There are so many unspoilt reasons to plan a car with an locomotive engine in the front , which is probably why it ’s the simplest and most common layout . But when complexity is an asset – such as in high - operation gondola – auto engineers do have other options . railway locomotive positioning tends to equate to how the rest of the machine is configure – specifically , which wheels ram the car . ( This connection is firm , but not completely unfailing – 4 - bicycle - drive and all - bicycle - drive auto are notable and fairly coarse exceptions ) . It ’s such an intensely debated issue thatCar and Driverconducted an vivid analysis , using one rear - engined and one mid - engined Porsche for comparison . Even if a Porsche is n’t in the budget , a lot of the precept are the same . So , let ’s take a look at some of the characteristics of each layout . There ’s a lot of cathartic and technology involved in these pattern , but we ’ll endeavor to keep it as dewy-eyed as possible .
Front - ride engines are the most common locomotive engine arrangement . therefore , front - wheel - drive car are also the most common . They ’re pragmatic – a front engine bay is easy to sour on , and a front - hop on engine grant for roomier cabin and more passenger quad . And while a front - railway locomotive fomite can be tune for some spirited driving , front - railway locomotive car are at such an engineering disadvantage from a performance perspective that many in high spirits - performanceauto manufacturersreserve them for their small - end models or skip them in all . Why ? The unproblematic account is that rear - bike - drive motorcar handle the good from a functioning linear perspective , and a ton of power would be wasted if a front - mount engine had to mail its output down the total length of the gondola to turn the rear wheels . Front - engine cars also mislay a bit of braking capacitance because the gondola ’s weightiness chemise forward as the cable car decelerates , giving it extra momentum in the undesirable direction .
A tooshie - mounted locomotive engine basically means that the engine is located in what we conceive of as the trunk arena . It ’s a popular intent for sports cars because placing the magnate source behind the rear axle increase acceleration and braking ability . The acceleration might seem counterintuitive – after all , the gondola essentially needs a big button from behind to get going , and that ’s right where all the weight is based . But that free weight also bears down on the rearward wheels , which improves the tyre ' traction . And simply due to the nature of the design , rearward - engine railway car run to be well smaller than an middling passenger vehicle . That size of it advantage will improve handling as well . However , there ’s one specific treatment drawback – rearward - steering wheel - drive cars are prone to a type of skidding known as oversteer . Oversteer is when the rearward remnant of the car slew out of line of the front , causing a fishtailing result . Oversteer can be tricky to control , especially in inclement weather , but pot of weekend track warriors appear to delight the burden .
Mid - engine cars are the least common configuration of the three , but they feature the engine in " the optimal location , " according to the aforementioned Car and Driver article – just in front of the rear axle . That ’s because , in gain to a mid - mounted engine ’s proximity to the rearward wheels , this designing also allows the motorcar to achieve ideal weight dispersion , gist ofgravityand adhesive friction . When the car ’s weight is pore , the steering wheel wo n’t be thrown off rest by have to manage with extra free weight , and the motorcar can be steered with more precision . These are factors the average machine driver probably never mean about , but can make a world of difference powering through loaded turns on a track .
Engine placement FAQ
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There ’s a lot of talk about how engine emplacement touch handling … a mickle . It ’s a favorite topic among enthusiast of high - goal brands . And I ’ve ride all the configurations – maybe not extensively , but enough to have a handle on the divergence . If you require to put it in its childlike terms , it ’s the experience of being draw out , as opposed to the experience of being labor . In both scenarios , the driver is totally in command , but there are subtle differences that are intemperate to put into words . drive a car with a front - mounted railway locomotive ( which is most of ‘em , by the way ) feels like the engine knows its purpose – it ’s doing its job to pull up your vehicle along . A rear - mount seems like it ’s out for a cruise , so powerful that it does n’t even notice it ’s press you along . Center - climb ? Well that ’s just visceral . Almost like you ’re grounded to the route .
Even if you have little ( or no ) experience with the remainder , you might still be able-bodied to get the horse sense if you ’ve spend some time on curler coasters . Think about a traditional apparatus , train on top of tracks , as liken to a suspend steel coaster . altogether different sensation – one feels like you ’re being lifted , even on a decline . The other is like falling and being pick up at the last minute . Even if the coaster come after similar course , there ’s a understanding the technologist came up with more than one design .
