I think it depends. I would agree more on the AWD>RWD on handling though, but it aint necessarily efficient. Look at fastest racing cars (formula1), they are RWD...now look at the fastest rally racing cars, AWD. It depends on the terrain and vehicle.

 

im waiting for the 08 RSX vs GTR thread

 

wide tires, awd skinny

What most people dont take into consideration are the tire dimensions.

For stock street cars, lets take STI vs Z (oh yes I said it).
stock on stock, the STI will out corner, low or high speed, purely because it can pull through the corner.
Floor it in the STI and it will either understeer(more gas you nancy) or oversteer, and go even faster into the corner.
Floor it in the Z and it will oversteer and slow down if the angle isnt too great.

But as soon as you put some racing tires, wider tires, thinner tires on the Z or STI, they will start to even out, because the STI losses the ability to drift out of corners(which makes it faster on stock tires) Im not saying that it is entirly gone, but it WILL be snappy when traction is lost.

FTW,

anything I miss? care to flame lets go!

 

I'll add that RDW > AWD
when driving the porsche the rwd was reviewed to feel better going into the corner because the awd system is heavyer towards the front.

 

this isnt the case all the time. In road race RWD cars post alot better times them awd cars. granted alot is inlvolved but RWD is extremly potent on a road course almost negating the awd need in some points other then weather which theobvious advantage is there.

 

well on a coarse its differente, the RWD will have a faster speed in the straight that compensates for the AWD's fast speed on the corner...if the RWD is properly prepared with good tires etc, it should be close if not even to the AWD, so the AWD will have no advantage anywhere unless its raining or snowing or anything like that...doesnt matters how fat, slick RWD tires are, the AWD will have an advantage.

If you put slicks on an AWD it becomes a go-kart. My friend put 275s slicks all around...that STI looked like a beast. Sure as hell did a better time than any other car there on its category, granted the only Z that had slicks was 07, but it ran pretty good too, not faster though.

 

RWD vs AWD on a road course.

If the car is balanced well like the Z. RWD will have better road handling ability over a AWD car. The only place a AWD car has benefits is wet/snow weather, or a tight autox course. But RWD owns the Road Course. It has less drivetrain loss, can get the power to the wheels better and you want some drift from the rear on a road course. AWD cars tend to push on road courses in turns over RWD cars. There is a reason why most cars on a road course are rwd.

 

wow...I think SOLO might be right for the first time. Quick people take a picture!!

 

Yea, a proven example of how AWD doesnt always win is the rolex series or even gt series , where Audis and numerous awd cars get owned by RWD even FWD (lower classes) . However audi did have a run of a sprint in ROad race when it lightly rained over a course of time through a couple of races.

 

Clearly the length of time since you registered on a specific online forum is directly proportional to your knowledge of cars...

And no, stock vs stock the STi is significantly better than a 350Z.

 

OBJECTION! THAT IS A BOLD FACED LIE!
RSX is ALWAYS faster...dont EVER forget it...

 

lol

 

this is a opionion you realize that a stock 350z track edition 06 and 07 beat out the sti in almost every best motoring vid right . Where talking stock. And it even beat the evo MR at vir. AWD is not dominant on a road race track when power levels are at where they are with these cars. given the conditions.

 

Obviously you don't have that knowledge of cars either.