gavriil

Even if RWD was in the works, the soonest it can get to us is in the year 2004 (as a 2005 model). Which will be the next generation of the CL. And even that, I personally think is unlikely. Audi is doing great with FWD. Of course Audi has AWD available which means that the AWD system in the MDX can probably make it in the CL. I just dont know which CL and when.

To expand on that. HP is no prob. with FWD cars. High values of torue at low rpm is the problem with FWD cars.

The highest torque value FWD mass production car that I can think of is the Cadillac STS. It makes 295 lb-ft but it comes at a not so very low 4400 rpm. The other thing is that the car is almost 4000 pounds heavy. And front weight biased like our car. Dont forget the basics. The more weight in the front wheels, the less of a problem with spinnin the tires from a stand still at WOT. Yes other things help like tires and suspension geomerty but the principles still apply.

So anyway, what I am trying to say is that: Acura can find ways to make our 3.2 liter engine make 300HP or more even. As long as that torque remains at around to what it is now, we are fine. Or even if it grows, as long as it peaks at higher rpm than it does now, we are still fine. And dont forget. Acura is using, not the best tires on our car, and still we dont have a real problem. Which means that Acura has room for more torue to compensate with a stickier and wider tire without changing anything else.

Bottom line. We still have room to grow in peak HP without needing RWD nor AWD.

With AWD though, we can handle a V8 folks. Can you imagine? I do not eliminate this possibility for the next gen. car because I see the Lexus IS is alread presented with a 400HP 4.3 liter V8 as a concept in an autoshow. MOre on this in a new thread.

provench

Gavriil - right on ... very excellent points. I mean who thought you could have the CLS with the current HP and torque and not experience really ANY torque steer and/or wheelspin on touring Michelin tires? 10 years ago people would have said "Uh - yeah right"

Gotta believe that Acura and Honda has engineers that are a few steps ahead of these easy to forsee problems ... they always have been. We'll see some of this exposed in a few weeks as the 6-speed is announced in detail we hope ...

gavriil

Exactly. Like 120HP per liter specific output from a NA engine

Another point containing real examples is the 246lb-ft of torque that the QV engine used in the new I35. The I35 is FWD and mags that tested it never complained of excessive torque steer nor excessive tire spinning. Of course it wears an auto tranny but still. That is 14 pounds more torque than our CLS. And the I35 wears narrow, not so sticky tires too.

EricL

Yes, and…

The amount of torque that actually appears at the wheel is what counts. The first gear tops out somewhere in the 50+ MPH range, so it has a tall first gear (and certainly taller than our car). With the taller gearing comes less torque at the wheels. I'm not saying they [Infinity/Nissan] did this to reduce torque steer, but torque at the wheels (which is dependant on "effective gear ratio" would negate the increased torque in their 3.5 vs our 3.2 [with its lower gearing])