Which FWD car should have been released in RWD?

And how about the Nissan Maxima?

Nissan did that, they called it the G35. They then proceeded to continue using the Maxima name on a very un-maxima-like automobile. I can understand the confusion...

The Hyundai Veloster. I'm not totally in love with the looks, but I think it'd be a nice scrappy little rwd.

-Hamid

In reply to AverageH:

Too short. Now... AWD? That I could get behind.

In reply to Bobzilla:

Ooh yeah that'd cool....

TeamEvil wrote: 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.

Two of our customers built one.

http://www.forzamotorsport.net/en-us/news/hma_5_8_14

WOW ! ! That's just terrific ! !

So much talent and innovation hidden under a stock, but styled body.

Do you know much about the car? Is there a build site or blog covering any of the fabrication and problem solving?

Thank you the post, MUCH appreciated.

TC

The Pontiac G6 coupe is the perfect car for not only rear wheel drive but it would be a perfect mid engine car. Look at the proportions behind the b pillars and it will look exactly right with a Ls1 and a Porsche transaxle

I am amazed that nobody said Volvo.

The Cord

I hate to say it, mainly because I own one, but...

It helped usher in the Alfa FWD era overseas. To be fair, Alfa was headed this way anyways after the Milano/75 (the 164 was designed by Alfa to use the Saab 9000's FWD chassis before Fiat took it over), and the 164 Quadrifoglio was AWD. I love mine, it handles great for a big FWD luxury sedan, but there's that qualifier again, "for FWD."

Ditto the Mazdaspeed3, which I used to own. I wish someone would make a practical RWD hatchback, but as far as I know only BMW does, and they keep those to themselves overseas.

One other suggestion:

Loads of power. Torque steer for days, son! The Viggen has the worst torque steer I've ever felt, and the 164 and Mazdaspeed3 aren't exactly known for tame steering.

All fwd Pontiacs, Cadillacs, Lincolns, and the MS3.

I can't be the only one who wished for a RWD Avenger.

Volvo V70 T5!

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.

You're a smart man Bob.

I vote for any of the sporty Hondas, the Del Sol, Prelude, the Mazda MX6, the Accord V6 even. Seriously car manufacturers, get with it. Either build a sports car or build a boring econobox. Don't give us all the bullE36 M3 inbetween. I hate inbetweeners.

Bobzilla wrote: <In 09 they offered them with AWD, the larger 3.7LV6 and a manual trans with 19's.

Very intrigued. My brother had an '06 that impressed me significantly.

Not a great car but the Hyundai Tiburon would have been farther ahead of the game by now if they had RWD.

honda_acuras wrote: Did any GM division ever produce an AWD car? Not SUV or truck, but AWD sedan?

yes. pontiac made a 6000 STE sedan in all wheel drive in the late 80's

So can someone suggest a FWD car that is better for being a front wheel drive car rather than a rear wheel drive car? other than RealMiniDriver and his suggestion of LBC.

RossD wrote: So can someone suggest a FWD car that is better for being a front wheel drive car rather than a rear wheel drive car? other than RealMiniDriver and his suggestion of LBC.

Minis both old and new. It is all about packaging.

Petrolburner wrote:

Bobzilla wrote: <In 09 they offered them with AWD, the larger 3.7LV6 and a manual trans with 19's.

Very intrigued. My brother had an '06 that impressed me significantly.

The 09-up is more 3.5RL (05-08) than it is the previous generation TL. If you want that 04-08 TL feel, you'd have to go with the 09-13 TSX V6, but that wasn't offered in a manual nor AWD. The last generation TL's are so friggin huge and heavy.

My 9-5 wagon would be a lot more fun in rwd

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I am not anti FWD, in fact I now own two of them and love them. But there are some cars you can't help thinking missed the mark. I know there was/is a guy on here with an M100 Elan, but you can't help thinking the Lotus engineers started crying in their beer as soon as the Miata was launched and cut the wheels out from under them.

Actually, it would have been the GM management, and they could care less as they tend not to have a clue anyways.

As a Lotus fan, I been saving my pennies up diligently since I heard rumors of the Elan. Then GM announced that they were going to substitute a FWD Japanese car in its stead. Figured no one would notice.

"Best Handling FWD" was the Press Noise. "Best looking Whore with AIDS" was what I saw.

Bought a Miata. I will confess to not being a FWD fan on purely subjective reasons.

MX6/Probe comes to mind.

I like FWD in the small hatchbacks that I've driven. It's a different kind of fun.

Just my biases....

Appleseed wrote: I can't be the only one who wished for a RWD Avenger.

There seems to have been a Direct Connection kit to build them at one point, although I'm not sure how complete it was.