning it what do i know
granny shiftin not double clutchin like u should *1/4* mile
and i managed to see a civic with green neon lights do a nuetral drop... jus dont get a civic lol
my 2cents
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Location:
Somewhere on a dirt bowl ...
Registered:
August 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Fri, 12 August 2005 16:38
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| Rolla Boy wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 21:07 |
I love my FWD's...
Just have to keep the handbrake adjusted ...
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Yes i've just got to find the time to get mine working properly again.
Point and squirt brings new meaning when you can keep the gas on, touch the brakes to keep the traction under control and for swinging the arse out a little.
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Location:
Campbelltown
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sat, 13 August 2005 00:53
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| 86DRFT wrote on Sat, 13 August 2005 00:54 |
| Shraka wrote on Sat, 13 August 2005 00:40 |
| 86DRFT wrote on Sat, 13 August 2005 00:26 |
| Corona RT142 wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 12:16 |
but still not blistering quick ie not as quick as an SS commodore.
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An ss is not what i would call blisteringly quick.
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The new ones are pretty powerfull and have more torque than anyone could ever realy need.
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yeah but they need six litres to do it. they barely scrape a 13, theyre quick, but not "blisteringly".
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firstly the SS still runs the gen 3 meaning its 5.7L not 6.0L, secondly i was merely using the SS as a bench mark ie he is saying its faster than a porsche yet it can't beat a 50K commodore hmmm.
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Club Member
Location:
Sydney, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sat, 13 August 2005 01:24
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| towe_001 wrote on Sat, 13 August 2005 02:38 |
| Rolla Boy wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 21:07 |
I love my FWD's...
Just have to keep the handbrake adjusted ...
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Yes i've just got to find the time to get mine working properly again.
Point and squirt brings new meaning when you can keep the gas on, touch the brakes to keep the traction under control and for swinging the arse out a little.
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Sure does man... I like roundabouts as of lately lol...
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Location:
brisbane
Registered:
December 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sat, 13 August 2005 01:48
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lol this would have to be one of the dumbest threads in a long time this is like asking how long is a piece of string of course rwd people are going to say there shit and fwd are goin to say there alright/good.. lol
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Location:
Gold Coast QLD
Registered:
April 2003
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sat, 13 August 2005 02:12
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They're both quite fun. Having owned an s13, ca18 86, and currently a soarer and a turbo starlet I think it comes more back to the car than the drive train. The starlet has been the only fwd, but its still very chuckable and fun around the corners. I think if most people compare FWD hyundai excels to RWD jza80 supras, thats where the problems come in. Pugs, hondas, alfa romeos; there are some decent fwd out there.
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Location:
Colac, Victoria
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sat, 13 August 2005 02:59
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having never driven a type R of any sort nor a pug - i cant reserve judgement on higher end performance Front wheelers
though i have driven magnas and corollas VS say falcons , and escorts/early celicas
RWD kicks arse in those departments - i do not trust ANY economy or family FWD to handle as well as a rear wheel drive equivelent, especially when rain is thrown into the equation ..
NOW - if i had the keys to a integra type R verus say - an s14 or s15 - that would lead to some interesting comparisons
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Location:
Edmonton, AB
Registered:
June 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sat, 13 August 2005 04:34
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| berad wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 19:48 |
lol this would have to be one of the dumbest threads in a long time this is like asking how long is a piece of string of course rwd people are going to say there shit and fwd are goin to say there alright/good.. lol
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To further the dumb thread, I figure I oughta chime in with my Canadian perspective. I've never owned a fwd, but I have driven a few over the years. The off-the-line torque steer of even the tamest of grocery-getters has me spooked... I can't stand it.
Anyway, I remember one year driving the girlfriend's fwd car... it was highway, it was icy and snowing... being a rwd-only driver, I backed off the gas coming over the top of a hill and the thing swapped ends on me! It was a manual and I wouldn't say I let off fast or that it even had much in the way of compression - but it was enough to suddenly be going backwards at 80kph. I managed to keep it between the ditches and the oncoming big-rig was still miles away - but it could have been deadly!
However aside from maintenance, geometry and other technical issues - the obvious thing interesting about driving a fwd is that unlike a rwd where you feather the throttle to corner fast when traction starts to get scarce... in a fwd you don't let off, you actually give it more gas to power (pull) yourself through.
I could see pulling yourself through corners at full-throttle, wagging out the back end of the car - fun if you're into that... but since I have to contend with ice & snow in the winter, I like rwd. I throw on a good set of winter-tires all around and now I have balance between how fast I can accelerate and how soon I can slow down.
I think the scary thing about fwd is that if it allows you to 'go' better, it doesn't guarantee you can 'stop'. It's like having 4wd... sure you can go better than the 2wd guy when it's slippery but doesn't really mean you can stop any better than anyone else. Here in the winters, it's all the 4wd SUV's ditching it because some think they can go faster than they really should...
Speaking for pure race cars, road-course... I didn't notice a clear advantage either way... we were racing a rwd GT3 up against other rwd and fwd's... one might approach driving differently, but it wasn't clear that either had an advantage...
I don't know what I would do if I had no choice but to give up on my rwd's due to their age and feel there was no clear choice but to settle for a newer fwd... might have to quit driving...
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
September 2003
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sat, 13 August 2005 09:17
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| Corona RT142 wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 10:24 |
Really comes down to personal choice and availability. There are both great and shit cars both sides of the fence. I have driven a few FWDs in my time there okay and a lot more predictable. FWDs are great for ppl who aren't confident drivers cos should anything go wrong the best choice is to try and slow the car down, where often in a rwd car that can make a situation worse.
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i still maintain you're a fuckhead..... fwd is not always predictable. i actually found my old TA22 more predictable than my corolla. once it was out it was out, easy to correct. once the corolla is sideways its a whole different story and understeer can easily turn into liftoff oversteer.
anything can be fun who cares which wheels are powered? it all involves 4 wheels and a nice piece of road.
oh yeah the 206 gti 180 awesome car, along with the clio's
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Location:
Sunny Coast
Registered:
March 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sat, 13 August 2005 10:02
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FWD's suck. for everything, exept for mums and grandma's, and if your not a mum or a grandma and u own a FWD, ya wasting ur time. RWD's inherit many, many advantages over the "cheaper kind". It doesn't matter where the engine is... as long as the power's fed through the rear wheels.
Thats why old cars r so mad.
FWD = no fun
AWD = Very little fun
RWD = Wohoo!!
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Location:
ghetto area 2745
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sat, 13 August 2005 10:19
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| Corona RT142 wrote on Fri, 12 August 2005 15:44 |
the 205 gti is supposed to be one of the great hatches of all time.
Hehe renault clio sport V6 mid ship round and round it goes where it stops nobody knows.
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i have owned 9 pug 205s and it is the only fwd car i would own
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Registered:
July 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sat, 13 August 2005 11:08
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I'm sure I remember something about some BMW 4wd that can lap the ring quicker than a stock 911 (996, not sure about the 997) must've been some other soft roader, maybe it was the porche cayenne turbo or some M sport X-5 variant. Anyway, my point was that fast lap times do not, a fun driving experience make.
As I stated, I know FWD's can be fast in both straights and cornering situations if set up correctly but it's still a compromise IMO, most of the front drivers people have quoted as being fun are characterised as fun because they go some way towards imitating the behaviour of a rear drive, most of them would probably also be quicker on a track if the lift off oversteer was dialled out.
Whoever said that driving a FWD was similar to driving a MR or RR.....what?. Driving all cars is about trying to maintain traction (unless you're trying to drift, which is a totally different story), I would have said that Mid engine layout is actually the furthest removed from FWD seeing that mid/rear engine cars can get the power down earlier and therefore must turn in earlier (the opposite of a front driver). I'll admit that 4wd's do have some of the handling characteristics of FWD's but that is caused by their front wheels driving(funny that).
The purpose of this thread was not to say that FWD's are shit, nor do I believe that fun has to involve sideways action.
What I was reffering to was this: In a rwd car I find I'll take a corner at say 80k's and think "that was about as fast as I could have gone"..........three month's later I'll take it at 85k's and think "hmmm, maybe there's a little more still in it with a diff' line" and when I try it again I'll find I can clear it at 95!. With a front drive, this just doesn't seem to happen (not for me anyway) I find I'll be able to get maybe an extra 5 k's over my first attempt and any higher speed attempt will result in low exit speed.
I'm not trying to argue about whose car is faster, what I'm trying to say is that driving a rear wheel drive is more comlpex, and therefore it takes longer to perfect your line/technique, which is where I get my fun from (rather than a pure adrenalin rush)
I would say that FWD's need better reflexes/bigger balls but less thought than RWD's, unless we're talking big power/snap oversteer.
[Updated on: Sat, 13 August 2005 11:34]
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Location:
Potts Point, Sydney
Registered:
October 2003
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sun, 14 August 2005 08:34
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i honestly dont mind fwd, i've only ever owned rolla's myself, but have driven rwd's...
All depends what you want to use it for, i like fwd's with a nice suspension set up, probably most fun i've had
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Location:
Melbourne, Victoria, Aust...
Registered:
September 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sun, 14 August 2005 10:06
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Have to jump in here, what about the most famous FWD of them all?
Haven't ANY of you ever driven a Mini!?!
I'm talking a classic one with well set-up suspension, not the new BMW crap. Yes, your average old Mini does not have a lot of power, the suspension is harsh and they are uncomfortable on a long drive. But I am yet to find anything that is more fun to thrash around the city in than a Mini. The handling is just fantastic!
The only car I have ever driven that comes close to the fun-factor is the already-mentioned Pug 205 GTI. But the boring look of them puts me off.
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Location:
goldy coast
Registered:
September 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sun, 14 August 2005 10:24
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A few mates and I do mountain runs every so often. Two of them own ae82's with 20v engines. One a black top one a silver top, and there is no way my sprinter can keep up with them on either up and down hill. They are always 2-3 car lengths in front of me, but we all have a blast doing it. They have heaps of fun and I don't think they will be changing from FWD any time soon.
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Location:
Sunny Coast
Registered:
March 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sun, 14 August 2005 11:18
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fronties r No fun. human instinct is to have the tail out.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Adelaide
Registered:
July 2004
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sun, 14 August 2005 11:20
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| Rona_Drifter wrote on Sun, 14 August 2005 20:48 |
fronties r No fun. human instinct is to have the tail out.
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yeah of course it is...
mate stop posting the shit you do as all you are doing is giving drifters a bad name...
ffs
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Registered:
July 2005
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sun, 14 August 2005 12:27
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For the third time: I know a powerful FWD is faster then a gutless RWD.
My point was if you drive to the limt in a FWD you will be constantly shitting yourself.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Perth
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Front wheel Drives: fun or no fun
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Sun, 14 August 2005 12:48
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| #Fiend# wrote on Sun, 14 August 2005 20:27 |
My point was if you drive to the limt in a FWD you will be constantly shitting yourself.
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You can't generalise like that, that would be highly dependent on the setup of the car in question.
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