RWD is a drivers platform. FWD is a consumer platform designed to minimize accidents. 99% of Americans can't drive worth s***. When they enter a situation where they have to make emergency manuvers, then tend to overcompensate, and will easily spin out a RWD car, hitting multiple targets, instead of just plowing into a single one.
Traction is finite. It eventually runs out. In a FWD vehicle the front tires traction are primarily used for...
1) Turning
2) Acceleration
3) Braking
Each one of these actions eliminate available traction, and when traction runs out, the car starts to understeer, or plow, in the direction you were last pointed.
In a RWD the same front tires are used for...
1) Turning
2) Braking
Acceleration traction is now the responsibility of the rear tires. Additionally when you accelerate in any car, a weight shift occurs, putting the majority of the cars weight on the REAR wheels.
In a RWD car this is fantastic. The weight of the car is over the rear wheels, helping aid in traction.
In a FWD car, this sucks ass. Since the weight is over the rear wheels, there is much less weight over the front, which causes excessive wheel spin, wheel hop, and generally poor launches and performance.
So in summary...
FWD is a horrible platform for....
1) Accelerating, or any applications of power. To compensate for the weight shift, extremely sticky and WIDE front tires must be run. (See SRT-4 Forums). An LSD is also required for any application of over 200+ WHP to have any sort of useful traction off the line, or in a turn.
2) Throttling through a turn, powering out of an exit. The second the wheels start turning, you lose available traction, which is no longer available for acceleration. Trying to accelerate in a hard turn will result in complete wheel spin, making you wait until after the wheels are completely straightened out before accelerating.
Need an example? Turn extremely hard and give it some gas.
Can FWD be driven aggressively enough to be competitive? Of course. Is it the best platform for doing so? Absolutely not.
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