Expert: Dan Liddy - 4/30/2004

Question
hi:

 Recently i been watching some japanese motorsport racing  video and the name is calld "best motoring". There is a car is made by mazda and is called RX7. The japanese people called this type of the car "FR Type". I only can guess FR means Front engine and Rear wheel drive. Do you really know what is that means?

My next question is rear wheel drive, front wheel drive and 4 by 4. When this type of car going down hill, up hill and turn into corners what are the differences.

thank you
stephen

Answer
Hi Stephen:

Answer to question one, FR probably stands for Front/Rear, as you suspect. I've never heard the term.. Front Wheel Drives are called FWD's though.

As for your second question, if the car is being driven normally there are no noticable differences. If it is being driven in a race or rally, the 4X4  will have the advantage over the other two because of the added traction of the second set of wheels. In almost any other circumstance, the rear drive will have the advantage over the FWD.  Partially due to better balance, and partially due to better controlability when adhesion is being lost

I personally have only owned one FWD car, a gorgeous Acura Ledgend, which I learned to hate after a few weeks because of the odd handling characteristics of the FWD.  And also the auto transmission which I despise.

Hope that answers your questions well
Dan Liddy
Sarasota, Florida