Quote:
Originally Posted by eldaino
i dunno how legit the 'hatchbacks are not as stable' argument is...subie changed the sti to a hatchback config because they were getting thier butts handed to them in rallying (when they still participated) and they switched the design claiming added rigidity that the sedan body couldnt offer.
(and this actually kinda makes sense considering mitsu has always run sedan evos and has not been actively involved in rallying much these days)
at any rate, i dunno if its something we should proclaim as fact...wouldn't all that extra 'bracing' in the hatchbacks result in higher curb weights? last time i checked, the jetta is heavier than the rabbit (be it two or four door guise) and the ep3 civic was much more rigid than the other civics available at that time.
i dunno. just saying.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Type 100
Depends on the design, perhaps.
Even Nissan thought its 350Z and 370Z needed a cross-brace in the rear cutting into the usable luggage room...comically more so in the 350Z than the newer car. (That 350Z rear brace is FAT!)
Despite the coupe designation, both Z-cars are technically hatchbacks/liftbacks too, with a top-hinged hatch lid covering what basically is a huge gaping hole.
Then again, who knows what goes on in the heads of chassis engineers? This might be a case-to-case basis thing really  |
Though the new STi/WRX hatches may be more torsionally rigid than the previous sedans, that wasn't the primary reason for Subaru's switching to them for rallying.
After all, by the time the cars are prepared for racing, with all the roll bars, seam welding, etc. they could make a noodle of a chassis stiffer.
The main advantage of the new hatch for Subaru in rallying is that they could shorten the car, while simultaneously increasing the wheelbase. Without having to have a separate trunk opening, the rear wheels can move closer to the back of the car, or for the same given wheelbase, the rear overhang is shorter. Just look at our Fits.
It ultimately made the smaller and more manageable through the tighter stages, without losing stability.
If I recall, the active diffs that made tiny cars like the 206 more stable were restricted in their abilities, so Subaru preferred a car that was both shorter than the previous and longer in wheelbase for stability, hence the choice of the hatch.