Is all wheel drive really worth it in supercars?

[g-force_addict]

Unless when driving on snow or dirt roads

Is all wheel drive really worth it?
Sure it helps performance A BIT when accelerating, but cornering isn't THAT better unless torque vectoring is used.
It can help accelerating... to dangerous speeds yet they can't brake or corner much better.
A car properly tuned for drag racing would actually pull a wheelie! thus making AWD pointless.
Steering feel is reduced this is worrisome as driving skills usually decrease as the wallet size increases. Those who can afford supercars are usually old folks.
Some say the main benefit is to increase front weight in mid engine cars.

I know some guys who modded a Lamborghini for the racetrack and the actually removed the all wheel drive system.
They said that manufacturers add all wheel drive so they can sell more expensive parts and servicing.

I think AWD became popular with 959 and later Porsches, which were sometimes driven in snowy European roads.
Ferrari took decades to make an AWD car for a reason.

[lkocev]

I think that AWD is useless on all road cars, that are only ever going to be driven on paved roads.

-Giving a wheel/tire "drive" does not increase its μ value (and hence maximum acceleration rate), nor contact patch.
-Extra weight from driveshafts and differential.
-The system may compromise the package, and placement of other necessary components.

The first point alone should automatically render the system pointless. If your aim is to increase lateral acceleration, with out adding boat loads of downforce, then really your only option is to find a way to have a higher μ value between the road surface and tires. Maybe that can be done with wheel alignment changes, suspension geometry changes, increased contact patch, different tire compounds, tire construction and perhaps a few more options, but certainly giving the front wheels "drive" is not going to do it for you. You can't force a tire to have grip above its grip limit.

Maybe the system offers an advantage in getting a given car "off the line" but I would expect the weight and packaging compromise to cause a greater loss in performance, than the system offers in gains.

[Tim.Wright]

AWD gives a big traction advantage in the traction limited region (standing start or corner exit).

The reason its swapped out for racing is usually because its illegal.

[WaikeCU]

Is the Lamborghini Huracan not AWD? Thought it is a great car.

[autogyro]

AWD gives a big traction advantage in the traction limited region (standing start or corner exit).

The reason its swapped out for racing is usually because its illegal.

If you design a super car with AWD that can be swapped out to meet racing regulations, you have to compromise the power train and chassis/suspension.
The car is then IMO not a super car but a design exercise.
Most super cars are never used to their capabilities anyway, to me they are mostly aesthetic exercises compromised by computer design and sold to rich possers.

[Jolle]

I've driven a few high powered cars in anger, AWD and RWD. I found that the car felt a lot more stable at corner exit then a RWD car. I can imagine this is the same at supercars

[andylaurence]

The reason being that the use for a supercar is to drive on the road. A supercar owner wants to be the fastest person on the road. They don't want to be beaten at the lights by an £800 Subaru Impreza and that will happen if they don't have 4WD. The advantage of driving all four wheels at low speeds (by that, I mean within the speed limits where most traffic lights are situated) is massive.

[Tim.Wright]

Most super cars are never used to their capabilities anyway, to me they are mostly aesthetic exercises compromised by computer design and sold to rich possers.

As opposed to the good old days where they ill handling, unreliable, underpowered aesthetic exercises compromised by drawing board and and sold to rich posers?

[autogyro]

Most super cars are never used to their capabilities anyway, to me they are mostly aesthetic exercises compromised by computer design and sold to rich possers.

As opposed to the good old days where they ill handling, unreliable, underpowered aesthetic exercises compromised by drawing board and and sold to rich posers?

I agree Tim.
So what was ever learned from any owner of a super car?
Vehicle technology has not benefited much has it?

[Tim.Wright]

At the risk of going off topic, I'd say very little is learnt. Supercars, like any luxury item don't have a point.

Owners have fun owning them.

Manufacturers have fun making them.

The rest of the world get on with their lives...

[cma]

Look what changed the face of World Rallying....The Audi quattro.....so much better than the 2wd cars.

[BanMeToo]

I'm not much of a supercar fan but there is definitely a 'cutting edge of technology' aspect to it all between the crazy power trains, active aerodynamic systems, suspension designs... I don't think it's right to categorically dismiss these cars. Some of the feats these manufacturers come up with are impressive and bleeding edge. Even if driving a 1000hp computer around isn't cool some of these cars are becoming very fast on the track... not that many of them will go there, as you all have already pointed out.

[WaikeCU]

At the risk of going off topic, I'd say very little is learnt. Supercars, like any luxury item don't have a point.

Owners have fun owning them.

Manufacturers have fun making them.

The rest of the world get on with their lives...

Is a Mclaren MP4-12c a supercar?

I reckon it is. It's an engineering masterpiece, it has a comfort level of a Rolls Royce Phantom. Has enough ride height to go everywhere, flies on the track and is also marked as exclusive with a price tag.

So does that mean that Mclaren have proven everybody wrong about what supercars are?

[countersteer]

Look what changed the face of World Rallying....The Audi quattro.....so much better than the 2wd cars.

If AWD wasn't an advantage on the street, Trans Am wouldn't have banned it.
This is worth a watch if, for no other reason, it's a great video series...

[Tim.Wright]

I reckon it is. It's an engineering masterpiece, it has a comfort level of a Rolls Royce Phantom. Has enough ride height to go everywhere, flies on the track and is also marked as exclusive with a price tag.

Like hell it does...