Porsche’s Mid-Engine Placement Is Its Key Strength
Porsche’s New 911 RSR Moves the Engine Forward in the Chassis to Continue its Dominance
Porsche has spent nearly seventy years attempting to perfect the rear-engine sports car. While the platform has its benefits, its inherent quirks make its unique handling characteristics difficult to master for most drivers. Gradually – and quietly – Porsche has moved the engine further forward with each generation of 911 since the 996.
When it comes to race cars, the story is similar. While many Porsche prototype race cars have used a mid-engine configuration, racing 911s have retained the famous rear-engine set up. (This, of course, excludes the 911 GT1 of the late 1990s.) However, the engine has gradually been moved forward to maintain the 911’s spot at the top of the podium in the face of its rapidly improving competition.
When it comes to the new 911 RSR that was launched last November — the very same one seen racing at the Rolex 24 at Daytona this past weekend — it looks like that gradual shift has more or less reached its logical conclusion. Blitzkrieg Autowerks of Vancouver, Canada, was in attendance at the race and snapped what might be the first photo of the Porsche’s newest race car that shows off its engine location. You can see the photo on their Instagram:
Even though the engine bay is mostly empty, its location is clearly visible as being significantly farther forward than its predecessor. Given Porsche’s very admirable performance this year at the Rolex 24, it’s clear that this strategy has paid off, and the 911 RSR looks to be a strong competitor this year. Even in the face of a very motivated factory-backed Ford team, Porsche is poised to repeat their prior success and remain at the top.
New racing regulations allowed for a substantially larger rear diffuser that Porsche was unable to take advantage of due to its previous rear-engine configuration. This new mid-engine setup allows Porsche to keep pace with its rivals.
