4WD Commodores

[PiR8]

Anyone else hear about the new 4wd commodores there gonna be making?? How fucking sweet will that be 4wd burnouts

[Downunder]

So far it's only going to be the wagon but soon after they will release the sedan version. HSV are already testing an All Wheel Drive system in the sedan. But unless it looses alot of weight it will be a heavy bastard.

[LJ38L]

yes herd the same thing

[Downunder]

A frind of mine who works at holden and tests the cars has told me that the 4WD wagon is a weapon in the dry and wet. And has nearly killed himself numerous times:huh:

[Jimbo_Jones]

will they be putting a lame a** traction control system on them?

i hate traction control, its for ppl who cant drive, and i suspect that with the added performance of the AWD will make this feature redundant... hopefully...

and btw, i know you can turn it off, but still, i hate for ppl to assume i (or anyone for that matter) cant handle a little wheelspin...

[replicant_008]

Traction control is for folk who can't drive?

Have driven a car with ESP ? (Electronic Stability Programme).
How about a car with Launch Control?

If you want to burn out the Potenza's then turn the TC off !!!

ESP is great particularly in the wet - you can gas it really early out of the exit of corners and let the electronics do their thing in braking 1 or more wheels and holding the car in a gentle drift... it's more complex that just traction control... besides if Michael Schumacher uses it then I figure I can leave it on in the Mondeo...

Then of course there's an off switch if I don't want it on!

Launch Control is great too try having 400 hp in a 700 kg car....

[Jimbo_Jones]

i spose its a good thing(lauch and traction control), but personally i think it lures people into thinking its safe to speed in the wet, when in fact its not

[replicant_008]

I'll give you that. Neither device will counter-act sheer stupidity but neither does 4WD.

One theory I have is that quite of folk my age learnt to drive in rear-wheel drive cars with no grip and more than enough power (I had a 6 cylinder Torana with cross-plies when I was 15) - that meant we learnt what happens when the car slides at about 20 mph so we had all the time in the world to correct and the worst thing that happened was we ran into the kerb and stopped. And the sliding thing happened a lot because it was easy to do - and we were young and stupid - and also because we'd find a gravel backlot off the road and practice it.

So when we got older, the cars got better and so did the tyres. However, we still understand how to counteract oversteer and understeer - and handle a skid. Admittedly, this happens at faster speeds but at least we have some clue about what to do and have practiced it in the past. (some of us still train at it in advanced driving courses and at the track)

A lot of young drivers now drive in high powered FWD or AWD machines with wide directional tyres. These are great (I drive one) but the only thing is that when these let go, they do so in a big way and at very high speeds. We've had quite a few drivers in their late teens and early twenties lose control and slide 50m along wet grass into utility poles.

The cars are great to 9/10ths but when they go they do it damn quickly and the velocity means a huge slide with a lot of kinetic energy. Often, this is the first time this has happened for an inexperienced driver and the consequences can be very tragic....

I know two families that have lost loved ones in these circumstances...

[Jimbo_Jones]

i was lucky to have a brothers that would take me out to a bitumen lot just outside of brissie and we'd do donuts there, it taught me a lot about handling a car... there really is no substitute for experience, doesnt amtter how much technology you have...

i also hate to see parents buying skylines and soarers for there kids when they know its just gonna promote this behaviour and they wont be able to handle it because basically its too much power for a learner to be controlling

[ChristopherJ]

I've heard that in 18 months all top of the range Commodores - Calais, Monaro, and some others will be AWD along with the upcoming Cross 8.