3-4 hours of internet homework about something you don't know can save weeks of footwork. If that's dithering, I'll dither away.

Ditto, WG- my replies are really meant in a friendly way.
The reply was meant as friendly banter, not selective quoting- sorry if it came across any other way. The advice is really appreciated.

No problem WG.



Right, bed time! I'll put into practice soon.

An LSD sounds good... but for the FN2, I'll be right at the top end of my budget. I'll think about possible alternatives- 4WD would intrigue me but the fuel bill for an Evo would be OTT. Some Subarus... maybe... I'll have to give it thought.

I was going to type out a lengthy reply, but it kinda simmers down to this.

If you're going to play, hard, on some corners, they're magic, they help immensely with understeer, and the ability to get on the power so much earlier, on the road, they're not so relevant. Nice to have, but I tend not to find myself driving that hard on the road these days.

My experience says they are very noticeable from the off. ok, you might not be gaining anything at low speeds. But bumpy or wet roads and you really don't need to go that quick to see a massive difference in ability.

I fitted a torsen LSD to my Colt track car after about a year of trackdays without one, it absolutely transformed the car, taking seconds off my lap times.

I've also got an Accord Type R which has a torsen LSD as standard and it amazes me at how much traction it has coming out of corners, it will actually tighten your line when you get on the gas.

If you're looking at an FN2 CTR, my suggestion would be to spend the same on a DC5 Integra Type R, or spend a bit less on a DC2, I've not driven either but apart from the FD2 CTR they are reported to be amongst the best handling FWD'ers out there.

Or get an EP3 CTR with a diff already fitted or fit one, the FN2 went to a rear beam suspension system, whereas the EP3 is fully independant and meant to handle much better.

A different view point here, the OP says he wont be going on a track and wont be maxing it to the limits. Therefore IMO, the diff is probably not that important. The main problem as I understand it with FN2s is that they are very stiff and bounce a bit on very bumpy roads, something that the diff wont help with. Obviously improved traction with a diff is nice in the wet, but it depends on whether the OP is intending to really push his car. If he isnt, then why bother with the diff version. Early Fn2s are quite cheap now, I fancy one myself actually!

Thanks. The FN2 is just an example really- though I'm increasingly tempted given how cheap they're getting! - I thought there was surprisingly little info on how LSD's make FWD cars behave on the road as opposed to on the track, and I thought I'd get people talking about it.

I was a bit inspired by that article about Evo magazine preferring the Megane 265 to the Subaru BRZ, particularly about how the diff helped to move the car around a corner. I wondered how much it matters in other FWD cars (or how much is Reanaultsport's genius in setting up the car in other ways.

No, one without an LSD will make worse progress. The wheel off the ground (no LSD) would get all the torque...and you wouldn't be accelerating.

Go drive an Integra Type R DC2 and see why an LSD is CRUCIAL in a higher-powered FWD car. It's one of the reasons the DC2 is the best FWD car ever (no arguments please).

That's what I was wondering (about helical diffs anyway). Over poorly broken up surfaces where there are times a stiffly sprung car doesn't have good contact with the road, could a non-LSD car be more controlled and more fun? Fun's clearly subjective but I hope you understand what I mean...