traction sucks because we have fwd. No matter what people say, FWD has its limitation and you'll have a hard time getting traction with it. likewise, people are still able to spin their wheels going from one gear to another so its not just the low end. losing traction on the top end is possible. See Toyota Supra for example
to incerase horsepower, you're going to have to increase torque. horsepower is derived from torque so if you're concentrating on top end horsepower, you're essentially trying to increase torque.