Rear drive comes roaring back

[Mr.DJ]

January 20, 2006 - 10:24 am --

The popularity of the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro concept cars at the North American International Auto Show are proof that rear-wheel drive is rolling again.

It seemed like an aberration that the Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum, Dodge Charger and Ford Mustang rear-drive models were runaway successes.

After all, for the last 30 years everything in America has been moving toward front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, especially in the Snow Belt. Only luxury cars and sporty European models could get away with using rear-wheel drive, which is generally conceded to deliver much better performance on dry roads than front drive or all-wheel drive.

But now, thanks to technology that enhances the handling capabilities of rear-wheel-drive vehicles on good or bad road surfaces, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are each looking for new segments in which to use their rear-drive platforms.

GM can expand on its rear-drive architectures to include not only the Camaro but also new mid-sized sedans. The Pontiac Solstice and Cadillac CTS use rear-drive architectures. And as Chrysler demonstrated at the Detroit auto show, the Chrysler 300 platform can be shortened to handle the Challenger or lengthened to accommodate a vehicle as big and bulky as the Imperial concept.

The result is likely to be a bumper crop of good, old-fashioned rear-drive cars.

Source: Automotive News

[ND RAM]

I love RWD.

[allhemi]

I will not own a car that not RWD!

[ND RAM]

Originally Posted by allhemi

I will not own a car that not RWD!

I've always said I wouldn't but I really would own a Shelby Charger (Mama already does) or a SRT-4.

[allhemi]

I've had mustangs and trucks all my life. I tryed to like a FWD car one time but it didn't last

[Afterburner]

Moved to Australia in '89, took 2 BMW bikes with me. After 2 years, I plunked down on the only vehicle that would do for my work (geologist), a Subaru 4wd wagon, left over 90 model (it was '91 by then). Cheap, very cheap! Only $37,500 AUD! Wonder why I waited? In that year, over here, this would have been around $10k US, and with the exchange rate of the time, about $13k there.

I just love the normal FWD! It was my first! and don't we always remember our first?? Going around corners under power was pure bliss. But you always kept going around the corner! Probably the torque reaction or something, but it was always fun doing this at a corner gas station, as since you couldn't stop turning, the near misses with the gas pumps was the purest exhilaration! And you haven't lived until you have thrown a non-powered tail end around expecting it to hook up when you let the power off just the right amount. I wonder if this was a key factor in why we didn't evolve to walk on our front paws instead of our rear ones.............. Freud for thought.

[WildBillTX]

I HATE front wheel drive. I have driven a few cars that were owned by my parents (a Buick Skylark V6, a Chrysler New Yorker K-Car, and a 1995 Buick LeSabre POS) and never liked the rubberband feel of the steering. They were also a bitch when it came time for transmission repairs.

Props to DCX for bringing RWD back and now they are eating GM's lunch. A lot of people were angry at GM for not keeping it and jumped ship.

[Yankee]

Can you believe we now have a generation of younger drivers that have been raised on mostly front drivers and probably have no real experience at ALL with RWD?

Think about that - sad, isn't it?

[ChuckG]

Originally Posted by Yankee

Can you believe we now have a generation of younger drivers that have been raised on mostly front drivers and probably have no real experience at ALL with RWD?

Think about that - sad, isn't it?

You're correct. There are many people out there that have never driven a rear wheel drive car. They probably think torque steer is normal. Hard to believe.

For me, I have personally owned one front wheel drive car. I will NEVER buy another one. FWD cars SUCK!

[allhemi]

Originally Posted by Yankee

Can you believe we now have a generation of younger drivers that have been raised on mostly front drivers and probably have no real experience at ALL with RWD?

Think about that - sad, isn't it?

Very sad indeed....