I was speaking specifically about the ratio of power going to front or rear wheels not control of an Evo to STI. It’s been pretty well shown that stock for stock an Evo outperforms a STI. With the DCCD you can make an STI into a RWD car or any fraction thereof. It’s not going to be better than the Mitsu system it just gives you control of where the power goes is all.

 

True not a fair test but it gives a basic demonstration of the three systems. TC and VDC and so forth is why RWD now as opposed to in the past is better than FWD in many applications. Growing up I was always told that FWD was better as you would get better traction in bad weather conditions. RWD was more difficult to control for your average person and that is no longer the case due to technology.

 

The max DCCD will send to the rear wheels is 65%.

 

Yep. When you're driving around in an STi, and you have traction, it's 65 rear /35 front on the 04 and 05, and it's 59 rear / 41 front on the 06.

The DCCD doesn't actually change the amount of power that goes to the front or rear; it changes the amount of slip detected in the rear that causes a torque transfer to the front. In 'Auto' mode it transfers torque instantly when slip is detected. Other settings allow more and more slip, until you reach full Open, where slip in the rear is unlimited (nearly unlimited on the 06), which gives you a much looser STi.

I've been fortunate enough to extensively drive an Integra Type R, an RX-8, an Acura CL-S 6 speed, and an STi (not so extensively since it's new). When you get to compare cars like that, back to back, it's pretty clear that all of the drivelines can be very good if the car is set up properly.

The CL would understeer if I went into a turn too hot, but a quick lift of the throttle would tuck the nose right in.

The Type R was very neutral - with good tires it just went where you pointed it.

The RX-8 seemed very loose and unpredictable when I first started driving it (my first RWD car) but now that I have the feel of it, the speed that you can carry through a turn at the limit of adhesion is incredible.

The STi in full auto mode will understeer if you go in too hot, quickly transition to oversteer if you lift the throttle, and then you hammer it and it goes where you're aiming it really fast.

So, four different ways to get through a turn, all a lot different, all a lot of fun.

With RWD, it's really nice to not have any steering pollution (torque steer). I honestly haven't noticed torque steer in the STi after almost 4000 miles. However, torque steer didn't really bother me in the Type R and CL because at that point I had driven FWD cars all my life. My wife drove RWD cars all of her life, and HATED the CL's torque steer.

I like them all, if the car is good. AWD, however, is awesome if you live where it snows. I can't WAIT for the snow this year now that I've got snow tires for the STi.

 

Well smackme and call me Shirley. I had the impression it was much higher. Doh!

 

Merc63, those are some good points, though not all applicable to today's reality...

...nowadays, I think it is widely accepted that FWD is todays CRT screens - simple and cheap.

...so true, my first car (my Dad's hand me down '76 Grand Prix SJ with a 455) probably had a 95/5 wight distribution , rode on 215/75/15's, and had pillows for shocks. Not only did it understeer, it didn't turn! But fact remains, a RWD layout is least prone to understeer. Though it is true that many engineers dumb down cars TO understeer, though I don't see the 8 as one of those. Also, your the first 911 owner I've heard say that a 911 understeers as "a basic nature."

Anyhoo, you should post here more often, not enough quality viewpoints on this site IMO.

 

Actually, it's only that the cheapest cars on the market are FWD. But, they are also considerably more expensive than cheap cars used to be. RWD is cheap if you use simple parts. Just because no one does that anymore doesn't mean it's automatically more expensive.




It's still a question of weight distribution, not drive wheels. the RX8 has a favorable weight balance. Cars like the Mustang GT500 do not. With enough power, you can use it to counteract nose-heavy understeer, but it's the weight balance and suspension tuning that make the difference. otherwise all those RWD cars from the '20s to the '80s would not be understeering pigs, stock. Throttle induced oversteer doesn't count...

The weight balance can be affected by weight transfer, and weight transfer can be affected by springs and swaybars. A larger rear swaybar can reduce understeer and induce oversteer. I've build FWD autocross cars that oversteer all the time (fun, but not the fast way around the track).


Ever since the '65 models, they do. IN neutral cornering, they tend toward understeer. They have nasty trailing throttle oversteer, however, which is what gave them the bad reputation. But getting on the throttle unloads the front tires and they basically want to go straight. Understanding how to balance them on the throttle that way is the key to extracting their maximum potential, which is huge.

I only started posting here due to threads on V8s and RX7s/RX8s.