The Myth

The Myth of Front Wheel Drive
I woke up this morning feeling like an arrogant jerk and decide to write about something I have wanted to rant about for quite a while. I have avoided this subject because I knew it would annoy the majority of our members, but, you can’t please all the people all the time.
This article is for those of you under the age of about 30, and who drive a front wheel drive car, especially if you haven’t ever driven a rear wheel drive car. I will henceforth refer to this group of people as “you”.
You have no idea what you are missing. Front wheel drive sucks. The whole idea of performance and front wheel drive in the same sentence is an oxymoron. Front wheel drive is a hoax perpetrated upon the motoring public by the auto industry.
Most people being ignorant consumers, they have believed the propaganda they hear. It has more traction, it’s safer. A whole generation of folks went from front engine, rear drive cars, that is giant American iron, directly to front wheel drive. That made front drives seem like they had great traction in the snow, since the old iron had the weight on one end and the drive wheels on the other. I drove my wagon in the snow once, and instantly realized why so many people dread snowy roads.
What do these 2 configurations have in common? They were both created not because of some performance advantage, but because it was the easiest way to build cars. Old school American iron is very little different from a stagecoach in 1860. Front drive was a major improvement in manufacturing efficiency, a car is now just 2 parts, body and driveline. No mechanical parts from the windshield back, krikey, the back axle is identical to a mobile home, all it does it keep the rear bumper off the ground.
The other thing both have in common is they are designed to understeer at all times. That is the reason front drive has grown in popularity. The blue haired grandmas who thought they were gonna die when the back end lost traction never had that happen again. No more throttle oversteer.
The sad part is, just like my generation and the one before mine thought that what they grew up with was great, now you think the current layout is great. There is only one layout that is ideal for vehicle performance, mid engine rear drive. The next best thing is front engine rear drive with the engine as far back as possible (front mid-engined). Look around, there are no front drive race cars, there are only front drive cars that get raced. Carrol Smith said “you can’t turn a pig into a race car, but you can make a really fast pig”
If you have made it this far without tearing up your newsletter, congratulations on having an open mind. If your only interest is horsepower, I guess it doesn’t matter what the engine is mounted to, there are people out there racing lawnmowers and belt sanders, but if you are really into driving, you need to experience working both ends of the car at the same time. There are some affordable front and mid engine cars, you just have to want it.