All-Wheel Drive?

[Rob]

One of the biggest problems with the Corvette is getting it to launch properly without breaking the rear-end loose.

With the introduction of the C6 Z06, Corvette has, without question, set its sight on the exotic supercar realm.

The Lamborghini Murcielago already comes equipped with all-wheel drive, and rumor has it that Ferrari is currently testing an all-wheel drive system on one of its prototypes.

The drawback with an all-wheel drive system is that it adds weight to the car and given Corvette Engineers' desire to reduce weight in the Corvette (not a bad thing at all...) an all-wheel drive system might be counter-productive to their efforts.

Do you think the benefits of an all-wheel drive system outweigh the disadvantages as they relate to weight?

Would you like to see an all-wheel drive system on the next generation Corvette?

 

[Tuna]

As the HP goes up and the car gets lighter, AWD would definitely be a plus - so long as the weight to horsepower ratio doesn't suffer.

 

[JJU]

I would agree that this is the next phase of the evolution.

 

[STRAATIEN]

The Corvette will eventually have to incorporate AWD. The list of AWD Super cars:
- Lamborghini
- Ferrari (as mentioned above)
- Audi R8
- Nissan GTR
- Acura NSX (Rumored as a front engine, AWD reintroduction in a few yrs)

List of non-AWD super cars:
- Corvette
- Viper
- Ford GT
- Saleen

See the trend? I'm sure I'm missing some so feel free to add.

 

[65hemi]

You forgot Porsche - the 993 was the first turbocharged Porsche with all wheel drive in 1993. The new twin turbo 911 has all wheel drive and 480 horsepower, and turns the quarter-mile in 11.7 seconds (zero to 60 in 3.7 seconds) according to Road and Track Magazine. But the base price is $122,900. You can buy a Z-06 and a nice sedan for that.

The Corvette will eventually have to incorporate AWD. The list of AWD Super cars:
- Lamborghini
- Ferrari (as mentioned above)
- Audi R8
- Nissan GTR
- Acura NSX (Rumored as a front engine, AWD reintroduction in a few yrs)

List of non-AWD super cars:
- Corvette
- Viper
- Ford GT
- Saleen

See the trend? I'm sure I'm missing some so feel free to add.

 

[Brett]

The Corvette will eventually have to incorporate AWD. The list of AWD Super cars:
- Lamborghini
- Ferrari (as mentioned above)
- Audi R8
- Nissan GTR
- Acura NSX (Rumored as a front engine, AWD reintroduction in a few yrs)

List of non-AWD super cars:
- Corvette
- Viper
- Ford GT
- Saleen

See the trend? I'm sure I'm missing some so feel free to add.

The trend I see is the cars with AWD all cost a lot more than the base Corvette.

I think the high end Corvette, Blue Devil-type, would be cool with AWD, but keep the base Corvette RWD.

Personally, I like being able to break them loose and do a nice burnout once in a while.:cool

Also, keep in mind that AWD is terrible for gas mileage. With the current gas crisis and devastating standards being forced on car companies (GM recently cut projects because of this), this is something they definitely won't like.

 

[Gorgon]

You forgot Porsche - the 993 was the first turbocharged Porsche with all wheel drive in 1993. The new twin turbo 911 has all wheel drive and 480 horsepower, and turns the quarter-mile in 11.7 seconds (zero to 60 in 3.7 seconds) according to Road and Track Magazine. But the base price is $122,900. You can buy a Z-06 and a nice sedan for that.

While that's true, I don't think that price is ONLY because the Porsche is AWD. Remember, the Porsche Turbo has ALWAYS been much more expensive than the Corvette. I think Corvette will need to implement an AWD system to improve the performance off the line.

Let's look at weight on the 911. The base 911 weighs in at 3075 pounds. The base 911 Carrera 4 (base AWD model) weighs in at 3157 pounds. That's a difference of 82 pounds. Not a whole lot of weight. The 911 Turbo model weighs in higher at around 3494 pounds but the assumption there is that the turbos, different body panels, brakes, etc. all add weight to the car. If the AWD system is similar to the base car the difference would seem to be much smaller than I expected.

Leon

 

[65hemi]

The trend I see is the cars with AWD all cost a lot more than the base Corvette.

I think the high end Corvette, Blue Devil-type, would be cool with AWD, but keep the base Corvette RWD.

Personally, I like being able to break them loose and do a nice burnout once in a while.:cool

Also, keep in mind that AWD is terrible for gas mileage. With the current gas crisis and devastating standards being forced on car companies (GM recently cut projects because of this), this is something they definitely won't like.

The 2007 Porsche 911 twin turbo all wheel drive is rated 18 city, 25 highway. I wouldn't classify that as terrible. That's only one mile per gallon less than the highway rating on the Z-06. I have a new Toyota RAV-4 all wheel drive V-6 (269 horsepower) that gets 24 in town and over 30 on the highway. It accelerates on a par with the FX-45 Infinity V-8 sport ute, and gets a lot better gas mileage (it's several hundred pounds lighter).

 

[Brett]

The 2007 Porsche 911 twin turbo all wheel drive is rated 18 city, 25 highway. I wouldn't classify that as terrible. That's only one mile per gallon less than the highway rating on the Z-06.

Ok, but that's a different car. We don't know what adding AWD to the Z06 would do to its MPG. Who knows, maybe it would only be a marginal difference. Just throwing thoughts and ideas out there.

 

[Gorgon]

Ok, but that's a different car. We don't know what adding AWD to the Z06 would do to its MPG. Who knows, maybe it would only be a marginal difference. Just throwing thoughts and ideas out there.

Today's AWD drive systems typically work as a RWD system until the rear wheels slip and then transfer power to the front wheels to some maximum percentage of total power. Since Corvette is loaded with some good technology I would suspect that if implemented the AWD system GM developed for the Vette would be world class. Since the systems are typically in a RWD mode then the only affect on gas mileage would be due to any extra weight. Porsche lists the same gas mileage figures for both the Carrera and the Carrerra 4. I think GM could do it and do it well.

On a side note, I was watching a National Geographic special that toured the Ferrari plant and the building and design of the 599. They spoke of how the high-tech Ferrari uses a sophisticated magnetic-ride suspension on the car that was developed in the US. We all know where that first application was. For as much of a hard time as the world gives Corvette, they sure do like using technology that was initially developed on it. How many car makers now use hydroforming?

Leon

 

[NORTY]

If Corvette had an all wheel drive system, I'd buy it. I've driven all wheel drives that had power (700+). It makes for a "safer" car. I don't need to do burnouts. (Although they were great when I was 7...)
I have a C6Z currently.

 

[Tom73]

I hope and pray that they stay as far away from AWD as they can.

 

[Zoso1951]

C7 ALL WHEEL DRIVE ABSOLUTLEY ALSO mid-engine and 1000 horse power!

 

[Norseman]

What?

All you guys must be richer than hell. With AWD gas mileage would go right down the toilet; and at four to five bucks a gal. there goes my social security check.

 

[65hemi]

All-wheel drive and gas mileage

I don't know where you guys get these ideas about AWD and gas mileage. I have owned two full-sized Chevy pickups in recent years, both with a 350 cubic-inch V-8 engine and auto trans. One was a half-ton two-wheel drive, the other was a 3/4 ton 4-wheel drive. The difference in average gas mileage was less than one mile per gallon. As I stated in an earlier post, "The 2007 Porsche 911 twin turbo all wheel drive is rated 18 city, 25 highway. I wouldn't classify that as terrible/horrible. That's only one mile per gallon less than the highway rating on the Z-06. I have a new Toyota RAV-4 all wheel drive V-6 (269 horsepower) that gets 24 in town and over 30 on the highway." That's better gas mileage than a lot of sport utes get with two-wheel drive.

Besides, the ZR1 is here now, and it's rear-wheel drive. I doubt that we will ever see a Corvette with AWD.

All you guys must be richer than hell. With AWD gas mileage would go right down the toilet; and at four to five bucks a gal. there goes my social security check.

 

[kenmack]

AWD YES YES YES

I owned a 425 hp 4spd car 66coupe
Iwent for a ride in a GMC (S-15)CYCLONE 1991.
4.3 turbocharged / intercooled / all wheel drive
I swear it launched soooo fast, I know it was waaaaaaay faster than my big block at the bottom end.
With twice the footprint traction was incredible.
I say Corvette should offer it as an option.

 

[Norseman]

AWD

If it was that good Ferrari would offer it. However they are fast off the line; I drive a Subi STi and have embarassed many a Mustang, Firebird Camaro, and some Corvettes. It takes off like a jumping spider.:cool

 

[Gorgon]

There seem to be some common misconceptions about AWD that have been addressed in this thread.

One is that AWD is heavy. Using Porsche as an example (and one I cited earlier) the AWD system in the 911 only add ~80 lbs over the basic Carrera. Not a lot of weight.

The next is that AWD is going to cause mileage to suffer. The rated gas mileage for the Carrera S and Carrera 4S are exactly the same. This makes sense since the system is in a RWD mode most of the time. The ONLY time the front wheels will engage is if the rear wheels slip and how often will that be?

Relatively small weight gain for great performance and handling gains. What are the down sides again?

Leon

 

[Rob]

There seem to be some common misconceptions about AWD that have been addressed in this thread.

One is that AWD is heavy. Using Porsche as an example (and one I cited earlier) the AWD system in the 911 only add ~80 lbs over the basic Carrera. Not a lot of weight.

The next is that AWD is going to cause mileage to suffer. The rated gas mileage for the Carrera S and Carrera 4S are exactly the same. This makes sense since the system is in a RWD mode most of the time. The ONLY time the front wheels will engage is if the rear wheels slip and how often will that be?

Relatively small weight gain for great performance and handling gains. What are the down sides again?

Leon

I think it really depends upon the car. The curb weight for a 2004 BMW 330i/330xi (xi = all wheel drive) is as follows:

330xi: 3,483 lbs
330i: 3,285 lbs
----------------

The all wheel drive 330xi weighs just under 200lbs more.

 

[Gorgon]

I think it really depends upon the car. The curb weight for a 2004 BMW 330i/330xi (xi = all wheel drive) is as follows:

330xi: 3,483 lbs
330i: 3,285 lbs
----------------

The all wheel drive 330xi weighs just under 200lbs more.

Absolutely. Do you think there is as much emphasis on weight reduction on the 330i as there would be on the Porsche? No way. For a sports car application I think GM can add AWD to a Corvette and keep the weight down. I tried to keep the comparison apples to apples as much as I could.