Mid-engine design facts for kids

A mid-engine car

A mid-engine layout describes the location of an automobile engine between the front and rear axles. A physics term, moment of inertia, shows how hard it is to turn a moving object. In a front engine front-wheel drive car, the drive wheels also have to steer the car, causing torque steer (pull to one side during Acceleration). Front-wheel drive can cause the vehicle to oversteer (turn more sharply than the driver expects) in a corner. A front engine rear-wheel drive can have good weight distribution (balance front to rear), but has a higher moment of inertia than mid engine layout. The mid-engine layout has none of these disadvantages. It has better weight distribution and a lower moment of inertia. Its main disadvantage is that the engine, mounted in the middle, leaves much less room for passengers and cargo. However, in racing there is usually only a driver so passengers and cargo are not an issue.

Images for kids

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  The Lotus Europa S1 was based on a prototype built to compete for Henry Ford II's contract to build a Le Mans race car in the early 1960s.

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  Underfloor mid-engine in a historical Hanomag truck chassis.

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  Front mid-engine position / Rear-wheel drive

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  Front mid-engine position / Rear-wheel drive

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  Rear mid-engine position / Rear-wheel drive

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  Front mid-engine position / Front-wheel drive

See also

In Spanish: Motor central para niños