Straight line acceleration

  • Thread starter Thread starter halfracedrift
  • 35 comments
  • 1,058 views

What is better for straight line acceleration, FF, or RR?

  • Front wheel drive front moutned Engine

    Votes: 2 7.1%

  • Rear wheel drive rear mounted Engine

    Votes: 26 92.9%
  • Total voters
    28
halfracedrift

halfracedrift

Messages
3,133
What is better? since i'm doing a science project.. i need some data and opinions from ppl

the question is: Under the same weight, the same aerodynamics, but different drivetrain, which car will go faster? a Front wheel driven car with the engine in front, or a rear wheel car with the engine mounted in the back?
 
reallly?
the only one that i know of the the GT2 mini cooper pumping out an AMAZING 63 hp :lol: and suprise suprise it was RR..... kinda strange @ the time... cuz i thought RR cars had a lot of umph
 
RR is without a question better for straight line accelaration. In fact, you're conducting a poll between the worst type of car for straight line accelaration against (probably) the best type of car for straight line accelaration, save 4WD cars. With FF cars, the majority of the weight is near the front, resulting in bad weight distribution while accelarating. With RR cars, the majority of the weight is at the rear. When the car accelarates, the rear-mounted weight gives the back tires extra grip off the line, thus better straight line accelaration. With proper tuning, the RUF RGT can complete the 400m run in under 10 seconds. Thats really just the basics of it all, and I can't go in-depth into explaining all about weight distribution and other factors that play into straight line accelaration like some of the real gearheads here at GTP can.
 
definitely RR, as FuryX21 said.
rearward weight transfer during acceleration takes weight off the drive wheels in FF cars.

edit: i just thought of this - when you're talking about a straight line, you could be going in either direction. i know this isn't the information you're after, but FF cars would probably go faster in reverse than RR cars with identical gears.
 
so it has to deal with weight transfer?
good.. what i thought...
but do you think i would be able to demonstrate this with a REALLY scale down model of a FF and RR car?
cuz the max weight theyre gonna be is like...... 30, maybe 40 grams... lol
 
but do you think i would be able to demonstrate this with a REALLY scale down model of a FF and RR car?
cuz the max weight theyre gonna be is like...... 30, maybe 40 grams... lol
Click to expand...

You should try finding a computer program that simulates that kind of stuff. I had one in my 486 about 6 years ago, it was called CarTest I belive, it was quite a complex program, you could adjust everything in the car, so if you find a program like that you could make 2 identical cars only changing the drivetrain :)
 
I picked up the NSX 1991 as test car and just changed the drivetrain and engine placement on it, here are the results:

0-100ft/0-500ft/0-1320ft: (seconds)
MR: 3.0/7.7/14.0
RR: 3.0/7.7/14.0
FR: 3.0/7.8/14.2
FF: 3.7/8.6/15.0

I think it's not very accurate since I just changed the drivetrain without changing the weight dristribution and stuff :p
 
RR is definitely better. Because when you accelerate the weight is transfered to the rear of the car. That's why you see top fulers, funny cars, etc. with rear wheel drive.
 
The Mini Cooper is front engine, front wheel drive. Has been since its beginning in the 1950s.

Rear wheel drive is king of acceleration thanks (as many have said) to weight transferring to the rear wheels under acceleration. In fact FR drag cars are set up to increase weight transfer, whereas FF drag cars try to limit it as much as possible. Putting the engine back there on a MR or RR car only helps.
 
Man, I wish I was doing a sciencs project on car physics, I would get an A+!!!

Good luck 1/2race, and if you need any more info just keep asking away, there is nothing more enjoyable than a healthy debate.
 
sweetness..... and now, since ihave so much support.. man.. i'm just gonna school ma friends.. lol :D:D:D thanks for all the support! i'll prolly be poppin some more questions sooner or later.. its due in like.. a month... i haven't started yet.. :shame:
 

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