![]() To swing that over your shoulder will take quite some effort, but once it’s going you’ll struggle to stop it mid swing. As for the 911’s pendulum analogy, I prefer to think more in terms of a sledgehammer. Yet, if (excess) oversteer is detected and corrected quickly it is also much easier to bring back under control. In fact, the mid-engined setup will steer, pivot or spin much more easily due to the reduced rotational inertia. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the rear-engined layout is much easier to spin and that this happens very easily. Many of us have heard stories about early 911s. Tucking your legs in will make you rotate faster if you kick them out you’ll slow down. It’s just like if you spin on an office chair. ![]() Rear-engined cars have these masses distributed over a greater length and react more slowly when steering. The more concentrated the individual masses, the less rotational inertia and easier the vehicle will rotate when turning-in to the corner.Ī mid-engined car has its major masses nearer the centre and can rotate very quickly when steering. In this case, the total mass of each model is the same, but the individual masses that make up the vehicle are distributed differently along its length. If we move the engine forward of the rear wheels so it touches the paint tin, we now have an equally crude Boxster. If we pop a strimmer engine on the rear end, behind the wheels, a tin of paint in the middle to represent the driver and a large pack of batteries over the front wheels to simulate the fuel tank, we have a very crude representation of the 911. To help explain what it means, let’s consider a skateboard as a simplified chassis. This is the main property behind why rear-engined and mid-engined cars behave differently when turning-in to a corner. It’s a measure of resistance to an increase (or decrease) in rotation. You may have heard the term ‘moment of inertia’, or rotational inertia. The rear-biased weight distribution champions rear grip and, when we talk inertia, the 911 is initially more forgiving if you steer gently. Perhaps unexpectedly, during poor weather conditions, I’d prefer to drive a rear-wheel drive 911 over a Cayman any day of the week. This is thanks, in part, to significant development in tyre compound technology and increased size, but there has also been continual tweaking of architecture and tuning. Regarding its ability to lose the tail during everyday driving, it’s certainly less of a concern than for early cars. Over the years, the 911 has seen huge amounts of development, with the latest levels of refinement and handling, frankly, superb. Or herself (!) Even then, these systems are not infallible and, contrary to popular belief, good driving technique is more effective than electronics. Of course, the most modern kit has a suite of electronics to try and help protect the driver from himself. Although still possible to get in a pickle with the latest high-powered cars, it tends to be more through higher speeds or dodgy driving than through chassis layout. ![]() But what makes these cars so nimble and what is it about Porsche’s near-patented rear-engined recipe that keeps them knocking out 911s? Skateboards and mass distributionĪn engine position behind the rear axle and the skinnier tyres of earlier 911s make for a near-unique spirited driving experience. From the lightweight Lotus Elise to Honda’s superb NSX, most modern Italian exotica, and the new Alpine A110, sports cars with an engine just behind the driver come in many flavours. Whilst there aren’t many options for cars with the engine hanging out over the rear axle, you’re almost spoilt for choice when it comes to modern mid-engined motors. In this article we’ll explore what differentiates these two layouts. Perhaps you had a 911 on the wall as a child, or maybe the past twenty-five years of motoring press praise for the Boxster/Cayman pairing has you leaning that way. If you’re after a ‘proper Porsche’ and the more modern kit excites you, you may well be stuck in the quagmire that is the ‘mid vs rear’ dilemma. As for the mid-engined layout seen in the Boxster/Cayman/718, there is generally nothing but praise from all but the most die-hard 911 fans. During many a discussion about the classic rear-engined setup it doesn’t take long for somebody to say the word pendulum, or sometimes even, widowmaker. The 911’s handling has a long-established reputation. Our resident performance driver coach, Neil Furber, will be explaining the physics behind marvellous mid-ship motors and the iconic traction-focused thoroughbred born from the beetle lineage the Porsche 911. With some focus on Porsche products over the coming weeks, we thought you may like to find out some more about the difference between the rear-engined and mid-engined Stuttgart offerings available through Garage Sportique.
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