>
> Brad Martinson asks:
> "If FWD is so wonderful, why aren't there any mid-engined FWD cars?"
>
> The Citroen SM was a mid-engined FWD car. That's why the hood
> is SO long. The handling was excellent; even with 190 hp, I never
> felt any torque-steer.
> And of course, the original Cords were also mid-engined FWD cars,
> but you don't see too many show up at autocrosses.
> Aran Guy guy@bevsun.bev.lbl.gov whose Spitfire is FWD every time
> it backs up.
>
The Miller Specials that won at Indy in the twenties were also
mid-engine FWD. I've often wondered about a mid-fwd special made by
throwing out the body of a Renault 5 (LeCar) and welding up a tube
frame. Tom Jones of Thunder Bay, Ontario had a SAAB Sonett Funny Car
made with a mid-front 351 Cleveland. It was manufactured by an
Indy-car builder. Later converted to Porsche power, I think. It was
quite an ice racer. Tom used to throw it more than 90 degrees from
direction of travel several hundred feet before corners. It was also
slated for Pike's Peak, or so I heard. My Spridget acts FWD in
autocrosses. I have a huge front sway bar. On trailing trottle I get
lots of roll-oversteer. When I get on the gas, it starts to push.
The bar is neat, though. I have little body roll, the tires stay
flat in front, and there is NO WAY I can spin the inside tire under
power coming out of a corner. Next month I get to try out my new
sticky tires and see what that does to the balance. You talked of an
SM. I remember Burt Reynalds drove on into the bay in "The Longest
Yard" Everyone in the movie kept calling it a Maser! The GS, with
the rotary, was a much cheaper car in France but looked like a smaller
SM. I could never tell which it was in "Snow Job". I think it would
make a difference in the character development of Kily's girlfrend to
find out how wealthy her background was by which car she owned.
phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov
--
Login name: phile In real life: Philip J Ethier
Phone: 298-5324
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