Seen at NRMA motorfest...

yank tank (1968 oldsmobile toronado) with 455c.i V8 putting out 400hp. Nothing unusual for the US there, but this one is front wheel drive. How can you possibly do 400hp through front wheels?

Same as a Volkswagen; the engine weight is over the drive wheels.:thumb That's why Austin 1800's and minis are great in the snow. (Yes, I've had a few, including my 'baja' Austin 1800!!)

Granted though, rear wheel drive is better for hard launches, but an Olds 455 is an incredibly heavy motor.

Imagine the torque steer though, it would be unbearable.

Well, I drove a '90 Olds Cutlass Ciera Coupe when I was in the States. It was a V6 front wheel drive, looked like a 2-door Holden Commodore of the period, and handled as sweetly as any car I had ever had. It's problems were that the steering wheel was on the wrong side, so I kept hopping in to the passenger's seat and having to get out again; and that it was shiny silver on the outside and shiny silver on the inside, so you never quite knew whether you were in it or on it.

But then there was the Citroen Bix Six front wheel drive I drove in the 1950's - errrrrrh! Choke! Mon Dieu!

And a mate of mine had a 1930's front wheel drive Alvis that would - gasp - turn a shallow corner very slowly if all the passengers helped pull the steering wheel...

Yes, when I look back, my '84 Transporter has personality, but not a personality disorder!

Bob

:vader

I looked up toronado's on the internet and this particular model 'only' has 375 horsepower. hmph. the guy was talking 25 horses of BS. lol.

I've driven lots of front wheel drive cars. I've pretty much owned one or another since around 1990. They all spin wheels fairly easily from a standstill without droppping a clutch, esp when its wet. A magna is easily provoked in the dry. So I can only assume that even the biggest hunk of cast iron that america can bore 8 holes in wouldnt tame 400 hp. I wouldnt mind having a look at the size of the CV's!