88 VW Jetta GLI (Questions)

[StraightSix]

once you get used to FWD, you will probably like it alot. its actually easier to drive fast than rwd because throttle has more control over handling (you may think im wrong, but trust me)

I'm going to disagree with you here. FWD cars have inherent understeer. Think about it like this, the front wheels are doing all of the work; controlling direction and putting power to the ground as well as carrying the entire weight of the driveline. So, in real world applications, FWD asks the front tires to do a lot of things. Much more of the vehicle's weight is transferred to front under braking, and too much transferred to the rear under acceleration. Also, suspension geometry in a FWD is worse because of the driveline packaging than most RWD cars.

FWD cars can be prepped such that they have much better balance. It takes quite a bit of work, however. Things like much larger rear sway bars, higher spring rates, sticky tires and better damping. As an example, I have some friends who Time Trial with NASA. One has a 1991 Toyota MR-2 with Koni Yellows, and Toyo RA-1s in the stock sizes. The other a 1990 Honda Civic sedan. The cars are typically with in a second or two of each other. But here's the kicker...the Honda has a ZC swap, modified Si transmission, Koni Yellows/Ground Controls, big Suspension Techniques rear sway, RA-1s, and EX front brakes with the correct master cylinder. Granted the MR-2 isn't a front engine, rear wheel drive car, but the comparison still holds. My friend with the Honda had to work a lot harder to make his car competitive against a less prepped car.

[Thighs]

I'm going to disagree with you here. FWD cars have inherent understeer. Think about it like this, the front wheels are doing all of the work; controlling direction and putting power to the ground as well as carrying the entire weight of the driveline. So, in real world applications, FWD asks the front tires to do a lot of things. Much more of the vehicle's weight is transferred to front under braking, and too much transferred to the rear under acceleration. Also, suspension geometry in a FWD is worse because of the driveline packaging than most RWD cars.

FWD cars can be prepped such that they have much better balance. It takes quite a bit of work, however. Things like much larger rear sway bars, higher spring rates, sticky tires and better damping. As an example, I have some friends who Time Trial with NASA. One has a 1991 Toyota MR-2 with Koni Yellows, and Toyo RA-1s in the stock sizes. The other a 1990 Honda Civic sedan. The cars are typically with in a second or two of each other. But here's the kicker...the Honda has a ZC swap, modified Si transmission, Koni Yellows/Ground Controls, big Suspension Techniques rear sway, RA-1s, and EX front brakes with the correct master cylinder. Granted the MR-2 isn't a front engine, rear wheel drive car, but the comparison still holds. My friend with the Honda had to work a lot harder to make his car competitive against a less prepped car.

i see what your saying, and i agree that FWD will NEVER be faster between 2 evenly prepared cars. but i still feel like the throttle has more control in a FWD car. in a rwd car, you give more gas to get more rotation, given that you have a decent setup (ignore track related variables. just take any given average turn.). but if you lift in the turn, you are gonna get alot rotation as well. in a fwd, if you increase throttle you get understeer, if you lift you get oversteer. this makes it much easier to control the car. if you get alot of slip angle going into the turn, you can get on it harder coming out. if you push going in an you are on the gas, you can lift and the car will rotate some.

i KNOW its not ever going to be faster, but it is generally easier.

[StraightSix]

in a rwd car, you give more gas to get more rotation, given that you have a decent setup (ignore track related variables. just take any given average turn.).

Nope. Think about it in terms of weight transfer and physics. In a RWD car, lifting throttle mid corner will transfer weight to the front inducing more rotation. Holding all variables constant, and assuming a steady state throttle position, in a corner adding throttle shifts weight rearward and should cause understeer.

in a fwd, if you increase throttle you get understeer, if you lift you get oversteer. this makes it much easier to control the car. if you get alot of slip angle going into the turn, you can get on it harder coming out. if you push going in an you are on the gas, you can lift and the car will rotate some.

i KNOW its not ever going to be faster, but it is generally easier.

It is possible to "power out" of an oversteer condition in a FWD car.

It has been my experience that a RWD is easier to balance with the throttle over a FWD. I've driven both on track, and found my 944 just felt better than my Civic.