History Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout

hyundai genesis, modern example of front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout sedan

the first fr car 1895 panhard model, layout known système panhard in years. layout has advantage of minimizing mechanical complexity, allows transmission placed in-line engine output shaft, spreading weight under vehicle. in comparison, vehicle engine on driven wheels eliminates need drive shaft (replacing transaxle of lighter combined weight), has disadvantage of concentrating weight in 1 location.

in order reduce relative weight of drive shaft, transmission split 2 parts: gearbox , final drive. gearbox produced highest gear being 1:1, offers mechanical advantages. final drive, in rear axle, reduce appropriate speed wheels. power product of torque , angular velocity, spinning shaft faster given power reduces torque , allows lighter shaft construction.

in era when gasoline cheap , cars heavy, mechanical advantages of fr drivetrain layout made disadvantage in weight terms. remained universal among car designs until 1970s.

after arab oil embargo of 1973 , 1979 fuel crises, majority of american fr vehicles (station wagons , luxury sedans) phased out ff layout – trend spawn suv-van conversion market. throughout 1980s , 1990s, american companies set priority eventual removal of rear-wheel drive mainstream , luxury lineup. chrysler went 100% ff 1990 , gm s american production went entirely ff 1997 except corvette, firebird , camaro. ford s mustang has stayed rear-wheel drive, must maintain sporty presence, ford s full-size cars based on ford panther platform (the ford crown victoria, mercury grand marquis, , lincoln town car) until discontinued in 2011 in favour of ford taurus, has transverse front-wheel-drive layout.

some manufacturers, such alfa romeo, lancia, porsche (944, 924, 928) , chevrolet (c5 , c6 corvettes), retained layout moved gearbox behind engine between rear wheels, putting more weight on driven axle. configuration referred transaxle since transmission , axle 1 unit.

in australia, fr cars remained popular throughout period, holden commodore , ford falcon having consistently strong sales, though ford has regularly threatened replace falcon front-wheel-drive car. in europe, front-wheel drive popularized small cars mini, renault 5 , volkswagen golf , adopted mainstream cars. upscale marques mercedes-benz, bmw, , jaguar remained independent of trend, , retained lineup or entirely made of fr cars. japanese mainstream marques such toyota exclusively fr until late 1970s , 1980s. toyota s first ff vehicle toyota tercel, corolla , celica later becoming ff while camry designed ff beginning. supra, cressida, crown, , century remained fr. luxury division lexus has fr lineup. subaru s brz fr car. driveshaft needed transfer power rear wheels means large centre tunnel between rear seats; therefore, cars such mazda rx8 , porsche panamera forgo centre rear seat, , divide both seats centre tunnel.

currently cars ff, including front-engined economy cars, though fr cars making return alternative large sport-utility vehicles. in north america, gm returned production of fr-based luxury vehicles 2003 cadillac cts. of 2012, srx , xts fr-based vehicles. chevrolet reintroduced fr-based camaro in 2009, , caprice ppv in 2011. pontiac had short run fr-based g8 , pontiac solstice. chevrolet replacement g8 called chevrolet ss released in 2013 , uses fr layout. chrysler , dodge reintroduced 300 , charger on fr platform. maintain fr layout on unibody durango. hyundai , kia have been working new fr-based vehicles in us, genesis coupe , sedan, equus , new kia quoris. ford on other hand seems moving away fr-based vehicles discontinuation of panther platform in 2011. excluding trucks, vans , suvs, mustang , falcon (australia , new zealand only, due discontinued november 2016) fr vehicles remaining in lineup.