automotive engineering Automotive engineering, along with aerospace engineering and naval architecture, is a branch of vehicle engineering, incorporating elements of Mechanical engineering, mechanical, Electrical engineering, electrical, Electronic engineering, electro ...

, a mid-engine layout describes the placement of an

automobile A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ge ...

in front of the rear-wheel

axle An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotation, rotating wheel and axle, wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In ...

s, but behind the front axle.

History

The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive format can be considered the original layout of automobiles. A 1901 Autocar was the first gasoline-powered automobile to use a

drive shaft A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power (physics), power, torque, and rotation, usually ...

and placed the engine under the seat. This pioneering vehicle is now in the collection of the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

Benefits

Mounting the engine in the middle instead of the front of the vehicle puts more weight over the rear tires, so they have more traction and provide more assistance to the front tires in braking the vehicle, with less chance of rear-wheel lockup and less chance of a skid or spin out. If the mid-engine vehicle is also rear-drive the added weight on the rear tires can also improve acceleration on slippery surfaces, providing much of the benefit of

all-wheel-drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. Types The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflects one axle with ...

without the added weight and expense of all-wheel-drive components. The mid-engine layout makes ABS brakes and traction control systems work better, by providing them more traction to control. The mid-engine layout may make a vehicle safer since an accident can occur if a vehicle cannot stay in its own lane around a curve or is unable to stop quickly enough. Mid-engine design is also a way to provide additional empty crush space in the front of the automobile between the bumper and the windshield, which can then be designed to absorb more of the impact force in a frontal collision in order to minimize penetration into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. In most automobiles, and in sports cars especially, ideal

car handling Automobile handling and vehicle handling are descriptions of the way a wheeled vehicle responds and reacts to the inputs of a driver, as well as how it moves along a track or road. It is commonly judged by how a vehicle performs particularly duri ...

requires balanced traction between the front and rear wheels when cornering, in order to maximize the possible speed around curves without sliding out. This balance is harder to achieve when the heavy weight of the engine is located far to the front or far to the rear of the vehicle. Some automobile designs strive to balance the fore and aft weight distribution by other means, such as putting the engine in the front and the gearbox and battery in the rear of the vehicle. Another benefit comes when the heavy mass of the engine is located close to the back of the seats. It makes it easier for the suspension to absorb the force of bumps so the riders feel a smoother ride. But in sports cars, the engine position is once again used to increase performance and the potentially smoother ride is usually more than offset by stiffer

shock absorber A shock absorber or damper is a mechanical or hydraulics, hydraulic device designed to absorb and Damping ratio, damp shock (mechanics), shock impulses. It does this by converting the kinetic energy of the shock into another form of energy (typic ...

s. This layout also allows the motor, gearbox, and differential to be bolted together as a single unit. Together with independent suspension on the driven wheels, this removes the need for the chassis to transfer engine torque reaction.

Drawbacks

The largest drawback of mid-engine cars is restricted rear or front (in the case of front-mid layouts) passenger space; consequently, most mid-engine vehicles are two-seat vehicles. The engine in effect pushes the rear passenger seats forward towards the front

(if the engine is behind the driver). Exceptions typically involve larger vehicles of unusual length or height in which the passengers can share space between the axles with the engine, which can be between them or below them, as in some vans, large trucks, and buses. The mid-engine layout (with a horizontal engine) was common in single-decker buses in the 1950s and 1960s, e.g. the

AEC Reliance The AEC Reliance was a mid-underfloor mounted engined single-decker bus and coach chassis manufactured by AEC between 1953 and 1979. The name had previously been used between 1928 and 1931 for another single-decker bus chassis. History Two ...

. The

Ferrari Mondial The Ferrari Mondial (Type F108) is a mid-engined, V8 engine, V8, grand tourer manufactured and marketed by Ferrari between 1980 and 1993 – with styling by Pininfarina and bodywork by Carrozzeria Scaglietti. Offered as either a 2+2 (car body sty ...

is to date the only successful example of a true mid-engined convertible with seating for 4 and sports car/supercar performance. A version of the

Lotus Evora The Lotus Evora is a sports car produced by the British company Lotus Cars, Lotus. The car, which was developed under the project name ''Project Eagle'', was launched on 22 July 2008 at the British International Motor Show. The Evora S was launc ...

with a removable roof panel is anticipated but no definite date is known. Like any layout where the engine is not front-mounted and facing the wind, the traditional "engine-behind-the-passengers" layout makes engine cooling more difficult. This has been a problem in some cars, but this issue seems to have been largely solved in newer designs. For example, the

Saleen S7 The Saleen S7 is an American hand-built, high-performance sports car designed and built by American automobile manufacturer Saleen Automotive Inc. Developed jointly by Steve Saleen for the initial concept, direction and engine, Hidden Creek Indu ...

employs large engine-compartment vents on the sides and rear of the bodywork to help dissipate heat from its very high-output engine. Mid-engined cars are more dangerous than front-engined cars if the driver loses control - although this may be initially harder to provoke due to the superior balance - and the car begins to spin. The moment of inertia about the center of gravity is low due to the concentration of mass between the axles (similar to standing in the middle of a playground roundabout, rather than at the edge) and the spin will occur suddenly, the car will rotate faster and it will be harder to recover from. Conversely, a front-engined car is more likely to break away in a progressive and controllable manner as the tires lose traction.

Variations

Super, sport, and race cars frequently have a mid-engined layout, as these vehicles' handling characteristics are more important than other requirements, such as usable space. In dedicated sports cars, a

weight distribution Weight distribution is the apportioning of weight within a vehicle, especially cars, airplanes, and trains. Typically, it is written in the form ''x''/''y'', where ''x'' is the percentage of weight in the front, and ''y'' is the percentage in t ...

of about 50% front and rear is frequently pursued, to optimise the vehicle's driving dynamics – a target that is typically only achievable by placing the engine somewhere between the front and rear axles. Usually, the term "mid-engine" has been primarily applied to cars having the engine located between the driver and the ''rear'' drive axles. This layout is referred to as rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, (or RMR) layout. The mechanical layout and packaging of an RMR car are substantially different from that of a front-engine or rear-engine car. When the engine is in front of the driver, but fully ''behind'' the front axle line, the layout is sometimes called a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, or

FMR layout A front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout (FR), also called Système Panhard is a powertrain layout with an engine in front and rear-wheel-drive, connected via a drive shaft. This arrangement, with the engine straddling the front axle, was the tra ...

instead of the less-specific term front-engine; and can be considered a subset of the latter. In-vehicle layout, FMR is substantially the same as FR, but handling differs as a result of the difference in weight distribution. Some vehicles could be classified as FR or FMR depending on the factory-installed engine (I4 vs I6). Historically most classical FR cars such as the Ford Models T and A would qualify as an FMR engine car. Additionally, the distinction between FR and FMR is a fluid one, depending on the degree of engine protrusion in front of the front axle line, as manufacturers mount engines as far back in the chassis as possible. Not all manufacturers use the Front-Mid designation.

Examples

FMR layout – ''Front Mid-engine / Rear-wheel drive''

These cars are RWD cars with the engine placed between the driver and the front axle. *

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is a sports car produced by Italian marque Alfa Romeo between 2007 and 2010. It was first presented as a concept car at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. The name refers to the eight-cylinder (''cilindro'' in Italian) ...

AC Cobra The AC Cobra, sold in the United States as the Shelby Cobra and AC Shelby Cobra, is a sports car manufactured by British company AC Cars, with a List of Ford engines#8 Cylinder, Ford V8 engine. It was produced intermittently in both the Uni ...

Aston Martin Vanquish The Aston Martin Vanquish is a grand tourer introduced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin in 2001 as a successor to the Aston Martin Virage (1993). The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, designed by Ian Callum and unveiled at the ...

, Vantage (2005), Vantage (2018), DB7, DB9, DB11, DB12, DBS V12, DBS Superleggera, Virage (2011–2012) *

BMW Z1 The BMW Z1 is the first model in BMW's line of Z series roadsters (two-seater convertibles), and was produced in limited numbers from 1989 to 1991. The Z1 is unique for its plastic body panels and vertically sliding doors which drop into the ...

, Z8, M8 GTE *

Chevrolet Corvette The Chevrolet Corvette is a line of American two-door, two-seater sports cars manufactured and marketed by General Motors under the Chevrolet marque since 1953. Throughout eight generations, indicated sequentially as C1 to C8, the Corvette is not ...

(

second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...

through seventh generations) * Bill Thomas Cheetah (used only one

universal joint A universal joint (also called a universal coupling or U-joint) is a joint or coupling connecting rigid shafts whose axes are inclined to each other. It is commonly used in shafts that transmit rotary motion. It consists of a pair of hinges ...

between

transmission Transmission or transmit may refer to: Science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Transmission (mechanical device), technology that allows controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual tra ...

tailshaft housing and differential housing) *

Dodge A100 The A100 is a range of compact vans and trucks manufactured and marketed from 1964 to 1970 by Chrysler Corporation under the Dodge marque in the United States and the Fargo marque in Canada. The A100 competed with the Ford Econoline, Chevr ...

and

Viper Vipers are snakes in the family Viperidae, found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, New Zealand, Ireland, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipe ...

Excalibur Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Its first reliably datable appearance is found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. E ...

SSK, SS Roadster and SS Phaeton *

Ferrari 250 GTO The Ferrari 250 GTO is a grand tourer produced by Ferrari from 1962 to 1964 for Homologation (motorsport), homologation into the FIA's Group 3 (racing), Group 3 Grand Touring Car category. It was powered by Ferrari's Ferrari Colombo engine#250, ...

, 599 GTB Fiorano,

612 Scaglietti The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti (Type F137) () is an Executive car, executive 2+2 (car body style), 2+2 coupé Gran Turismo (automobile), grand tourer made by the Italian automobile manufacturer Ferrari between 2004 and 2011. It was designed to replace ...

, F12 Berlinetta, 812 Superfast, GTC4Lusso T,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Portofino Portofino (; ) is a ''comune'' located in the Metropolitan City of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The town is clustered around its small harbour, and is known for the colourfully painted buildings that line the shore. Since the late 19th centur ...

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...

and 12Cilindri *

Ford Econoline The Ford E-Series (also known as the Ford Econoline, Ford Econovan or Ford Club Wagon) is a range of full-size vans manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for 1961 as the replacement of the Ford F-Series panel van, four ...

(first generation) *

Honda S2000 The Honda S2000 is a Mid-engine design, front-mid engine Roadster (automobile), open top sports car that was manufactured by Japanese automobile manufacturer Honda, from 1999 until 2009. First shown as a concept car called the SSM at the Tokyo Mo ...

Jaguar E-Type The Jaguar E-Type, or the Jaguar XK-E for the North American market, is a British FMR layout, front mid-engined sports car that was manufactured by Jaguar Cars, Jaguar Cars Ltd from 1961 to 1974. Its sleek appearance, advanced technologies, ...

Lexus LFA The is a two-door sports car produced between 2010 and 2012 by the Japanese carmaker Toyota under its luxury marque, Lexus. Lexus built 500 units over its production span of two years. The development of the LFA, codenamed TXS, began in early ...

* Maserati Quattroporte V, GranTurismo/ GranCabrio *

Mazda Bongo The , also known as Mazda E-Series, Eunos Cargo, and the Ford Econovan, is a cabover van and pickup truck manufactured by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Mazda since 1966. The Bongo name was also used for the #Friendee, Bongo Friendee, whic ...

(second generation), RX-7, MX-5 (NC and ND) and RX-8 *

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C199 / R199 / Z199) is a grand tourer jointly developed by German automotive manufacturer Mercedes-Benz and British automobile manufacturer McLaren Automotive and sold from 2003 to 2010. When the car was develope ...

, SLS AMG and AMG GT *

Morgan +4 Morgan may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment'', also called ''Morgan!'', a 1966 comedy film * ''Morgan'' (2012 film), an American drama * ''Morgan'' (2016 film), an American science fiction thriller * ...

, 4/4, Aero 8, Plus Four, Plus Six and

Plus 8 Plus 8 (also spelled as Plus8) is a Canadian techno record label founded by Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva in 1990 in music, 1990 that's based in Windsor, Ontario, Windsor, Ontario. Along with Underground Resistance (band), Underground Resista ...

Opel GT The Opel GT is a front-engine, rear-drive two-seat sports car manufactured and marketed by Opel in two generations separated by a 34-year hiatus. The first generation Opel GT (1968–1973) debuted as a styling exercise in 1965 at the Paris Motor ...

(original) *

Shelby Daytona The Shelby Daytona Coupe (also referred to as the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe) is an American sports-coupé. It is related to the Shelby Cobra roadster, loosely based on its chassis and drive-train developed and built as an advanced evolution. I ...

Toyota Previa The Toyota Previa, also known as the in Japan, and Toyota Tarago in Australia, is a minivan that was produced by Toyota from 1990 until October 2019 across three generations. The name "Previa" is derived from the Spanish for "preview", as Toyo ...

(first generation) and 2000GT * Most pre–World War II front-engine rear-wheel-drive cars

FM4 layout – ''Front Mid-engine / Four-wheel drive''

This layout, similar to the above FMR layout, with the engine between driver and the front axle, adds front-wheel drive to become a four-wheel drive. An engineering challenge with this layout is getting the power to the front wheels past the engine - this would normally involve raising the engine to allow a

propshaft A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power, torque, and rotation, usually used to connect o ...

to pass under the engine, or in the case of the Ferrari FF taking power from both ends of the

crankshaft A crankshaft is a mechanical component used in a reciprocating engine, piston engine to convert the reciprocating motion into rotational motion. The crankshaft is a rotating Shaft (mechanical engineering), shaft containing one or more crankpins, ...

with two separate gearboxes. *

All-Trac {{short description, Proprietary full-time four-wheel drive system by Toyota All-Trac was a proprietary full-time four-wheel drive system used on a variety of Toyota badged models and the nameplate was used from 1988 to 2000. It was considered a r ...

variant * Ferrari FF, GTC4Lusso and Purosangue *

Jensen FF The Jensen FF is a four-wheel drive grand tourer produced by British car manufacturer Jensen Motors between 1966 and 1971. It was the first non all-terrain production car equipped with four-wheel drive and an anti-lock braking system. The power ...

Hummer H1 The Hummer H1 is a full-size four-wheel-drive utility vehicle based on the M998 Humvee, which was developed by AM General when it was a subsidiary of American Motors Corporation (AMC). Originally designed strictly for military use, the off-r ...

Willys MB The Willys MB and the Ford GPW, both formally called the U.S. Army truck, ton, 4×4, command reconnaissance, commonly known as the Willys Jeep, Jeep, or jeep, and sometimes referred to by its List of U.S. military vehicles by supply catalog des ...

Nissan GT-R The Nissan GT-R (''Gran Turismo–Racing''; model code: R35; Japanese: 日産・GT-R; ''Nissan GT-R'') is a series of cars built by Japanese marque Nissan from 2007 to 2025. It has a 2+2 (car body style), 2+2 seating layout and is considered b ...

* Most early front-engine off-road cars

RMR layout – ''Rear Mid-engine / Rear-wheel drive''

These cars use a traditional engine layout between driver and rear drive axle. Typically, they're simply called MR; for ''mid-rear'' (engined), or mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout cars. *

Alfa Romeo 4C The Alfa Romeo 4C (Type 960) is a mid-engined sports car that was produced by Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo. Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show#2013, 2013 Geneva Motor Show, the 4C was initially only available as a coupé, with a spider body ...

* Alpine A110 (2017) *

Apollo Intensa Emozione The Apollo Intensa Emozione, also known as Apollo IE, is a mid-engine sports car manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Apollo Automobil GmbH, in partnership with Manifattura Automobili Torino, designed by their chief designer Jowyn Won ...

Ariel Atom The Ariel Atom is a road-legal high performance open-wheel car made by the British Ariel Motor Company based in Crewkerne, Somerset, England, and under license in North America by TMI Autotech, Inc. at Virginia International Raceway in Alto ...

Aston Martin Valkyrie The Aston Martin Valkyrie (also known by its code-names as AM-RB 001 and Nebula) is a limited production hybrid sports car collaboratively built by British automobile manufacturers Aston Martin, Red Bull Racing Advanced Technologies and sever ...

Autozam AZ-1 The Autozam AZ-1, known by the framecode PG6SA, is a MR layout, mid-engined kei car, kei-class sports car, designed and manufactured by Mazda under its Autozam brand. Suzuki provided the engine as well as the inspiration for the design. Manufa ...

BMW M1 The BMW M1 (model code E26) is a Mid-engine design, mid-engined sports car produced by German automotive manufacturer BMW from 1978 until 1981. In the late 1970s, Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini entered into an agreement with BMW to ...

Chevrolet Corvette (C8) The Chevrolet Corvette (C8) is the eighth generation of the Corvette sports car manufactured by American automobile manufacturer Chevrolet. It is the first rear mid-engine Corvette since the model's introduction in 1953, differing from the tra ...

Consulier GTP The Consulier GTP is an American sports car that was produced by Consulier Industries between 1988 and 1993 and successfully used in professional racing. Consulier Industries spun off their automotive division into Mosler Automotive which then re ...

* DeTomaso Vallelunga,

Mangusta The De Tomaso Mangusta is a sports car produced by Italian automobile manufacturer De Tomaso between 1967 and 1971. It was succeeded by the De Tomaso Pantera. History The Mangusta replaced the Vallelunga model, on which its chassis was based ...

Pantera Pantera () is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Arlington, Texas in 1981 by the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul), and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, an ...

, Guarà * Ferrari 250 LM, 308, 328, 348, F355,

360 360 may refer to: * 360 (number) * 360 AD, a year * 360 BC, a year * 360 degrees, a turn Businesses and organizations * 360 Architecture, an American architectural design firm * Ngong Ping 360, a tourism project in Lantau Island, Hong Kong ...

, F430, 458, 488, F8, 296 GTB, Berlinetta Boxer, Mondial, Testarossa, F40, F50,

Enzo Enzo is an Italian given name derivative of the German name Heinz. It can be used also as the short form for Lorenzo, Vincenzo, Innocenzo, or Fiorenzo. It is most common in the Romance-speaking world, particularly in Italy and Latin America. ...

, FXX,

LaFerrari LaFerrari, project name F150, is a limited production mid-engine, mild hybrid sports car built by Italian automotive manufacturer Ferrari. Its name means "The Ferrari" in Italian, as it is intended to be the definitive Ferrari. Design and de ...

, FXX-K *

Fiat X1/9 The Fiat X1/9 is an Italian two-seater mid-engined sports car designed by Gruppo Bertone, Bertone and manufactured by Fiat from 1972–1982 and subsequently by Gruppo Bertone from 1982–1989. With a transverse engine and gearbox in a mid-engine ...

Ford GT The Ford GT is a Mid-engine design, mid-engine two-seater sports car manufactured and marketed by American automobile manufacturer Ford Motor Company, Ford for the 2005 model year in conjunction with the company's 2003 centenary. The second gene ...

and GT40 * Gordon Murray Automotive T.33, T.50 *

Ginetta F400 The Ginetta F400, previously known as the Farbio GTS, and originally developed by Arash Motor Company as the Farboud GTS, was a sports car produced by the British car manufacturer Ginetta Cars. It was the first car planned for production by Fa ...

, G60 * Honda Beat, NSX (NA1/NA2), S660,

Honda Acty The is a series of cabover microvans and kei trucks produced by the Japanese automaker Honda from 1977 to 2021, designed for the Japanese domestic market (JDM). "Acty" is short for "Activity". The Acty's primary competitors were the Subaru ...

(2WD models only) * Jaguar XJR-15 and XJ220 * Koenigsegg CC8S, CCR, CCX, Agera, Regera, Jesko *

Lamborghini Miura The Lamborghini Miura is a sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1966 and 1973. The car was the first high-performance production road car with a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, which has since become the standa ...

, Countach, Diablo SV *

Lancia Stratos The Lancia Stratos HF (''Tipo 829''), known as Lancia Stratos, is a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, rear mid-engined sports car designed for rallying, made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. It was highly successful in competition, win ...

, Montecarlo *

Lotus Europa The Lotus Europa name is used on two distinct mid-engine GT cars built by British automobile manufacturer Lotus Cars. The original Europa and its variants comprise the Lotus Types 46, 47, 54, 65 and 74, and were produced between 1966 and 1975. ...

, Esprit, Elise, Exige, Evora, Emira *

Maserati Merak The Maserati Merak (''Tipo AM122'') is a mid-engined 2+2 sports car produced by Maserati between 1972 and 1983. The Merak was closely related to the Maserati Bora, sharing part of its structure and body panels, but was powered by a 3.0 L V6 in ...

, Bora, MC12, MC20 * Matra Djet, 530,

Bagheera Bagheera ( / ''Baghīrā'') is a fictional character in Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli stories in '' The Jungle Book'' (coll. 1894) and '' The Second Jungle Book'' (coll. 1895). He is a black panther ( melanistic Indian leopard) who serves as frie ...

, Murena *

McLaren F1 The McLaren F1 is a sports car that was the first Motor vehicle type approval, type approved road-going sportscar manufactured by British Formula One team McLaren. It was the last road-legal, series-produced sportscar to win the 24 Hours of Le ...

, MP4-12C,

570S The 570s decade ran from January 1, 570, to December 31, 579. Significant people References Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:570s ...

650S The 650s decade ran from January 1, 650, to December 31, 659. Significant people * Popes: Martin I, Eugene I, Vitalian * Byzantine Emperor: Constans II Constans II (; 7 November 630 – 15 July 668), also called "the Bearded" (), was the ...

, 720S, P1, GT, Artura, Senna, Speedtail, Elva *

Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (chassis code C297) is a GT1 sports car built and produced by Mercedes-Benz in conjunction with their then motorsport partner AMG. Intended for racing in the new FIA GT Championship series in 1997, the CLK GTR was d ...

MG F / MG TF The MG F and MG TF are RMR layout, mid-engined, rear wheel drive Roadster (automobile), roadster cars that were sold under the MG marque by three manufacturers between 1995 and 2011. The MG F was the first new model designed as an MG since the ...

Mitsubishi i The is a kei car from automaker Mitsubishi Motors, first released in January 2006, twenty eight months after its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show#2003, 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. It is the first four-door automobile since the 1960s to employ ...

and i-MiEV (Rear Mid-engine transversely-mounted / Rear-wheel drive) *

Opel Speedster The Opel Speedster is a mid-engined, targa-topped, two-seat sports car produced by German automaker Opel from July 2000 to July 2005. It was built in both RHD and LHD versions at the Lotus Cars plant in Hethel, Norfolk, England. It was prese ...

Pagani Huayra The Pagani Huayra () is a mid-engine sports car A sports car is a type of automobile that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as Automobile handling, handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and Auto ...

, Zonda,

Utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', which describes a fictiona ...

Pontiac Fiero The Pontiac Fiero is a Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, rear mid-engine, light sports car manufactured and marketed by Pontiac (automobile), Pontiac for model years 1984 – 1988. Intended as an economical commuter car with modest perf ...

Porsche 550 The Porsche 550 is a racing sports car produced by Porsche from 1953 until 1956. In that time only 90 Porsche 550s were produced, and they quickly established dominance in the 1.1- and 1.5- liter classes. The Porsche 550 is a mid-engine car with ...

914 __NOTOC__ Year 914 ( CMXIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Spring – Empress Zoe Karbonopsina leads a palace coup at Constantinople and, with the support of the '' ma ...

, Boxster/Cayman,

Carrera GT The Porsche Carrera GT (Project Code 980) is a mid-engine sports car that was manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Porsche from 2003 to 2006. ''Sports Car International'' named the Carrera GT number one on its list of Top Sports Cars ...

, 911 GT1 * Renault 5 Turbo, Clio V6 Renault Sport * Secma F16 *

Smart Roadster The Smart Roadster (W452) is a two-door, two-seater sports car classified in the S-segment in Europe. It was first introduced in 2002 by Smart GmbH. The Roadster and its variant, the Roadster Coupe, Coupé, enjoyed mostly successful sales during ...

* Tatra 602 * Toyota MR2/MR-S *

Venturi Atlantique The Venturi Atlantique was a MR layout, mid-engined, fiberglass-bodied France, French sports car produced by Venturi Automobiles from 1991 to 2000. Atlantique 260 The original 260 was a revised version of the Venturi APC 260, carrying over the 2 ...

* Volkswagen XL1

M4 layout – ''Rear Mid-engine / Four-wheel drive''

These cars use mid-ship,

four-wheel-drive A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case provi ...

, with an engine between the axles. *

Ares Design Project1 The ARES Design Project1, in 2023 marketed as the ProgettoUno, is a coach-built sports car manufactured by Italian automobile manufacturer ARES Design. Based on the Lamborghini Huracán, the car is meant to be a modern reinterpretation of the De ...

Audi R8 The Audi R8 is a mid-engine, 2-seater sports car, which uses Audi's trademark quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. It was introduced by the German car manufacturer Audi AG in 2006. Production ended in the first quarter of 2024. The car is ...

BMW i8 The BMW i8 is a plug-in hybrid sports car developed by BMW. The i8 was part of BMW's electrified fleet and was marketed under the BMW i sub-brand. The production version of the BMW i8 was unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show and was releas ...

* Bugatti EB 110, Veyron,

Chiron In Greek mythology, Chiron ( ; also Cheiron or Kheiron; ) was held to be the superlative centaur amongst his brethren since he was called the "wisest and justest of all the centaurs". Biography Chiron was notable throughout Greek mythology for ...

Divo Divo or DIVO may refer to: * Divo, Ivory Coast, a town in the Ivory Coast * Divo Department, a department of the Ivory Coast *Il Divo, an operatic pop quartet * ''Il Divo'' (film), an Italian film directed by Paolo Sorrentino * Divo (record label) ...

, Centodieci *

Ford RS200 The Ford RS200 is a mid-engined, all-wheel-drive sports car that was produced by Ford Motorsport in Boreham, UK, from 1984 to 1986. The road-going RS200 was the basis for Ford's Group B rally car and was designed to comply with FIA homologati ...

Ferrari SF90 Stradale The Ferrari SF90 Stradale (Type F173) is a mid-engine PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) sports car produced by the Italian automobile manufacturer Ferrari. The car shares its name with the SF90 Formula One car with 90 standing for the 90t ...

(4WD versions only), NSX (NC1), Z (1998-2002) * Italdesign Zerouno *

Koenigsegg Gemera The Koenigsegg Gemera is a limited production four-seat plug-in hybrid grand tourer (or 2-door sports saloon) to be manufactured by the Swedish automobile manufacturer Koenigsegg. It was unveiled on 3 March 2020 at an online broadcast by Koenig ...

* Lancia Delta S4 *

Lamborghini Aventador The Lamborghini Aventador () is a mid-engine, two passenger sports car manufactured and marketed by Lamborghini from 2011 until 2022. Named after a prominent Spanish fighting bull that fought in Zaragoza, Aragón, in 1993, the Aventador suc ...

, Centenario, Sián FKP 37, Countach LPI 800-4, Diablo VT series, Gallardo,

Murciélago Murciélago (Spanish for "Bat") was a Navarra Spanish Fighting Bull, fighting bull who gained fame after Lamborghini chose to name Lamborghini Murciélago, a supercar after him to continue the passion for bullfighting that Ferruccio Lamborghini, ...

, Reventón,

Huracán Huracán (; ; , "one legged"), often referred to as ''U Kʼux Kaj'', the "Heart of Sky", is a Kʼicheʼ Maya god of wind, storm, fire and one of the creator deities who participated in all three attempts at creating humanity. He also caused th ...

, Sesto Elemento * Mercedes-AMG ONE * MG Metro 6R4 * Panther Solo 2 * Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 *

Porsche 918 Spyder The Porsche 918 Spyder is a high performance sports car manufactured by German marque Porsche. The 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid powered by a mid-mounted naturally aspirated V8 engine, developing at 8,700RPM, with two electric motors deliveri ...

* Volvo L3314 * Unimog UGN/405

FMF layout – ''Front Mid-engine / Front-wheel drive''

These cars are "mid-ship engined" vehicles, but they use

front-wheel drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of internal combustion engine, engine and transmission (mechanics), transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel-drive vehicles feature ...

, with the engine in front of the driver. It is still treated as an FF layout, though, due to the engine's placement still being in the front of the car, contrary to the popular belief that the engine is placed in front of the rear axle with power transferred to the front wheels (an RMF layout). In most examples, the engine is longitudinally mounted rather than transversely as is common with FF cars. * BSA Scout *

Citroën Traction Avant The Citroën Traction Avant () is the world's first mass-produced, semi-monocoque bodied, front-wheel drive car. A range of mostly four-door saloon (automobile), saloons and executive cars, as well as longer wheelbased ''"Commerciale"'', and thre ...

, DS, SM * Nissan GT-R LM Nismo *

Renault 4 The Renault 4, or R4 in short (and 4L, pronounced "Quatrelle" in French ), is an economy car built by the French company Renault from 1961 to 1994. Although the Renault 4 was first marketed as a short estate or wagon, its minimal rear o ...

, 5, 16 *

Saab Sonett The Saab Sonett is an automobile manufactured by Swedish automaker Saab between 1955 and 1957 and again between 1966 and 1974. The Sonett share its engines and other mechanical components with the Saab 93, 95 and 96 of the same era. It was mai ...

Mk1 *

Honda Vigor The is a premium sedan that was derived from the Honda Accord. It was sold in Japan through the '' Honda Verno'' dealer network from 1981 until 1995, and sold in North America from June 1991 (model year 1992) until 1994 as the Acura Vigor. Early ...

Inspire Inspiration, inspire, INSPIRE, or inspired commonly refers to: * Artistic inspiration, sudden creativity in artistic production * Biblical inspiration, a Christian doctrine on the origin of the Bible * Inhalation, breathing in Inspiration and rel ...

1989–1995 * Maserati Quattroporte II

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mid-Engine Design Car layouts