Analysis of the Influence of Front, Center and Rear Engines on Handling Performance of Vehicles

According to foreign media reports, Car and Driver initiated an analysis to compare and analyze the performance of vehicles equipped with front-, mid-, and rear-mounted engines. Many engineers engaged in design work participated in the discussion. To this end, Xiao Bian has compiled the effects of three engine layout methods on vehicle handling for readers. The content is as follows:

Performance analysis of a front-engined vehicle

This is the most common engine layout, so front-wheel drive vehicles are also the most common. The practicality of this type of vehicle is very strong, and the front engine bay is the most convenient to operate, making the cockpit and the passenger cabin more spacious. However, the engineering design disadvantages of this type of layout are also very obvious. From the perspective of its performance, many high-end car companies only use this kind of layout for their low-end models or simply do not give up.

what is the reason? The simplest explanation is that from a performance point of view, rear-wheel drive vehicles perform best. If a front-mounted engine is used, its engine output must be transmitted to the entire vehicle and the rear wheels must be rotated, which will waste a lot of power. The braking performance of a vehicle equipped with a front-mounted engine will suffer a certain loss because the vehicle weight will be transferred forward when decelerating, and will generate additional momentum in the remaining directions.

Performance Analysis of Rear-engined Vehicles

It can be simply understood that the engine is located at the trunk of the vehicle. For sports cars, this design is very popular because the power source can be placed above the rear axle to improve acceleration and braking performance. After all, the vehicle needs to provide strong propulsion from the rear, and the rear of the vehicle is also where the center of gravity is. When the car is under heavy pressure and pushed to the rear wheels, it can also increase tire pressure.

From the design point of view, the design of the rear engine is relatively simple. People often think that the size of a vehicle equipped with a rear-mounted engine is smaller than that of an ordinary passenger car, and its advantage in terms of size will improve driving control. However, there is a manipulative shortcoming in this design, and the rear wheel drive is prone to skidding, which is known as oversteer. When the rear of the vehicle slides over the front axle, a fishtailing effect will occur. Oversteer can be used as a control technique, especially in bad weather, many track riders like to enjoy this driving effect.

Performance analysis of a mid-engined vehicle

According to Car and Driver's documents, although the midrange engine is the rarest of the three layouts, its engine is in the “best layout position”—located on the front side of the rear axle. This is because, in addition to its position close to the rear wheels, this design allows the vehicle to achieve an ideal weight distribution, center of gravity and pulling force. When the center of gravity of the vehicle is in the middle, the imbalance of the wheels will not be caused by the extra weight, and the accuracy of the vehicle steering will be improved. Usually, the driver does not consider such factors, but this difference in performance is obvious when the track is tightly turned.

to sum up

If you drive a vehicle with a front-mounted engine, as if the engine can understand the driver's intentions, pulling the vehicle all the way quickly. When driving a rear-engined vehicle, it's like using a cruise mode. It's powerful and doesn't notice anything. The vehicle is pushing you forward. What about mid-engined vehicles? It feels like you are sitting on the road, it is absolutely visceral.