QUESTIONS FOR THE GOOD CAR GUY AGAIN

Since it is the story of my life, it might as well be the story of the day on GoodCarBadCar. Questions, queries, feelers.... when it comes to cars, it's the story of my answering and responding life. To see previous Questions, follow the link. For today's first, keep on reading.

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WHAT DOES FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE DO TO A CAR? We've all heard the expression about 'putting the cart before the horse'.  It's not only a fair metophorical life lesson, it's also simple physics. No carriage, cart, or wagon would travel as swiftly, smoothly, or as effortlessly while the horse was pushing the wagon, rather than pulling.  

Think of front-wheel drive as the common horse, pulling the car behind it. Say a typical 2.0L four-cylinder engine generates 140 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque. That power is sent to the front-wheels, which start spinning and thus begin pulling the car forward.  Now that the car is pulling you forward, the two front wheels must also be tasked with steering.  Therein lies the trouble: double duty.  

For a moment though, picture yourself in a winter storm pulling a child's wagon up a snow-covered hill. Next, picture yourself switching the placement of the handle and pushing the child's wagon up a snow-covered hill. Of course, it's easier to pull the wagon because of the fact that you have the traction the wagon doesn't possess and therefore you should be responsible for the directional stability while traversing the snowy knoll.  

But there are manufacturers which decide to push their cars rather than pull. BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Ferrari, Bentley, and Rolls-Royce are all faithful to the rear-wheel drive cause.  In modern times, electronics (in tandem with winter tires) have been used to overcome the traction issues inherent in pushing a weighty object in low-stick environments. If there's an inherent disadvantage to pushing cars with rear-wheel drive, why do most of the world's most famous brands choose rear-wheel drive - almost exclusively?  

Double duty. Here is the answer to the question, summed up.  99.9% of modern cars have their engines hanging out at the front end of the car; some ahead of the front axle. With the engine comes weight. Then command the wheels to power the car forward. And again, command those wheels to turn... with immediacy, smoothness, and calmly.  

No can do. Granted, a light and low-powered front-wheel driver isn't going to have problems coping with multiple tasks. But a heavy V8-engined front-wheel drive car will inevitably struggle when the moment comes for supporting weight, powering forward, and steering. A rear-wheel drive car - especially a car that is also rear-engined like the Porsche 911 - won't have to multitask at the front end and is therefore theoretically more able to respond to direct inputs.

It's hard to know for sure who came up with the theory, but after Citroens of the mid-20th century, front-wheel drive gradually took off. Now it is the typical choice for vehicles, especially less expensive; small; or non-luxury cars. Despite the fact that most ultimate driver's choices would be rear-wheel drive cars, some front-wheel drivers have gone beyond the call of duty.  Acura Integra Type-R. Honda Prelude Type SH. RenaultSport Clio 182 Cup. Mini's original and latter-day Cooper.  Volkswagen GTI MK1, MK2, and MK5. To name a few.