I have been talking to RED MX5 through PMs about this, because when it comes to driving techniques, he is the man (and an awesome guy to boot). Through several PMs, however, he's told me that though he has significant AWD experience, he probably isn't the best to ask.

So I'm asking you!

What are some proper driving techniques for AWD cars? For example, in a RWD, you maintain acceleration through the turn and power out when your car is pointed straight. What would you do in an AWD? Questions of that nature are what I am searching for.

Thanks, guys

 

Pretty much any AWD car is going to exhibit a lot of the traits a FWD car would on the track, i.e. understeer.

With a stock setup, general cornering strategy is going to be slow in fast out. That applies pretty much everywhere of course, but what you don't want to have happen in an AWD car is to get in too hot and have the front wash away. So extra slow in, then foot to the floor to get you out of the corner.

Lots of practice in a WRX...

 

dont newer models of Evo's and STI's have different power distributions now so its more similar to a RWD car with more power being sent back to the rear wheels? or was that SH-AWD i was reading about...

 

Yeah, AWD is not so simple because different cars work differently. The Subaru Legacys I believe will go 100% rwd on full accel, while Imprezas (WRXs, STis) have locked 50/50 or adjustable rates. Some awd cars are usually 70/30 and can go only to 50/50 like the MazdaSpeed 6 (I think).

I think its universal though that awd will understeer more than rwd, at least initially, due to inertia and weight. The rest depends on how the car reacts under accel.

Do you have a particular awd car in mind?

 

id love to see how honda's SH-AWD stacks up against other AWD cars

 

Saki GT, my question is in reference to the 06 WRX. Can you please provide a teching of technique with regards to this car?

I know the STI (no longer the STi) has a toggle mode as to how much power to distribute between the front and rear wheels. Pretty cool.

Thanks for all the info, I am soaking it up like a sponge.

 

on awd car just floor it out of the turn. my friends evo has so much grip that the tires will flex and wear near the side walls.

 

I don't know what the power distro is on a WRX for sure, so I'd ask the peeps at the WRX boards. The subie guys have their own topic on it - http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/showthread.p...le+acceleration

All I know for sure is that *generally speakeing* fwd cars will plow no matter how much gas you give them (in fact accel makes matters worse), awd cars will plow until you power them into oversteer, and rwd will generally be nuetral and will oversteer with gas.

There are lots of variables, so stick with one car and start from there. No two cars handle the same.

 

+1214.

the STi/STI's are known to show more tendency to understeer at turn-in's than the Evo's for example.

just driving my Evo and my brother's s2k i could feel the Evo understeers more (60/40 front-rear weight distribution stinks)...but the Evo has a sh*tload of grip coming out the corner...

 

In a turn, the technique is the same as a FWD drive car. Turn approach is the same. You can late-brake into the turn, just like FWD, to coax some rotation. The difference from FWD comes at the turn exit, where you can generally roll onto the throttle earlier and faster thanks to the additional traction AWD drive affords.

Correction for AWD is the same as FWD as well. To correct understeer, ease off the gas. To correct oversteer, ease into the gas.

Andrew