Why do some cars have their engines in the front and some in the back, what are the advantages and disadvantages of the two builds. And why doesn’t every car have full wheel drive?

  • Brkdncr@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    $$$.

    Front engine, rear drive is easy to build. Good driving characteristics until you lose traction in the rear, which isn’t hard because there’s not much weight back there. You get over steer which isn’t the easiest to deal with.

    Front engine, front drive is cheap to build. Good driving characteristics until you start pushing the limits, then you get under steer which is easy to deal with by letting off the gas.

    Rear engine, rear wheel drive. Same cost advantages of Front/front but has some quirky driving characteristics.

    Rear engine, front drive: nope.

    AWD: better driving characteristics, more cost and more weight.

    Mid engine, rwd: similar to rear/rear, but costs more, better handling.

    • etchinghillside@reddthat.com
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      1 month ago

      Rear engine, front drive: nope.

      I need someone to go down the rabbit hole and tell me what attempts have been made to make this work.

      • saltesc@lemmy.world
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        30 days ago

        I’m sure they all ended as fireballs.

        Understeers into corner “Shit!”

        Applies brakes and immediately oversteers “Fuck!”

        Goes off ravine sideways “Oh, hell!”

        Plummets to ground facing the sky “Shiiiiii-”

        Engine block pierces through fuel tank on impact and gets exploded through the cabin