Team Steve

Interesting comparison. Both cars also have 4wd mid mount conversions too.

Converted entry level cars can be great value. Given the cost of the top end kits, especially the Mi8, I'm surprised they do not market the conversions better as an entry level package.

tak4

Decided to let go of my MTS FFV3 last weekend. The front motor mounted cars just weren't my cup of tea. I checked out the mid motor mounted cars and gosh they are pricey.

Took out my old and trusted BD7 and started dremelling away. Would have liked to mount the motor a bit farther up front but this was the best i could get it.

Was happy with the build and i just tested it today on the track. Very excited to say it was competitive against all the other FF cars on the track. Am definitely enjoying this much more than the ffv3 at this time...

Namba328

iTrader: (3)

I honestly wish they would bring Fwd touring classes to the us and make them a standard instead of making them run in usgt. One of these days......

Nicadrauspro4

All the mid-motor converted to FWD cars just ruined the spirit of the FF essence. It just doesn't have the purity of real FWD. The converted cars may have better performance. But the actual layout, design and how the FF cars were engineered are the factors that make them unique.

1/8 IC Fan

iTrader: (102)

But the mid motor cars have to add a bunch of weight to the front Axle.

Nicadrauspro4

Which is ironic because it defeats the purpose of having a mid motor. Why don't the manufacturers just come up with a front-mid motor layout (motor behind the front gearbox) instead? This way it avoids or lessens adding a bunch of counter weights just to balance CG. Putting the motor in the proper position should solve that problem.

Has anyone seen the FF-03 custom build of wtcc/Kevin Kraft? That to me is a proper modern FF/FWD car. Properly engineered and well thought laid out design.

wtcc's FF project

tak4

We do not have the USGT class here but we run FWD with blinkly 17.5t rules and it is honestly great fun. My touring has been relegated to mostly race days simply because of running cost. Boosted touring is faster but every crash gives you a heart attack and a new set of tyres barely last a weekend.

Tyres for FWD lasts significantly longer and the cars survive crashes much better than their touring counterparts...

tak4

I do not know if this is true as the general consensus here is the converted cars have less performance... Coming from both, I can't say there is any marked difference but the added weight to the bumper basically cancels out the weight advantage that the FWD cars have in the first place.

Personally I am a guy sold on all the low CG marketing so I just couldn't get into the mindset of driving a car with the motors mounted at the front. But I no longer race to win... I race for fun now due to budget and time constraints and running a mid motor car just makes me feel better even if performance suffers a bit.

tak4

You mean like the MTS FFV3 Mid? I think you are on to something here

Good compromise between both designs. Unfortunately I just sold all my FFV3 parts before these teaser images were released.

Nicadrauspro4

I personally have no driving experience yet on converted FWD cars but from what I've mostly read, they prefer those over FF cars (or probably they have not tried the fun of actual FF cars yet). I currently have 3 FF cars and love how they drive for their respective set ups.. A little understeer (which is normal for FWD cars) but that's where the driving style will come in. Also diff set up is very important as well as proper damper tuning.

Nicadrauspro4

Wow that's nice! Yeah something like that but I still prefer wtcc's design with actual "gearbox" rather than belt for a 2wd/fwd car. Zero lag.

Nicadrauspro4

I've been wanting to get a modern FF car but I have yet to see and wait. I'll skip the mid-converted cars as they have no appeal to me as proper FWD cars. For the meantime, I'm still enjoying my current FF-03s. Still runs great and fun to drive.

simple

iTrader: (2)

I’m perplexed at the level of zealotry being expressed for chassis that have the motor in front of the front axle….. Last time I checked, FWD stood for “Front Wheel Drive”. The definition never implied or specified that the motor MUST be in a specific location.
I really don’t see the place for such puritanical opinions on what constitutes a FWD touring car.
if you prefer one over the other, great. I personally love driving everything to the best of my ability, regardless of where the motor sits , or which wheels are driven. Maybe another forum would suit those that feel the need to direct their negativity at concepts that don’t suit their standards.

DirkW

iTrader: (1)

Live with it. In racing, performance is what sells (and what counts to 99% of the people out there). Remember the angry outcry when the ETS organizers wanted to ban the Awesomatix FWD because it was "against the spirit of the class"? They had to take that back almost immediately, and then, among others Mr Juray Hudy quietly murmured "challenge accepted". Now FWDs are no longer quaint, uniquely different chassis, they are slightly modified high performance touring cars - with the price tag to match.

OSherman

iTrader: (3)

Has anyone seen/tried the new TeamPowers GT Tires?