Why So Many Fwd "sports Cars"

[scathing]

By changing to RWD you get rid of torque steer, understeer and adds what I believe to be a better driving experience.

I could be wrong, but I think the Mitsu 380, Toyota Sportivo Camry and Maxima would be a lot more popular if they were RWD. I honestly think this is one of the reasons why Holdend Commodores and Ford Falcons are so popular in Aust.

Understeer is as much about setup as it is about drivetrain, unless you're talking about intentionally powersliding a RWD car. I've driven plenty of understeery RWD cars. And the RenaultSport Clio gets sideways at the drop of a hat.

And I remember when the FWD RalliArt Magna came out, and it was faster in a straight line and around the bends than an SS Commodore.

Falcodores are popular in this country because they're bigger, better at towing shit, and locally made. Most Australians don't give a toss about "performance" (aside from push-back-into-the-seat overtaking moves), and some people just won't buy "Jap crap". And the local fleet discounts are usually a lot better than imports, which is why you rarely see Magna / Camry / Avalon taxis.

Everyone else has covered the reasons why you see so many sports models in FWD. They're not purpose built sports cars - they're "modified" econoboxes and family hacks. Even Honda, who have made a name out of FWD sports vehicles, still power the right set of wheels when they custom build a sports car from scratch.

That said, I don't mind FWD sports cars. They're easier for the novice driver to drive quickly. I doubt there would be many non-race drivers that could pass me in a stock RenaultSport Clio with a near-stock RWD Skyline on a twisty backroad. Not because I'm a particularly good driver, but because a light FWD car makes it easier on bad drivers to go reasonably quickly.