Which FWD car should have been released in RWD?

In reply to Mike924:

Luckily, you can correct that by swapping the motor into a 924 ;)

The early 80s Nissan Pulsat. It looked like it should have been a competitor for the MR2/Fiero.

Anything with over 150HP and with any sort of sporting intentions.

honda_acuras wrote: Grtechguy, you do realize that the Aurora was supposed to be a "re-imaging" of the Toronado? Built on the same platform as a Riviera but with 4 doors instead of the Toro's 2 so that it could be both a flagship/halo model and take the place of Oldsmobile's disappearing sedans for "mature" customers. But still, it might of made a decent RWDer. Heck, they could have made these optional AWDers and had a car that no other GM division had.

For that matter, the '90s Riviera would have been improved with rear wheel drive.

I'm surprised the '90s Mercury Capri hasn't come up yet in this thread.

And how about the Nissan Maxima?

I have no problem with FWD unless they are high output sporting machines.

My nomination for 'should have been RWD' is the Mazdaspeed 3. It has enough power (263 bhp, 280TQ) to push some in stock form, but if you bump the power up as many do with larger turbos etc., it is a bit of an understeering marvel.

You can get better handling out of a RWD version if there were one. Same goes for the Solstice vs. Cobalt vis a vis the turbo LNF Ecotec. Only catch is that if you go RWD there is a bit more driveline loss involved.

Fobroader wrote: Anything with over 150HP and with any sort of sporting intentions.

oh contraire

In reply to Adrian_Thompson:

I do not accept your au contraire, mon amis ....thats an Escort rally car (notice the rear wheels spinning and kicking up dirt), AWD. The Megane Maxi....meh, still, cant beat an AWD or RWD car, I see your French limpwagen and raise you Ari Vatanen in his Escort

In reply to Fobroader:

I contradict your contradiction of my contradiction. Dust at rear is probably because of a dab of the old handbrake. That's a Formula 2 Escort, not an RS2000 4x4 or probably as you were thinking an Escort Cosworth. Yes there really were three different types (or more) Mk V Escort rally cars. It was known as the Escort Maxi. 280+bhp, 250+lb/ft Normally aspirated 2.0L weigh just over 2,100lb's. F2 rally cars were beating the 4WD WRC turbo cars too often on tarmac which pissed off the WRC teams so they only lasted a few years before being neutered. F2 was launched in 93. The Escort Maxi kit car was Homologated in 96, first run in 97 and the series was stopped in 99.

What's bad, this generation of Legend (and the later 3.5RL [96-04]) were literally a diff and a 3' driveshaft away. The engine trans sat in there longitudinal then ran the power from the rear of the trans, up the passenger side via a shaft to the diff tha twas bolted to the block. then they ran one axle through the oil pan and the other to the right wheel. So much win was there until they realized they weren't building a RWD car.

Well then....you win this round Mr. Bond.....

The_Jed wrote: I think Ford should have made these RWD.

Nah, these things handled really well in AWD guise, they just needed MOAR power.

Bobzilla wrote: What's bad, this generation of Legend (and the later 3.5RL [96-04]) were literally a diff and a 3' driveshaft away. The engine trans sat in there longitudinal then ran the power from the rear of the trans, up the passenger side via a shaft to the diff tha twas bolted to the block. then they ran one axle through the oil pan and the other to the right wheel. So much win was there until they realized they weren't building a RWD car.

I agree, the Legend Coupe was one of my favorite cars, too, too bad about the wrong wheel drive thing. I still think they are a great looking car when I see one.

Another way to look at that question:

"Why do some FWD cars look so nice"

"Because they look like RWD cars"

I am not sure, but I think the Stealth / 3000 GT was one of the earlier examples of this (not that they were great looking). So, you want to style your FWD car to look good, make it look like a RWD car.

I always thought these looked like they should be RWD.

ultraclyde wrote: last gen MS3. Or All wheel drive, I guess, but RWD would had me trading in my Mustang on it.

RossD wrote: The Del Sol should have been a mid engine rwd car.

Having driven both with some frequency, I must QFT. I really want RWD in my next car.

Coulda beat the FRS to the punch by a few years.

the saab sonnett. amazing looking little car, engine was even set up the right way for it but in true saab fasion... fwd

This third generation Acura TL is a big, sporty, powerful luxury sedan to be front wheel drive. It may be partially why it got killed.

Totally the Saab Sonnett !

I wish that a rear wheel drive version of the VW Rabbit/GTI was offered. SO many of them around for almost free and just prime for an engine transplant were they just rear wheel drive.

Mr_Clutch42 wrote: This third generation Acura TL is a big, sporty, powerful luxury sedan to be front wheel drive. It may be partially why it got killed.

Killed? It didn't get killed. they changed body style (like they did in 2003 for the '04MY). 5 years with the same basic body is a long time in the luxury car market. In 09 they offered them with AWD, the larger 3.7LV6 and a manual trans with 19's.

The VW Corrado lends itself to an implication of rwd proportioning with it's rear heft.

aircooled wrote: I am not sure, but I think the Stealth / 3000 GT was one of the earlier examples of this (not that they were great looking). So, you want to style your FWD car to look good, make it look like a RWD car.

This is the example I was going to mention. At one point I thought they were one of the best looking cars around though. Here's my ol' FWD-that-should-have-been-RWD:

Ugh, no kidding on the Acura Legend. I prefer the first gen but the second gen are very nice as well.

In reply to Armitage:

But at least AWD and turbos were an option.....