LHD v RHD engineering

Can't imagine in general why that would be true.

Maybe in select cases there might be greater access difficulty for some part or other.

 

Actually in the older models,RHD might have improved handling because most tracks ran clockwise. Just a thought.

 

Driver location may make a difference in a Ferrari 166 at 2000 lbs, but not much in a 3700 lb Maranello.

 

Interesting question. From my understanding happy to have this corrected pre WWII parts of Europe and itally if I am correct where RHD and post the war all europe was LHD.

Other interesting thing Porshces and Maserati Khamsins in particular and I am sure there are others the center structure and consol was off set to the right. The Khamsin left seat is an inch wider than the right.

The Porsche 964 993 are a particular pain and for me literally the RH footwell is tight and the pedals are quite offset due to 4WD floor pans even for 2WD cars.

As for the handelling side of things the balance and corner weights play a big part but the weights of 456 550 575 it is more the overall design of the car and suspension geometry that make it work. A pitch for my 456 the balance and handeling are fantastic.

 

...just some thoughts regarding this issue from my side. The original design of a Ferrari or any other continental european sportscars is primarly designed for the biggest local or export markets. All other adjustments are most probably adapted to further destinations of the new car. The level of compromises is imho certainly lower than for the target markets..... Especially for italian car manufacturers (just my five cents....).


Kind regards,

Jürgen

 

This will be due to the cars being designed as LHD, and therefore packaged for that format. RHD then can involve using longer links for items such as brake pedal to master cylinder, gear selectors, steering components, and even down to the firing sequence of the engine cylinders - which can result in RHD having compromises that the original didn't have.

 

Thats what I tried to say in my comment, the cars have been originally designed for their biggest markets (US and central europe, therefor LHD). Firing order is important, otherwise the engine runs like a bag of nuts...


Kind regards,

Jürgen

 

Firing sequence won't affect the engine - however it will affect what the driver senses - but I guess you need to be a 'driver' to actually notice any difference - and it's likely to be terms of noise rather than engine performance, and it's quite an esoteric sensation at that - doubt most of us could tell the difference!

The bigger differences a driver will feel is the extra linkages in pedal & steering feel - which is a huge factor in the appeal of cars such as these.

A LHD car has the brake servo behind the dashboard, and the battery over on the passenger side behind the dash - perhaps someone with a RHD car can tell us if they are swapped over in their engine bay?

 

N24, you are sure with your comment regarding the firing order would not influence the engine appearance and power? Since decades I've been told, that the differences in sound and feel of US V8 and european V8 engines (especially Ferraris...) are because of the firing order.

I just imagine a V12 engine, where the six cylinders on the left bank are fired first and the other bank afterwards.... Hmmm.


Kind regards,

Jürgen

 

By firing order I mean that - lets say LHD cylinder 1 on the left bank fires first, then the usual sequence, well in RHD it would be flipped so that it's cylinder 1 on the right bank that fires first. So this is quite a subtle difference. In practice the sequence is something like: 1-7-5-11-3-9-6-12-2-8-4-10.

The difference you may be alluding to is due to crank design - flat-plane crank V-engines sound very different to cross-plane cranks.

Just found this link which is moving away from the thread topic, but interesting: http://www.not2fast.com/engine/ricardo-ferrari.pdf

 

Sorry but there is no change in firing order for the right hand drive cars. Not sure where you got that but it is incorrect.

 

Most of that is incorrect as well. The cars are built as a mirror image.


Your posts so far have been classic internet disinformation.

 

They are swapped over. RHD 550 also has the brake servo behind the dashboard ( on the RHS) and the battery in the LHS on the passengers side.

 

Mate, are you speaking from experience???? Please let's not be silly about this, the cars are designed for both markets and manufactured as such.

Manufacturers such as Jaguar, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Pontiac GTO (Australian Monaro) all originate in RHD countries but all build cars for the LHD market.

Do you think that the steering and pedals feel different? Are you of the view that the only thing that the manufacturer does is just moves the steering wheel and pedals to the other side of the car then just runs linkages so the buyer gets a sub standard product.

The cars are redesigned for the appropriate market and don't use crude linkage extensions that would compromise the feel of the steering or pedals.

Why would you need to change the firing order because the steering wheel is on the opposite side?

 

No, he was just blowing smoke.

The one good thing is the steering wheel stalks do not change for RHD on Ferraris, so a UK owner with both does not have any confusion when he gets into his RHD or LHD Ferrari. Obviously the pedals for LHD and RHD are the same order.

 

Interesting comments!

An example of no mirror is the gearbox oil cooler & fuel filler on a 550 - cooling radiator is on the left, fuel on the right - makes no difference from a driving perspective, but probably more convenient in a RHD car as you don't need to walk around to fuel up.

The other area to compare is the gear lever - the difference is evident in a 550 - RHD cars don't have the storage slot, but look at older cars like say a Testarossa - in which the gate is positioned for LHD in both LHD & RHD cars & the lever canted over in RHD.

LHD: Ferrari Testarossa supercar interior h wallpaper | 2048x1536 | 180523 | WallpaperUP

RHD: 1986-92 Ferrari Testarossa UK-spec supercar interior g wallpaper | 2048x1536 | 287388 | WallpaperUP

Another example is a 964 RS (I know this wasn't a US model) - RHD cars have power-steering, LHD cars don't - which has the purer steering?

The OP was asking about historic reasons why LHD can be seen as better - I've given examples of why that can be the case. I didn't mean to imply that that was necessarily the case with the 550, however engineering compromises will be made due to the costs incurred when most are built LHD and minority RHD - you'd optimise for your largest market especially if you're a low volume builder. Modern-era cars are built to legislative requirements so packaging isn't as tight under the bonnet as once it was - so LHD/RHD has less impact than it once may have.

If you take a look at modern 911's - LHD cars can have a 90litre fuel tank, RHD ones have a max of 60-72litre - thats's either due to design constraints or a perception that fuel stations are closer together in RHD countries, or classic internet disinformation...