10 Great Mid-Engine Porsches
The 911 with powerplant mounted behind the axle might get most of the press, but over the years Porsche built awesome cars with the motor right behind the driver too. Let's take a look at some of their great mid-engined designs.
1. Porsche 550 Spyder
Porsche's first purpose built race car started a couple of trends for the German automaker. Its mid-mounted four cylinder makes it the first of many mid-engine Porsches to come, and the car itself ushered in an era of Porsche motorsports dominance. Today, many remember the 550 as the car that James Dean infamously was driving when he was killed, but its outstanding racing success and impact on future models cannot be denied.
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2. Porsche 718
Porsche took what worked on the 550 and molded it into the 718 - a moniker so famous Porsche revived it on the new Boxster and Cayman. The original 718 was based on the 550, but sported new bodywork over a shorter and reworked suspension, while retaining the Spyder's mid-mounted 1.5 liter quad cam four cylinder engine. Also like the 550, the 718 enjoyed tremendous racing success, including a 1st in class, and 3rd overall finish at the 1958 Le Mans, against cars with motors twice its size.
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3. Porsche 904 Carrera GTS
The 904 Carrera GTS came along in 1964, serving as perhaps the ultimate (and final) version of Porsche's flat four cylinder, mid-engine race cars. This time around, the 2.0 liter engine produced an incredible 198 horsepower, situated in a ladder chassis and wrapped by a fiberglass body. Once again, Porsche enjoyed incredible success with its light weight and mid-engine layout, scoring a first place finish at the Targa Florio in 1964 as well as class wins at the Nuburgring and Le Mans that same year.
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4. Porsche 917
Porsche followed up on the 904 Carrera GTS by producing excellent mid-engine racers like the 906 and 908 before building the all conquering 917. The flat-12 cylinder powered race car produced Porsche's first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. It was clocked at an astounding 240 mph on a test track, and topped out at 224.4 mph at Le Mans. The 917 is, quite simply, one of the most successful racing cars of all time, and it set the tone for what has become a historically dominant effort by Porsche at the world's most famous endurance race year after year.
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5. Porsche 936
The 936 and its turbocharged flat six presented a big departure from the 917's naturally aspirated flat-12 cylinder engine, but the results remained mostly the same, as this later Porsche racer scored a total of three wins at Le Mans. The open top, two seat car also carried over a number of parts from the 917, including a similar spaceframe chassis.
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6. Porsche 956/962
Many consider the Porsche 956 and 962 to be the greatest prototype race cars ever produced, and maybe even the greatest sports racing cars ever built - period. For over a decade, these cars dominated racing thanks to an improved 936-based turbo flat-six and highly advanced aerodynamics generating incredible downforce. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the car is that it still holds the Nurburgring lap record today, a mark that most think will never be broken.
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7. Porsche Carrera GT
Back in 2004, Porsche introduced what was, at the time, the ultimate road car. The Carrera GT rolled onto the scene loaded with advanced technology and a mid-mounted 5.7 liter V10 originally designed for use in a Le Mans prototype racer. Instead, the 603 hp engine landed in one of the rawest cars in recent history, one that is equally as capable as it is controversial.
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8. Porsche Boxster/Cayman
Put simply, the Boxster and Cayman are two of the most important cars in Porsche's history. The original cars came along at a time when Porsche 911 sales were in the gutter and became an instant success. Not only do these cars provide a more compact, economical alternative to the 911, but both the Boxster and Cayman are widely beloved for their driving dynamics, at least some of which can be attributed to their mid-engine layout.
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9. Porsche 918 Spyder
Like the Carrera GT, Porsche sunk its heart and soul (and engineering) into the 918 Spyder in order to create the ultimate road car, and it also happens to be the their most technologically advanced ride yet. With three electric motors paired with a mid mounted gas V8, the 918 Spyder produces a combined 887 peak horsepower, and perhaps most importantly, that hybrid technology is beginning to trickle down to other Porsche models, providing even more performance right off the line than their strictly gasoline powered brethren.
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10. Porsche 919
The 919 has quickly etched its name into motorsports history by racking up three consecutive Le Mans wins and helping Porsche retain its title as the most successful manufacturer in the legendary race's history. The hybrid powered sports prototype racer is chock full of amazing technology that allows it to be both super fast and super efficient, both of which are critical for modern racing success.
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