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MiniMike19 said:
It's not a train-smash, and most manufacturers are headed down the flower-sniffing, tree-hugging, foot-spa-giving route. It's just that, until now, BMW have been synonymous with RWD performance-orientated cars. You can't argue that, for cars with equal power figures, the FWD version would perform better in a straight line or on the track, and it's just different for BMW to be considering this route. To be fair, this car isn't really an all-out FWD car in the first place.
It's a shame, not specifically with BMW, but with everyone going the green route. I'm sure that new technology will arrise that will make these green cars as much fun as their petrol chugging variants, but until then everyone is going to hang onto their exhaust tone and driving pleasure for dear life.
In my opinion, the only reason BMW are going FWD is to be green and save costs. That's it. It isn't a superior platform. FWD has, for the most part, been to suit some sort of compromise, and mostly overall cost to punch student/low-cost markets. Obviously they aren't going to start churning out FWD M3's.
MiniMike19 said:
That speaks more toward the power of the engine rather than the fact that it's RWD. If any of those cars were somehow FWD they would be undrivable, period. As for the Audi, 4WD neh? If you drive like a crazed madman, any electronic aid will eventually fail to control you and let you hurt yourself. And if you don't like them, you can disable them in most cases.
MiniMike19 said:
That's your preference, really. Power for power on the same platform, RWD will perform better on most if not any stage, in my opinion. As to why it's better, have a read here. It's honestly come down to personal preference. It's obvious you don't like the oversteering, fish-tailing tendency of RWD, but that doesn't make it inferior, it just doesn't suit you.
In that list you'll see the advantages with FWD have more to do with space, efficiency and cost, while RWD has its advantages in weight distribution, steering ability, handling and braking. Doesn't that sound like BMW right there?
For the average Joe on the street who wouldn't touch the track or try find the limits of their car, the FWD vs RWD debate holds no value for them. To them they're exactly the same, minus the interior space in RWD cars. BTW, I'm not saying you're average Joe. It's obvious that, to you, you haven't found the benefit of RWD as much as you've found the negative aspects.
MiniMike19 said:
I'm sorry, but BMW have as much to do with Mini as Porsche do with VW, and you don't see rear-engined rear-wheel drive VW's rolling around everywhere. Mini were made for a certain market, BMW for another, as with VW and Porsche, even if one owns the other. They have completely seperate design teams and goals.
