Correct but to say AWD becomes pretty meaningless is very narrow minded, it might not give any advantage on a straightline acceleration race from a rolling start but it's proven itself time and again to allow a driver to get back on the power sooner exiting a corner. And as already said a rolling start takes driver skill and driver error out of the equation.
A6/S6/RS6 Audi S6: Press test drives and reviews
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Correct but to say AWD becomes pretty meaningless is very narrow minded, it might not give any advantage on a straightline acceleration race from a rolling start but it's proven itself time and again to allow a driver to get back on the power sooner exiting a corner. And as already said a rolling start takes driver skill and driver error out of the equation.
I think both sets of times here just explain how quick the S6 could well be. It matches the shadows the RS5 everywhere and this is the best set of figures I have yet seen for it, plus against the similarly weighted and powered 650i it completely destroys it and this is no normal 650i cause it's equipped with x-Drive so shouldn't have any issues with traction off the line.
I'm of the opinion that either this is a fluke or the S6 is way underrated in power.
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No, not necessarily. Read the last ecoty, Evo (believe it was Catchpole) was frustrated with the Aventador at how he couldn't get back on the power cause of understeer and MP4-12C was actually faster from the apex to the exit.
ACE
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Are you suggesting that AWD doesn't allow the driver to get back on the power earlier when exiting corners?
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That goes to show that AWD vs RWD isn't as black and white as people think. One needs to factor n driving styles. Some drivers enjoy late breaking while others are early on the trottle and how a car steers can be more important than out right power.
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I am stating, not suggesting that it depends on the car and the corner. Out of a slow speed point and shoot kind of corner, AWD definitely helps, but at the same time if it is a understeer inducing corner like an uphill sweeper, further loading the front tires already at the limit of it's traction circle is not going to help.
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AWD: not always what it's cracked up to be. Wonderful in inclement conditions and on loose surfaces but altogether less advantageous in the dry against a similarly shod and suspended RWD car.
Sunny, you're spot on the money with that uphill sweeper; at the test facility where I do most of my part-time instruction (Gerotek) there's the exact corner on the Dynamic Handling track that's designed to test a car's ability (or inability) to power out of such a bend by transferring load away from the front axle - thus diminishing the circle of grip on the front tyres - meaning that you have to be inch-perfect with the amount of steering lock and corner entry speed. Get either of these fractionally wrong and you're in a whole mess of understeer in an AWD car. This is much less prevalent in RWD cars because you're only putting steering - and not also motive - forces into the front tyres.
Sunny, you're spot on the money with that uphill sweeper; at the test facility where I do most of my part-time instruction (Gerotek) there's the exact corner on the Dynamic Handling track that's designed to test a car's ability (or inability) to power out of such a bend by transferring load away from the front axle - thus diminishing the circle of grip on the front tyres - meaning that you have to be inch-perfect with the amount of steering lock and corner entry speed. Get either of these fractionally wrong and you're in a whole mess of understeer in an AWD car. This is much less prevalent in RWD cars because you're only putting steering - and not also motive - forces into the front tyres.
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Being behind the wheel of AWD (X-Drive) cars for 7 years now, as always you're spot-on M. And having our Sunday morning trips with the bikers (X6) also having enjoyed the X1's superb chassis on occasion - for example in Bloem (one of my brothers now resides there) is a quiet new road towards Tweespruit with S's and two roundabouts. The young chaps for various car dealerships go to show off. Doing a bit of fun and showing off the X1's capabilities and getting to the point: Apart from the understeer, as soon as the tight corner dip's or banks the car also gets bouncy - why so?
ACE
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Since generalisations have been countered with pedantic exceptions earlier in this thread I feel compelled to counter that generally correct statement with: That's not always true, I can come up with an example where that doesn't hold, it depends on axle load, power output, traction control system, the corner etc.
Human
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Since generalisations have been countered with pedantic exceptions earlier in this thread I feel compelled to counter that generally correct statement with: That's not always true, I can come up with an example where that doesn't hold, it depends on axle load, power output, traction control system, the corner etc.
I agree, I never switch of the DTC (especially not on my X6M
) the intervention of the system if switched of may be delayed or a bit more lenient but does intervene nevertheless. Same goes for power intervention that occurs in conjunction with the braking of the individual wheels via DSC. I did mention the bounce that occurs entering corners with dip's or banks, here it's sometimes as if the X-Drive + DSC + CBC + DPC get's a bit confused or maybe over corrective. The axle load, layout of the corner etc. does have it's unique influence every time. With the X6 when you feel this and counter steer to the effect the car responds faster to the driver input, which is slower for the X1. Maybe because the X6 has a active DPC diff and in the X1 DPC' it's only done by braking one rear wheel entering the corner.Edit: I can also add the wider track and tyre size+camber on the X6 is a whole lot different through the corners than the X1.
True
V
Driving styles of each is different, if you drive a 911 with ESP off like your typical front-engined rwd M3 then chances are you'll spin because it requires a different style of driving. Well the same is true of AWD vs RWD, you can't drive them the same way and expect the same handling characteristics, but as a general statement of more often than not an AWD car will allow you to put the power down earlier on exiting a corner.
ACE
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No, this is the internet, everyone on the internet can drift a 911 GT2 RS with ESP off, foot flat out of a hairpin corner and never spin
No, this is the internet, everyone on the internet can drift a 911 GT2 RS with ESP off, foot flat out of a hairpin corner and never spin
Yeah we all know that.
But I remember a while back when I was invited to a Boxster/997 today and just couldn't get the 997 to perform how I wanted on the track compared to the Boxster, understeer on the way in and snappy oversteer on the way out compared to the sweet as a nut neutral Boxster on entry. And that's two cars manufactured by the same company and who's engines are placed only a foot or so different on a similar chassis.
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Which is the typical 911 behaviour. But as people say, one man's garbage, is another man's treasure
^Yeah it is, though to be fair it was a lot lot worse in years gone by. I just couldn't warm to the car that day, probably with more time I would have mastered it or probably the fact that I drove a Boxster at the time and was more in tune with it's behaviour to easily make the switch in a 30 min period which was the time we got in the 997s but I do recall coming away from the day thinking to myself that I had bought the right Porsche to begin with.
But back on topic the point remains that usually AWD will give you an advantage exiting a corner.
I just couldn't warm to the car that day, probably with more time I would have mastered it or probably the fact that I drove a Boxster at the time and was more in tune with it's behaviour to easily make the switch in a 30 min period which was the time we got in the 997s but I do recall coming away from the day thinking to myself that I had bought the right Porsche to begin with.But back on topic the point remains that usually AWD will give you an advantage exiting a corner.
Tumbo
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The S6 is such an amazing car. Makes you think...if the S6 is that good.... R S 6...damn
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