Rear-wheel drive

  • VE Commodore production line at Holden plant

    Currently there are just two vehicles based on GM’s rear-wheel drive Zeta platform, which was originally developed in Australia by Holden for the VE Commodore (and its long-wheelbase variants) launched back in 2006. The two vehicles include the original VE Commodore, which is soon to be upgraded to the VF series and sold in the U.S. as the new 2014 Chevrolet SS, as well as the Camaro muscle car. With the Commodore’s upgrade to VF guise, the Zeta platform will be made significantly more environmentally friendly, mainly through extensive weight saving. However, once the VF Commodore...

  • Lincoln MKZ Concept, 2012 Detroit Auto Show
    2015 Ford Mustang’s Platform To Spawn Lincoln Sedan?

    All the rear-wheel drive excitement of late seems to be associated with General Motors and its upcoming range of rear-driving sports and luxury sedans, namely the 2013 Cadillac ATS, 2014 Chevrolet SS and future Omega-based cars. The launch of all these models will only widen the performance gap...

  • lamborghini gallardo spyder lp560 4 july 003
    Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder LP 550-2 Coming, Just Don’t Call It A Balboni

    In 2009 Lamborghini took the wraps off a very special model, one that did away with the all-wheel drive setup that has proliferated throughout the brand’s lineup over the years, and one that was named in honor of the very man that tames all raging bulls before production, Lamborghini’s...

  • 2010 Alfa Romeo Giulietta
    Alfa Romeo Revives Plans For Rear-Wheel Drive Flagship: Report

    The last we heard, Alfa Romeo was coming to the U.S. in late 2012 with a host of new models including a new Spider sports car, Giulia mid-size sedan, and a pair of SUVs. Earlier plans for an Alfa Romeo rear-wheel drive flagship to be jointly developed with Maserati and based on Chrysler 300...

  • Subaru BRZ logo
    Why Subaru Went Rear-Wheel Drive With The BRZ

    One of the biggest mysteries puzzling Subaru fans is the issue of why the Japanese automaker, after building its performance reputation on symmetrical all-wheel drive technology, would switch to rear-wheel drive for its upcoming BRZ sports car. Of course, a lot of it has to do with the fact that...

  • Derrick Kuzak and Takeshi Uchiyamada
    Ford And Toyota To Develop Rear-Wheel Drive Hybrids Together

    Ford and Toyota, two of the leaders when it comes to hybrid technology, have announced a new alliance to help develop hybrid drive systems for rear-wheel drive applications, specifically, light trucks and SUVs. The move should ensure the future viability of full-size pickups and SUVs in a world of...

  • 2012 Toyota FT-86 (Scion FR-S) spy shots

    We’ve already seen a string of concept cars and more than a dozen spy shots, but now we have an exclusive spy video of the upcoming rear-wheel drive sports coupe being developed jointly by Toyota and Subaru. In the U.S. Toyota’s version of the car will be known as the 2012 Scion FR-S, while the rest of the world may see the Celica name revived. The video shows several prototypes being honed at the Nurburgring circuit in Germany as well as some of the surrounding roads, and the first thing that becomes evident is just how small the new sports coupe will be. We also get a taste of...

  • Subaru Boxer RWD Sports Car Architecture
    Subaru Rear-Wheel Drive Coupe To Feature STI Model, Turbo Power Unlikely: Report

    Both Toyota and Subaru are scheduled to unveil their own separate versions of their jointly developed rear-wheel drive sports car at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show this December, and while we’ve seen and heard plenty of Toyota’s version (nee Scion FR-S), not much is known about...

  • 2012 Toyota FT-86 (Scion FR-S) spy shots
    New Details On Subaru Rear-Wheel Drive Sports Coupe (Subie FT-86)

    For a long time, we've been working with two earfuls of the Toyota FT-86 and hardly a peep about the Subaru version of the shared sports platform. The FT-86 has been around for more than a year and a half--three different versions, in fact--while all we've seen from Subaru is a very conceptual...

  • 2012 Toyota FT-86 (Scion FR-S) spy shots
    2012 Toyota FT-86 (Scion FR-S) Spy Shots

    We’ve got the first spy shots of prototypes for the production version of the string of Toyota FT-86 sports car concepts shown over the past two years, as well as the scorching Scion FR-S concept shown at the recent 2011 New York Auto Show. The prototype, seen here testing in Germany, is for...

  • 2011 Scion FR-S Concept
    Scion FR-S Concept: 2011 New York Auto Show

    We’ve already seen the live shots of it but now here are the official specs and studio shots of Toyota’s, make that, Scion’s new FR-S sports coupe concept. The stunning two-door is the latest iteration of Toyota’s FT-86 concept line, which began with the original FT-86 from...

  • 2011 Toyota FT-86 II Concept
    2011 Toyota FT-86 II Concept Mega-Gallery

    Toyota is certainly drawing out the development of its new rear-wheel drive sports car, having first shown a concept of its future model back in 2009 and now two years later showing yet another concept of it. Of course, we’re talking about the FT-86, which made its world debut recently at the...

  • 2007 Kia Kee Concept

    There’s been talk of Kia launching a small affordable sports car as far back as early 2007, the strongest indication coming from the Kia Kee rear-wheel drive sports car concept unveiled that same year. Sadly, since then, we’ve only been treated with a number of mainstream models like the funky Soul hatchback and Forte. However, in the near future we could be seeing a new lightweight roadster from Kia designed in the same vein as one of the world’s most popular sports cars, the Mazda MX-5 Miata. Speaking with AutoExpress recently, Kia’s European chief Paul Philpott...

  • 2010 Subaru Impreza Concept live photos
    Subaru Bringing Rear-Wheel Drive Sports Car Concept To Geneva

    Subaru, a company whose reputation is built around a symmetrical all-wheel drive system, will be bringing a new concept car to March’s 2011 Geneva Motor Show, one with a rear-wheel drive layout. The latest revelation is no big surprise as we’ve known Subaru has been working on a new...

  • BMW 1-Series with snow chains on front wheels, Staffordshire, England, Dec 2010, photo by Andy Smith
    BMW Stuck In The Snow? Guess Which End Your Chains Go On...

    Back in the day, buying a BMW was something only true sports sedan fanatics understood. But the legendary 2002 is long gone--35 years now--and all sorts of new folks are buying Bimmers. Including those, apparently, who think their BMW 1-Series has front-wheel drive. Earlier this year, CEO Norbert...

  • 2009 Toyota FT-86 Concept
    Report: 2014 Lexus IS Will Ride On Stretched FT-86 Platform

    The current generation Lexus IS is only in the middle of its product life cycle, a lightly refreshed version having been introduced only a couple of months back, so it’s safe to say that the next-generation of the popular four-door is still some years away. According to a new report, the next...

  • GM Zeta rear-wheel drive platform
    Report: Next-Gen Zeta Platform To Underpin New Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac Sedans

    General Motors’ rear-wheel drive Zeta platform was pioneered in Australia for the locally built Holden Commodore sedan but right from the start Detroit had global intentions for the design. Today, Zeta running gear can be found in models sold in China, South Korea, the UK, and in North...

  • Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
    Report: Maserati And Alfa Romeo To Share New Rear-Wheel Drive Platform

    Alfa Romeo already uses a modified version of the Maserati GranTurismo’s platform for its stunning 8C Competizione sports car but if a new report proves true we could be seeing several more rear-wheel drive Alfas riding on Maserati mechanicals. Under the watchful eye of parent company Fiat...

  • 2010 Chrysler 300C SRT8

    The new sedans are likely to be sold under the Lancia and Maserati brands.

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