Why no 4WD Muscle/Pony Cars?

mustang1 said:

if a car needs AWD to climb up a hill, what happens trying to go down a hill ? AWD won't help in that case.

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When going down hills, almost all vehicle configurations are equal - in this environment, it comes down to the tires. Pointing down hill, weight transfers forward. Steering response is improved, as the weight of the engine over the front wheels plus the weight shift helps to increase traction.

As long as speed is controlled and the road is free of ice, stopping isn't really a concern (ABS is a wonderful thing in a snowy environment).

AWD really shines on inclines, and when trying to move the car safely through large amounts of snow.

If you have stupidly steep hills awd will certainly be easier to deal with. With something like the mustang you have to be easy on the throttle to get moving.

Quackfoo said:

If you have stupidly steep hills awd will certainly be easier to deal with. With something like the mustang you have to be easy on the throttle to get moving.

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Agreed - I already have to feather the gas because the traction control on my current FWD basically cuts power at the slightest sign of wheel spin. The only benefit I see with RWD is that I will have increased traction at the powered wheels, though less traction at the wheels trying the steer the vehicle.

As I mentioned - I have the option to drive a Subaru with snow tires whenever there is a chance of even flurries, so I'm hoping that I can make a RWD car with snow tires in New England work for me

AWD would be a dream come true

Bravo said:

When going down hills, almost all vehicle configurations are equal - in this environment, it comes down to the tires. Pointing down hill, weight transfers forward. Steering response is improved, as the weight of the engine over the front wheels plus the weight shift helps to increase traction.

As long as speed is controlled and the road is free of ice, stopping isn't really a concern (ABS is a wonderful thing in a snowy environment).

AWD really shines on inclines, and when trying to move the car safely through large amounts of snow.

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This sounds like Subaru WRX territory.

As for the Mustang, I doubt AWD / 4x4 drive train components will fit. And even if they do, they would have be able to handle the torque of the 5.0. Which probably means they won't fit.

You could get an F150, 5.0 4x4, single cab short bed. Probably have to custom order something like that.

The people who buy mustangs and camaro's aren't usually interested in awd anyway. They're looking for that rwd experience.

You could always get a kia stinger gt, that has an awd drive option.

mustang1 said:

This sounds like Subaru WRX territory.

As for the Mustang, I doubt AWD / 4x4 drive train components will fit. And even if they do, they would have be able to handle the torque of the 5.0. Which probably means they won't fit.

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They wouldn't fit directly - though the guy that made Ken Block's 60s Mustang into an AWD machine only spent 70 hours designing the front drive system (70 hours in engineering design is peanuts). I believe for that car, they only had to move the front brake lines and the starter - it is, in theory, possible.

An yes, in my area, Subaru WRXs are king...but they're absolutely everywhere. Once November rolls around, Mustangs become ungodly rare - I'll see one or two per week.

For me, it'll be a Mustang while utilizing the wife's Subbie, or I'll end up with something AWD (Fusion Sport, Audi A5, Taurus SHO (as long as the redesign shows improvements)).

Quackfoo said:

You could always get a kia stinger gt, that has an awd drive option.

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I know Kia has come a very long way...I just don't know if I could buy one.

I'd likely end up with a Lincoln 3.0T first...though I have a hard time with Lincoln's styling.

I hate being so picky.

Bravo said:

They wouldn't fit directly - though the guy that made Ken Block's 60s Mustang into an AWD machine only spent 70 hours designing the front drive system (70 hours in engineering design is peanuts). I believe for that car, they only had to move the front brake lines and the starter - it is, in theory, possible.

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I forgot about the Ken Block's 60s Mustang.

""The engine is hooked to a six-speed all-wheel-drive transmission from the French racing supplier Sadev

doesn't sound cheap though. Certainly a lot more than an MT82.