Larry Herman

I want it in the rear (boy that just doesn't sound right ). Call me old fashioned, but I much prefer not to see what I am going to hit if I go flying off the track. With a mid-engined car it's 50/50 as to which way you go in.

icon

i thought missionary was the old fashion way
hey! i have no problem w/ you guys that like it in the rear though larry!

good thing they don't put the engine in the rear on that vfr!
i would think 50/50 would be better in a car for optimum handling, not to mention less wear on one end.
also if it's 50/50 it's less likely to go either way.

btw shouldnt we also have a front mid option in the poll?
assuming you mean rear mid by mid-engine.

Holger B

Must be all that "Brotherly Love"... (Let fly with the SF jokes )

MJSpeed

Mid engine cars are just awesome when it comes to balance...most if not all purpose built racing P-cars have been mid-engine for that reason...

Cupcar

I think the main reason is the low polar moment of inertia of a mid engine design which leads to quicker turn in and response.

Larry Herman

Having learned on a mid-engined car, I can tell you that they are not the handling panacea that many think they are. Below the limit they are nimble and responsive and really feel perfectly balanced. But they have a dark side, because at the limit they are wicked little beasts. That balance and low polar moment means that the slight understeer you feel can immediately switch to oversteer if the rear tires decide that they have had enough. Does the term "snap spin" mean anything to you?

911s by contrast do things much more slowly, and the rear-engine bias means that the car will always have a tendency to want to go to oversteer. That does not make them better, just more predictable.

Just like a street GT3 is easier to drive at the limit than a Cup Car is, I can tell you from experience that a rear engine (or front engine) car is easier at the limit than a mid-engined car is.

perfectlap

^that seems to be the prevailing belief as well. But obviously we are talking different levels of driving skill between a weekend warrior and a paid full time professional. Porsche teams feel the professional driver can handle the lesser warning with mid engine while still reaping the rewards of that config, more to gain than to lose if you will. A sentiment shared by Ferrari and others in racing.
For more everyday "regular guys" the rewards may not be as big while running the risk of going off.
More to lose than to gain.
At the limit my take is that its not really a question of the rear engine having better predictability than mid enigne becuase that rear configuration pretty much requires it. If the 911 had poor to average predictiablity AND pendulus cornering who would go for that?
Sort of like betting on making a mistake vs. not.

Cupcar

The GT1 was a "911" but Norbert Singer made it mid-engined for it's purposes, he could have left it rear engined.

Was the GT1 really still a 911 or the first "Cayman"?

Porsche went to a lot of trouble to make it mid-engined, so their must be some benefits to racers as described above.

Larry Herman

There is no question that mid-engined is faster. The point is that at full boogie it isn't easier to drive, it's tougher.

GT3 Chuck

having had a 914-6.....I'm with Larry on this one...

Larry Herman

You mean you're against me sometimes?

GT3 Chuck

not yet bro!

JBH

I would say don't make a judgment against mid-engine based on the 914. It's short wheelbase does indeed make it a demon at the limits. Given a longer wheelbase, like the new 911s, your opinion might be quite different.

Cupcar

I found my 914/6 GT to be the best handling car I've owned, wish I still had it.

38D

Me 2. My 914 was evil at the limit.

Now, having driven a Boxster S on the track, it was certainly easier to drive than the 914. But all mid engined cars are still tricky to pilot at full bore. The low polar moment means the car can turn on a dime, and sometimes spins on a dime as well. Pro teams use mid engine layouts because they are easier to setup and more consistent in all corner types. Plus, they have full time staff to help setup the car and get it just right.