<VV> drive wheels

[airvair]

I actually "proposed" that layout only so that everyone would get a
different perspective on the situation. Such a layout would take the
engine weight off the front drive wheels, and reveal pure FWD's true
liabilities.

The auto industry started out making "conventional" front engine rear
drive cars back at the turn of the 20th century, simply because it was
the easiest way to build cars. More complicated drive arrangements were
phased out due, if anything, to cost consideration. It's only when cars
(and the technology) became better and more sophisticated were more
complex drive arrangements (like front drive) again considered.

-Mark

Charles Lee at Prop Per wrote:
> 
> Does anyone make a rear-engine, front-wheel-drive car ?
> 
> Who came up with the brilliant idea of putting the engine on one end, and
> then using a big pipe to make the wheels on the OTHER end move the thing ?
> 
> Now, they put all the expensive maintenance prone stuff up front and make
> the front wheels bounce and turn while putting power to the road, all at the
> same time, while the rear wheels do nothing but keep the tail from dragging
> through the dirt.
> 
> Evolution apparently takes as long with cars as it did with us (hopefully
> neither is finished yet !)
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> Subject: RE: <VV> drive wheels
> 
> I'm owned all configurations rear engine, front drive (wouldn't that be
> a trip!) and driven them in all kinds of weather conditions including
> ice and heavy snow.  I have a couple of things to add to Mark's
> comments:
> 
> 1. A Corvair understeers badly in heavy snow due to lack of weight on
> the front tires.  The throttle can correct that problem, but it takes a
> bit of something to get on the throttle when there is a solid object in
> the path of your understeering car.
> 
> 2. The rear end of a RWD car will tend to step out if you
> unintentionally (or intentionally as above) cause the rear wheels to
> spin.  The FWD will lose steering control, but will tend to keep going
> forward.
> 
> Having said that, I prefer a RWD car for any kind of performance
> driving.
> 
> Dave Keillor
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> Subject: Re: <VV> drive wheels
> 
> The whole problem with FWD as far as I'm concerned is that people praise
> it for the wrong reasons. If the norm had been REAR ENGINE, FRONT DRIVE
> then everyone would be well aware of just how really bad an idea that
> driving the front wheels happens to be. The reason people praise front
> drive is really because of the weight being over the drive wheels, and
> NOT that it's driving the front wheels. The average joe is oblivious to
> the difference -  all he knows is that the modern front driver is far
> better in NOT getting stuck in the snow than his old "feather-fanny'd"
> Chevy II or Gremlin. Those used to get stuck on a flat sheet of ice (I
> even had a '71 Buick Estate Wagon that was just as bad.) They don't stop
> to think that once a front driver breaks traction (which is often more
> easy to do than you realize) they've also lost all steering control.
> With a rear driver, you'd have at least SOME semblence of steering
> control. Might make the difference between missing a bridge abutment and
> hitting it.
> 
> -Mark
>