dannj

Yeah...I found the same thing. I was shopping for a coupe in April. The dealer didn't even want to talk to me unless I wanted to pay close to full msrp. I found that the only deals around were for roadsters and don't know what it's like now (found my coupe and I'm happy).

gurr8

The Unfair Advantage: Round 2

Short story: Quattro dominated so much that 95kg of weight was added for the 1997 season. It was banned for the 1998 season.

"The quattro system allowed Biela to perform miracles on the track. In wet weather, the quattros completely dominated with their improved traction. This increase traction also allowed for braking much later into turns allowing for increased mid-corner stability. Incredible standing starts allowed Biela to perform maneuvers like converting an eighth position on the starting grid to a third place position in one fast start."

gurr8

YouTube - quattro banned

cheeba

Gurr8, citing one specific instance does not prove your argument. Rather than just data-mining for support to your claim, perhaps you should take a look at the fundamentals of physics and vehicle dynamics.

Of course there are many situations for where AWD > RWD, but to state that it is superior to RWD in 'good' conditions is simply fallacious. Although it was experimented with, there is a reason why the pinnacle of motorsports - Formula One - does not use AWD: RWD can provide just as much traction, on consolidated surfaces, without the weight and mechanical disadvantage of AWD. In an unmodified production vehicle, it's common for AWD to outperform RWD; but, in the end the maximum capabilities, i.e., lower lap times, will lie with RWD.

gurr8

aaand we've already devolved into personal attacks.


thanks for the discussion, though!

cheeba

There was no "personal attack" in my post; rather, merely a suggestion to look into a fundamental understanding of the topic at hand.

Did you have some refutation that pertains to AWD/RWD?

wallyr25

I believe that in the hands of a skilled driver, on a dry track, a RWD car will be faster than an AWD car with the same horsepower. But probably less than 5% of the driving public has the skill to be able to do that. Not to mention driving like that (power-on over-steer) on the street is just plain silly. The vast majority of drivers will be more confident and therefore probably more competent in an AWD car. Add the benefits of driving in poor weather conditions, and Quattro is a no brainer.