>Subject: Re: Re[2]: Digest lotus-cars.v002.n748
>Sent: 12/18/97 3:05 PM
>Received: 12/18/97 5:26 PM
>From: Keith Gustafson, gusmach@shore.net
>To: chapman-era@autox.team.net
>
>
>Truthfully, I don't see it as any different from when 20 years ago all
>American cars were rwd, but handled awfull. The cars worth driving have
>always been few and far between, no matter which end is driven.
The way I see it, with the standard platform all over the world shifting
to fwd (for economy of manufacture, I say), development of low cost rwd
cars was carried out only at the high end ($) so, except for cars costing
a lot of money, the only rwd cars available were old technology.
Compared to modern fwd cars, they seemed clunky. Actually, when GM had
those special black turbo-V6 Malibus and Buick Grand Nationals out, they
showed what could be done with a little development of very outdated
chassis. If they had actually designed nice new, torsionally rigid rwd
chassis, they would have been just as modern as the fwd platforms but you
know how they try to gently steer the customers (particularly the
average, middle-of-the-road non-car enthusiasts) toward whatever will
save them a few cents.... a long tradition in Detroit.
I believe, if that hadn't happened, there would have been a better choice
today. Come to think of it, Ralph Nader may have started it all by
sensitizing Detroit to possibly being sued if their car handles a little
differently and the lowest common denominator driver has trouble with it
when drunk. Now that could cause them to suddenly redefine what they'd
ever allow the general public access to.... too bad for us.
>Sorry, I vote for traction. While the +2 is actually just fine in the
>wet[and I have at least amusing story about that] I don't tend to do any
>performance driving in it for simple economic reasons[whoops, guess I took
>that one a bit fast, THUMP aw shit]
I'm a bit different and it's unfair of me to expect everyone to be on my
wavelength.
>Now if I could only find an AWD transaxle for my europa............
Hmmm! That *would* be interesting!
Rod
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