RWD vs. FWD
If there’s one subject that will always divide us petrolheads, it’s this one! Which is best? Rear Wheel Drive or Front Wheel Drive? Let’s take a brief look at the histories and characteristics of each.
Throughout most of the last century, Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) had been the natural choice of most manufacturers. Designers cherished and honed the system, creating some of the most memorable and loved autos in history (personally I’d have to cite the Dodge Charger and Ford Mustang, both characterised by awe-inspiring power slides!). In overall performance and handling, the RWD was considered untouchable. Through dry corners the car could deliver power ad nauseam while still keenly holding the line. In the wet, of course, a little more ‘work’ was required as slippery road surfaces led to often disastrous over steer. Nevertheless, it all came down to basic engineering – the front wheels did the steering and the rear wheels put the power down. It was accepted that a proper balance between power and control could only be achieved this way, and this precept was not challenged seriously until the latter half of the century.
Front Wheel Drive (FWD) had actually been around as a concept since the early 1900’s, but was not adopted as mainstream until the 1970’s. Prompted by the oil crisis, manufacturers were forced to do the unthinkable and design higher efficiency vehicles. For that to happen, their cars needed to lose weight. By adopting FWD, designers were able to remove hefty transmission covers and driveshaft tunnels which, until then, had run along the car’s chassis. Thus, not only did the cars get lighter, they also got roomier. A new
generation of automobile was born, heralding the age of the sensible family saloon. Stable handling (in dry or wet conditions) and capacious interiors saw demand rocket and by the mid 80’s, even the majority of sports coupes were FWD.
The mid 90’s saw a resurgence of enthusiasm for RWD, as technology progressed at lightning pace. The public’s appetite for brake horsepower had manufacturers competing fiercely to roll out their next affordable performance cars; but with more powerful engines came a new engineering headache – safety. Airbags and vastly improved braking systems became standard on most cars but, crucially, the production car was now sporting Traction Control, bringing enormous benefits to RWD motors in particular.
Thanks to Traction Control, the RWD now matches the FWD’s stability even in the wet. Better still, in terms of performance the RWD has raced ahead considerably with the likes of BMW’s M5 and Mercedes’ CL55 AMG (both with upward of 500bhp). FWD cars will simply never be able to offer such power output due to chronic under steer at speed (even with Traction Control). It seems that the Rear Wheel Drive may well be back for another Golden Era, at least in the performance car arena.
So, if you’re choosing between Front and Rear Wheel Drive, your decision must come down to this: Do you really need to power slide your way around corners? Yes? You’ll be needing a RWD then! (But think carefully before turning off that Traction Control!)
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