Fun With Front Wheel Drive!

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

What does one say about a clip like this? Besides, perhaps, that I hope you all are enjoying your weekend as much as this guy. Meanwhile, hit the jump for what I believe to be the inspiration for this “project” (if, in fact, it was inspired by more than a bottle of vodka)…


Possibly one of my favorite James Bond car chases, from A View To A Kill, features Bond commandeering a Renault 11 taxi cab, only to have its top and back end end spectacularly (and utterly implausibly) knocked off. Is there an older reference point for this, the most under-appreciated ability of front-drive vehicles? If so, I’m not aware of it… but I bet someone out there is.

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Obbop Obbop on Aug 08, 2011

    Imagine a slow day in the yard de la dismantling, a body saw ample tools and already oil/grease-covered dudes. Wheeeee!!!!!!!!!

  • Japanese Buick Japanese Buick on Aug 08, 2011

    That's a cool clip but watching him bounce up and down and hit the ground in that seat gave me a headache.

  • SCE to AUX All that lift makes for an easy rollover of your $70k truck.
  • SCE to AUX My son cross-shopped the RAV4 and Model Y, then bought the Y. To their surprise, they hated the RAV4.
  • SCE to AUX I'm already driving the cheap EV (19 Ioniq EV).$30k MSRP in late 2018, $23k after subsidy at lease (no tax hassle)$549/year insurance$40 in electricity to drive 1000 miles/month66k miles, no range lossAffordable 16" tiresVirtually no maintenance expensesHyundai (for example) has dramatically cut prices on their EVs, so you can get a 361-mile Ioniq 6 in the high 30s right now.But ask me if I'd go to the Subaru brand if one was affordable, and the answer is no.
  • David Murilee Martin, These Toyota Vans were absolute garbage. As the labor even basic service cost 400% as much as servicing a VW Vanagon or American minivan. A skilled Toyota tech would take about 2.5 hours just to change the air cleaner. Also they also broke often, as they overheated and warped the engine and boiled the automatic transmission...
  • Marcr My wife and I mostly work from home (or use public transit), the kid is grown, and we no longer do road trips of more than 150 miles or so. Our one car mostly gets used for local errands and the occasional airport pickup. The first non-Tesla, non-Mini, non-Fiat, non-Kia/Hyundai, non-GM (I do have my biases) small fun-to-drive hatchback EV with 200+ mile range, instrument display behind the wheel where it belongs and actual knobs for oft-used functions for under $35K will get our money. What we really want is a proper 21st century equivalent of the original Honda Civic. The Volvo EX30 is close and may end up being the compromise choice.
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