Camaro, next gen GTO ect. I realize the ADvantages of AWD- I also realize ther DISadvantages.

Putting those aside- AWD and Camaro or GTO ect doesn't belong in the same sentence. AWD is not
consistent with an image of American V8 muscle.

NOTE to MOD: It was suggested by the mod from theoretical street racing I try to post this poll
here after he closed it

 

I vote for AWD...because in a state like MN, I could afford to buy one and drive it year round. I own a 95 Talon (Turbo, 5 speed, AWD) as a daily driver and really like the AWD.

The cost is already too high for a RWD car to justify me buying one right now...The WRX (G O D forbid) seems like a much better deal for the $$$....at least where I live.

 

It's hard to change a persons mind- but ask yourself this- "Does AWD fit the image of a muscle /pony car?

Plus if it were AWD how would you ever lay a little patch taking off, get 1-4 gear rubber and all that neat stuff you can't do with AWD.

If they ever come out with a RWD F5 I'll buy one and park it in the winters and drive a Honda

 

WHAT DO YOU MEAN DRIVE A HONDA.

EVER HEARD OF A TRUCK.

Big Trucks and Fast Cars, now that's American "muscle" if I ever had a thought.

By the way, Rear wheel drive are just plain more fun to mess aroung in.

Plus, I may be very wrong on this. But with AWD, and a front diff, where would you put the big, um ENGINE. Does anyone make a Front Wheel Drive V8.

You know what would would really bring back the muscle, a factory Big Block in the next Generation.

Long live the F-body.

 

Hondas are cheap to operate- I'll need to save all the money for the Camaro!

My friend drive a short box reg cab 97 GMC 4X4- yeah they are prety nice I'll admit.

Caddy's have been making FWD V8's for 2 decades- maybe more.

Big-blocks are totally unessesary in todays new cars (trucks are okay), muscle wasn't the problem with 4th gens- they are the fastest Camaro ever made.

 

I vote for RWD.

and I agree with the Honda comment - those cars are reliable and easy on the wallet (gas anyway). Use it for commuting to work and snow - even if they are ugly.

Keep the RWD cars for fun!

 

I say RWD, old fashioned? maybe. but it's just the classic look of V8 RWD cars.... dual exhaust and the such. Even though my dream car is AWD... nissan Skyline GTR (R-34, looks the best) i would say keep the american muscle cars the same. only other import i would like alot also has AWD, and a VR4 can put one nasty hole shot on you.
Opha

 

89project

Cadillac makes a front wheel drive V8. The STS has a serious 32 valve V8 with 300 HP sending it all though the front wheels.

It's American...and fast. Just a shame only old people drive it.

 

It would be much harder to engineer an AWD car, plus more parts would not be interchangeable. And AWD is heavier. RWD is made for muscle. It defies the purpose of owning a muscle car. I don't know many people that say, "I wish my third gen was AWD." if any.

 

Lets put it this way...I own a subaru impreza...2.5 AWD and an '84 camaro z28...
the subaru is much more fun to drive around town.....
and if there was an american v8 with some power in it...and it was able to keep the handling aspects it has now...
I would buy one in a heart beat.
Dont get me wrong....I'm building a pro street car for a reason..

Maybe it should just be optional AWD?...like the dodge stealth was

 

I say RWD,you can't get an AWD sideways in turns,or on takeoff!,Even though this might make some of you guys a bit pissed off,I also own an 89 5.0 'stang! (hey,i've always loved Pontiacs,AND Mustangs) but after this year,the only V-8 RWD AMERICAN car is gonna be the mustang,unless you are Bill Gates and can afford a Viper,Vette,or a Prowler! sorry if my Stang upsets some of you,but it is indeed the end of an era! no more Camaro/Firebird VS. Mustang tradition,having one without the other is really no fun,no more "friendly" competition! but what I'm really trying to say is FRONT TIRES ARE FOR TURNIN',BACK TIRES ARE FOR BURNIN'!

 

I gotta use that saying.

 

I think this FWD craze may blow over some day, at least w/ American cars. Have you noticed Caddilacs lineup lately? They are phasing out FWD. Sure, they still have a few, but I have heard from "reliable" sources that in a few years, Caddy will have NONE. They will all be RWD. Who knows, maybe other GM franchises will follow.
Prime example, look at the Caddilic CTS. It was originally a FWD car (the Catera), that they made RWD. This is qoute right off the caddy website: "A rear drive chassis enhances performance because there's a sensible division of labor between the front and rear wheels. The rear wheels power while the front wheels steer.
In addition, CTS's stability enhancement system, available as part of the Luxury Sport Package. It lets you take those corners with confidence, and helps improve control on slippery pavement or during evasive maneuvers. "

With todays anti-lock braking and Traction control systems, the advantages of FWD are almost non-existant. I think RWD is going to make a comeback.


Look at European cars like Mercedes and BMW. FWD doesn't even exist in those cars. And now, the "craze" is to try and copy those two. Look at Lexus, Lexus has been stealing ideas from Mercedes and BMW for a long time. Now that Diamler-Chrysler and Mercedes got together, Chrysler is trying to use Mercedes parts in there cars too.

 

glad you liked my saying 12sec!,but a couple of things I'l like to add is that I have owned 3 FWD cars,an 86 escort,which was a POS,a 79 Rabbit,which just would'nt die!,and an 86 Subaru XT turbo 4wd,which was quick and fun to drive,but all of these,and other FWD cars I have worked on are a ROYAL pain in the a**,and sometimes expensive to fix,ever had to put a new clutch in one? it's a pain!

 

There's a couple of older cars that were fwd with v8's..
i think tornado's were one of them.. a 455 or 425 or something..

 

well i say AWD dont get me wrong RWD is great but has any one seen the liginfelter biult S-15 it had a ls6 AWD along with twin turbo'sthe truck was running 10's and it looked stock other than the corvette wheels and radiator moved to the back. my answer is bring back the fiero or corvair put a mid engine forced induction northstar with all wheel drive and the 03 cobra is going to get used to the look of the taillights.

 

wasent there a FWD v8 caddy

 

Arhgh!! Were slipping in the polls hehe.

You are correct 89firechicken there was and still are FWD Caddy V8's (as much as 300hp) we covered it already.

 

AWD

For a few reasons, Handling, Launch, Handling, Road condition changes, and oh yea did I mention Handling. AWD is great, it should be on all cars.
Oh yea I hate to say it but the muscle cars and pony cars died in the early 70's. All we have now are sports cars, I mean come on a 1968 Z/28 w/ power locks, windows, mirrors, and A/C. No the muscle car was just that and all that.
R.I.P. muscles cars

Later, Garrett

 

I can see your advantages BUT wheres the fun??

Lightining up the tires at a stoplight and leaving a nice long patch and some tire smoke- getting 1-4 gear rubber- mastering the skill of launching a manual trans RWD V8 can be a fine line- but when you get it you look like a pro.


Oh wait...I can drive fast in the rain and snow- why aren't dragsters AWD?

 

OK I see your point, But if GM would get up and quit ****ting out pieces of crap (Aztec, Impala, Malibu, Monte Carlo) mostly FWD peices of crap, while Ford has the Mustang, (new) Maurader, Thunderbird (not a V-8 but a damn snappy 6).
But anyways if GM would put an :hail: LS1 with a Turbo :hail: (like most imports do with AWD) the Muscle car might get to merge with the Sports car. Then with that engine drivetrain combo you would still have to master the launch as well as be able to 1-4 gears of rubber.
I think any variation of an LS1 with a power adder stock would be great, but with AWD these cars could be great accelerators as well as great handlers. It could be a car the likes of which the world has never seen.
And I know GM has the technology just laying around but won't use it. I mean we could have an 11 second stock street car that could handle like a Porsche, Lambourghini, and a Ferreri all in one. (OK so I can't spell European car names).
Thats why I feel AWD is the way to go.
Later, Garrett

 

LS1 turbo- that'd be cool. I see your points too-
discussion is always good. BTW T-Bird is a V8

 

Oh yea I forgot that the T-bird was an 8 but a very small 8. But I mean come GM can do better than Fuel injection, even Ford has got a superchaged Mustang (Cobra). I hope GM continues to compete with Ford as well as continue the new explosion of research and development into the 4-cylinder market (was reading Hot Rod and they had an eco-tech 2.0 running like mid 9's in the quarter).
I hope GM continues to compete in all motorsports to improve there street cars. Oh yea and I would drive a 4 cylinder Cavy, as long as it had a 5 speed and a turbocharger 2.0 eco-tech
Later, Garrett

 

one thing i will put my opion on is i think chevy has took their time using the new technology. yeah, the LS1 engine is extreamly strong and more technologicly advancded then the tpi system. but still, chevy could design some amazing power plants. look at the engine they designed for the IRL...or CART? one of those 2, dont feel like looking it up. Out of the box the engines some of the teams are using just kick a$$. I know that it's alot different of an engine compared to what we drive with. but it goes to show that chevy does have the research and technology to bring racing ideas to the new performance cars. mainly im hoping to see some new vette's and the now long awaited camaro with a totally new engine package that will be amazing. Even if it's LS1 based, that would be great. those engines can run hard. And on a side note, not flaming ford at all...but i think it's kinda pathetic that they can to Super Charge their new cobras to make them faster. I mean come on, that's like cheating . I think that if ford was really smart they would just make a larger displacment 4.6L engine. If you were to put a super charger on a LS1 or even the older LT1's, you would see some serious power from the get go. :lala:
~Opha~

 

How about the planned GTO from the Holden Monaro platform. Look at the October issue of Popular Hot Rodding. A car similar to the Grand Prix, LS1, A4 or 6spd, handling, and RWD. This car is awsome

 

AWD

i think the awd would be a huge step in the right direction for an american sports car. i dont think that all sports car should necessarily take this route but some experimenting should be attempted. a awd drive car will definetly handle better and be capable of accelerating about as well. it is true that those donuts you do in parking lots on rainy night will be much more difficult in a car driven by all the wheel, but if you wanna do this, you should be in your third gen f-body anyways.

i'm not sure if you completely know what your talking about in this discussion but i would think it would be obvious why dragsters not use awd. drags go in a straight line believe it or not. in their case, using all the wheel would not help them to accelerate to over 300 mph, but slow them down. i could get into that point but that should just as well be saved for a whole thread.

 

RWD

If GM was to build a AWD the front engined car, 90% chance the engine would be transverse. And speaking of cost a AWD, it would be pretty pricey and a standard would be FWD. I like the ideal of having the drivetrain as now and have stability and traction control like the Vetts as a option only. Aftermarket parts would be the same and cheaper.

I could see the forums now....AWD section; under front drive train swap: I have a 150 shot can a 9" or 12 bolt third member fit in the transverse transmission? or I was at the drags this weekend and blew a CV joint how much to upgrade? Has anyone seen the import drags...they brake more parts then a All Harley drag.

 

Dude why do you think the engine would be transversly mounted. The Cyclone, Typhoon, Astro, many SUV's are AWD and aren't transversly mounted.
Plus a GM AWD car wouldn't break as many parts as imports because the platform would be designed to handle a good amount of horse and torque stock, unlike honda platforms that are only designed to handle 200hp and 135 tq (because that's all that's stock).
Please explain why you beleive that the engine would be mounted transversly.
Later, Garrett

 

GMs muscle car era is doomed with the ending of the Camaro.

They will not recover from it peroid. Just like dodge.

Ford almost lost if when they said they were going to the 4.9 instead of the 5.0, but what no one knows or ever realized is a 302 was never was a true 5.0. do the math.

but we all know ford driver cant do math.

 

shoot!
i lost the name of the awd grand prix when i typedin my user name and password..
A8?
anyways, a grand prix prototype with a LS1, 6 speed(i think..), AWD..
anybody else ever see this in mags or on speedvision?
when it still was speedvision..

 

I saw a GA or GP at the Pontiac Nationals last year (2001) with an LS1 under the hood.

 

i just think it would be worth gm's time and engery to make a "perfomance" awd car. No, keep the muscle car a RWD vehical. but make a new model of performance oriented AWD car. maybe just to see what the world will think. i would like to see a gm car in a rally race. somthing like the lancer evo/ wrx might be a good start. even if it was a play off an existing model line. say the malibu or impala? i like the styling of those cars, performance engine and system whould be a neat thing to play w/. nissan's pinnacle of performance (and my dream car) is the skyline. inline 6 twin turbo AWD. although it has the most sophisticed AWD system and a high level of technology. those cars are incredible stock, and tuning them is just unbelivable what they can become. if gm was smart they would just have a project to see what would happen. if i had a car company, i sure as hell would.
~Opha~