| Long for the feel of a perfectly-balanced sportscar, | | | | drivetrain between the wheels show up in the |
| but can't afford that Ferarri you want? Relax, there | | | | balance and responsiveness of the vehicle. According |
| are plenty of opportunities for you to get that exotic | | | | to engineers at Ferarri, the "optimal" distribution of |
| car look and feel without breaking your budget. This | | | | weight in a sports car (front-to-rear balance) is |
| article is Part 1 of a series that looks at affordable | | | | somewhere around 45/55 -- 45% of the drive |
| mid-engine sports cars, including why you want one, | | | | weight carried on the front wheels, and 50% on the |
| how to find the one that's right for you, how to | | | | rear. That kind of balance is extremely hard to |
| keep it on the road, how to turn it into the supercar | | | | achieve if the heaviest components - engine and |
| you've always wanted, and how to enjoy it in safe, | | | | transmission - are located on top of the front wheels. |
| sanctioned race events. | | | | To convince yourself of the difference in |
| First, what defines a 'mid-engine' car, and why is it | | | | responsiveness, you can try a little experiment. Grab |
| good? The commonly accepted usage of the term | | | | a 10-lb weight (bowling ball?) to your chest and walk |
| mid-engine means the bulk of the drivetrain - engine, | | | | along an S-shaped path. Yes, you're carrying extra |
| transmission and driveshafts - is physically located | | | | weight, but it does not affect your sense of balance. |
| in-between the front and rear wheels of the car. | | | | Now walk that path holding the weight out as far as |
| Contrast that to a typical front-engine car, where | | | | you can to one side or the other. You'll find you have |
| much of the engine is located in front of the front | | | | to compensate greatly for the extra weight as you |
| wheels, or even to the venerable Porsche 911, where | | | | change direction along the path. |
| the engine and transaxle are mostly behind the rear | | | | Future articles in this series will look at affordable |
| wheels. | | | | mid-engine cars and how to modify them to |
| The advantages of keeping the weight of the | | | | approach exotic car status. |