Drivers Republic – Driving Techniques – Controlling a FWD car with Martin Rowe
The Driver’s Republic is long sense gone, but luckily for us most of their awesome videos are still around. This one is a good one for all of us to watch as at some point you may find yourself behind the wheel of a front wheel drive car. Check it out and learn something today.
50 Comments
that was f*ckin great!
I didnt know steve jobs knew how to drift???
2 people are stuck on bicycles and scooters.
@Detoyato AWD is nice, but FFs/FRs w/o electronic gizmos are more rewarding i.e. raw if you will…
@apexdna And are safer and more predictable at the limit… It also counts to the fact that RWD’s are inherently unstable resulting in a Spin on almost every sort of contact (BTCC is prone to having those).
Acceleration really is the only thing an FWD loses to RWD.
And thats why Im a fan of AWD XD
@Detoyato That’s because an FF can push way farther than any FR ever could on high speed corners.
@wwwopethin What exhaust? Ever driven a proper car before? They have less sound deadening for the sake of weight savings.
Proves again that in reality the drivetrain layout has very little to do with the actual handling of the car…both type of cars can understeer from factory, and can be set up for oversteer. Think of tire pressures, you can either have the front deflated and rear overinflated or vice versa, the effect is very similar. Same thing goes for spring rate bias, sway bar thickness, shock rebound & camber adjustments, etc.
@miksulder Sicking up your ass…
@baseballplayer2600 Whatever, you silly drift fanboy.
Really Good! Thanks!
I wish they had done something about so much noise from the exhaust. Can barely hear them
BTCC proves that FWD is > RWD if they are completely evenly matched in weight, suspension, Power. Tho they work best when the car is as light as possible..
no sound?

Remember, FWD the car pulls you through corners. RWD car pushes you. Takes some getting used to when going from RWD to FWD especially on a track or doing a high performance driving track day. Cheers.
Great vid, thanks for the upload
@baseballplayer2600 look up peugeot 306 maxi. fwd rally car that beat awd on tarmac. n/a 200hp
@james86d lots of cars have a wing like that. supra, evo, sti and others
@poop4256 nothing to do with spoiler half way up the rear window???
fwd ftl
before i even saw the car i knew it was a honda. VTECCC
God this civic is so loud!
@sikkony I would belive you if it wasn´t for the fact that I drive an old Saab V4 -69 which is the most narrow car in sweden, plus its got as soft suspension as you can imagine, and its the best car for left foot braking ive ever driven, because theres no program that runs the motor its just gas, explosions and a lunatic controlling it all, so if you want a pure rally-car for left foot braking, go for the beautiful Saab 96 V4
@guestfromhell10
Haha yeah I do the same thing, I live in a small town so parking lots or dirt roads is all I have. Martin Rowe says in this video you want to get the front of the car good and turning, and you really need to use the brakes to transfer weight to the front and lift it off the back which can then drift on the pavement better. So come in with a little over speed, start the turn, and brake once you’re turning to get that weight off the back tires. Good luck man, be safe.
@stankylittleangus I am a bit…afraid
to try and swing the car with a scandinavian flick.i will try it on snow because u don’t need a lot of speed and it’s safer without big speeds but on wet road i am afraid i am going to lose the control after the flick…By the way in my country i don’t have a track where i can practice this and i am trying everything in supermarket car park…in the middle of the night…it’s the safest place i could find…
@V8mo50 AMEN BROTHER
dear Santa…
@Satsc2 What all did you do to that Miata? It’s exaust sounds great.
badass miatta man, whats top speed on it?
drift machine….
hate the wing? its not there for fukin show. you need the downforce to stop the oversteer that big hp have plenty of
What are the Mods. on that Miata? It’s pretty damn fast.
I thought i had the only Miata with Lake Pipes.
@V8mo50 “NO MUSIC” ?!?!?!? What are you talking about? Those 9,000 RPMs’ are… MUSIC!!
@V8mo50 dazz right, fuck music. music ruins tha sound of the engines in car videos
dazz right fuck music. music ruins tha engine sound in car videos.
Racing Sound!!!
So is the driver deaf now?
No music, just the sweet sounds of engine whine.

What a wart!
Title should be, how to fuk up an mx5…
damn, thats a badass miata
I agree with hudg7630, I have never seen the exhaust done like that on a miata and I think it looks bad-ass. Maybe a little touchup to blend it with the car instead of deleting the skirt and adding exhaust, like some fiberglass work or somethin, otherwise very nice =] and loud as hell. I think I’d have to do something to tone it just a little bit.
Yes, of course it has music…the motor sounds.
aww, Its soo adorable!
Damn, he’s bookin’ it down that straight…
oh wow nevermind. cosworth engine with ITB’s, COP’s, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. Cosworth IS the way to go when it comes to 4cylinders IMO
damn that bitch is loud! AWESOME! engine?
@V8mo50 haha no problem man!
You see people?…thats how you make a vid…NO FUCKING MUSIC, thank you
@17solstice I have never seen a girl drive this car