Honda president says no need for RWD sedans
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Honda president says no need for RWD sedans
http://www.motorauthority.com/honda-...wd-sedans.html
Front-wheel drive cars, no matter how well-engineered, are always a compromise when it comes to being fast. They do enjoy some advantages in terms of packaging and efficiency, however, and Honda's new president Takanobu Ito is firmly behind the continued absence of RWD cars in the company's lineup.
The move is especially curious with regard to the premium end of the market, where RWD sedans continue to dominate at brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW and even Lexus. Still, Ito is sticking to his guns on the issue.
"It would be meaningless to emulate what other companies have been doing for more than five decades," Ito said of a front-engine, rear-drive car, according to an Automotive News report.
Instead, Ito wants to continue pushing into new territory in terms of packaging, technology and efficiency, with new engines and transmissions for its medium and large-sized sedans - especially hybrids. A first step in this direction was the announcement last fall of a manual transmission available in the SH-AWD 2010 Acura TL alongside a pair of new V6 engines.
This leaves Honda's premium Acura brand on similar ground to Audi, with front-drive sedans supplemented by AWD, though Acura hasn't fully embraced AWD the way Audi has with its quattro system.
Will Acura be able to compete against the upper echelon of the luxury market with primarily front-driven, highly-efficient sedans? Or is the dynamic advantage of RWD simply too important to overcome? Let us know in the comments section below.
The move is especially curious with regard to the premium end of the market, where RWD sedans continue to dominate at brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW and even Lexus. Still, Ito is sticking to his guns on the issue.
"It would be meaningless to emulate what other companies have been doing for more than five decades," Ito said of a front-engine, rear-drive car, according to an Automotive News report.
Instead, Ito wants to continue pushing into new territory in terms of packaging, technology and efficiency, with new engines and transmissions for its medium and large-sized sedans - especially hybrids. A first step in this direction was the announcement last fall of a manual transmission available in the SH-AWD 2010 Acura TL alongside a pair of new V6 engines.
This leaves Honda's premium Acura brand on similar ground to Audi, with front-drive sedans supplemented by AWD, though Acura hasn't fully embraced AWD the way Audi has with its quattro system.
Will Acura be able to compete against the upper echelon of the luxury market with primarily front-driven, highly-efficient sedans? Or is the dynamic advantage of RWD simply too important to overcome? Let us know in the comments section below.
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It's not surprising Honda would say that; they're far too invested in FWD technology. Of course, when they wanted to build a real driver's car (S2000), did they power it via the front wheels? As to their assertion about FWD's efficiency, well, if you have to make your large cars AWD to handle the power levels needed to compete with the big boys, then that pretty much throws that argument out the window. I'm not saying there isn't a market for premium FWD sedans; it's just not going to be the top of the market.
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I'm not sure why regen would be better with a motor in the hub vs. connected to a chassis-mounted motor via a halfshaft. But disadvantages including much higher unsprung weight; a limit to motor size and shape; difficulty of packaging brakes (plus isolating the heat they generate); and the very harsh, vibration-prone, wet, salty, and dusty environment inside the wheel.
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https://www.camaroz28.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=700445
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From: TX Med Ctr
If your priorities are fuel economy and interior space then wrong wheel drive makes a lot of sense. For performance it sucks, which is why there has never been a wrong wheel drive sports car. If I was running Honda I would probably make the same decision, however. But I would allow a flagship with RWD to be developed when there is enough money to do so (like the cancelled S2000 replacement or NSX replacement).
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From: Alpharetta, GA
If honda was having sales issues due to lack of rwd sedans, that would be one thing. But it seems like they are doing just fine without them. Would be nice to see what the come out with, should they design a rwd platform (NSX doesn't count).
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