Mid-engine cars are silly

"jeffywk" (jeffywk) 05/05/2016 at 00:28 • Filed to: None

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No one, on any public road in any car, should ever be going fast enough that they need to be driving a car that necessitates the superior balance of mid-enginedness. They are silly posers, and will probably be videotaped crashing into a lake.

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Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 00:32

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What about slow mid engined cars like the mr2 or feiro (sp?)

Steve in Manhattan > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 00:33

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So choose - early Boxster or mid-90s 911. I’ve driven both, and I know what’ll put you off the road faster.

Alfalfa > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 00:38

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Really not sure if this is a joke or not...

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 00:39

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sm70- why not Duesenberg? > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 00:41

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This could be applied to...well, anything that makes a car go faster than a Kia Soul can stock, really.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 00:43

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Are you suggesting we should all be driving cars that are bland and boring? Well-balanced cars that go where you point them are just better to drive. Sure, you may not want the harsh ride and discomforts of a machine bred strictly for the track, but at the same time everything that makes a car faster on the track will also maybe it respond better in emergency situations, and turn driving into less of a chore like it is for most people.

1111111111111111111111 > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 00:47

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914 is a perfectly normal Street car. As well as a Miata, not ME but 50/50. Mr2 is a nice thing as well.

sdwarf36 > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 00:50

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Yea-they’ll never catch on.

Scary__goongala! > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 00:50

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You must be confused

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 00:51

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mate. his crux is basically that mid-engine cars are harder to recover from a slide. But forgets they’re less likely to slide at road speeds. what a huge eggplant.

Baeromez > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 00:52

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.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 05/05/2016 at 00:52

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ouch, that hurts.

Dusty Ventures > sdwarf36 05/05/2016 at 00:53

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Your first car?

Scary__goongala! > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 00:55

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Silly Jeff, Trix are for kids

Scary__goongala! > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 00:55

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Silly Jeff, Trix are for kids

CRider > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 00:57

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Urambo Tauro > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 00:59

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The classic front-engine, rear-cargo layout that places passengers in the middle of the car is hard to beat. Technically it’s a compromise, when you compare it to more purpose-built vehicles, like sports cars and tractor-trucks. But it’s an ideal compromise, and it works very well for most users.

Having passengers in the middle of the car is a great advantage. Not only does it lend a significant degree of safety to all, it’s also a great vantage point for the driver. While a cab-forward design does grant the driver good visibility, it requires one to be extra mindful of the vehicle’s extra rearward length. And as for placing the driver all the way at the rear, that would complicate the driver’s ability to judge where the front bumper is.

When it comes to cargo, the rear of the car is by far the best place for it. This is especially true when you’re dealing with oversized items that may require the trunk to be open to some degree.

For most cars, the front will remain the best place for the engine. For many decades, the mechanical heart of the car has needed its own place. By having the engine in the front of the vehicle, that space is spoken for, and crumple zones are able to function as designed without any random cargo complicating things.

But I’m rambling. It’s late, and I should probably make my own post on the topic. Maybe later; I’m going to bed now.

for Michigan > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 01:10

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Owned a Fiero.

Brother owns a Miata. Which I’ve driven and wrenched on.

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And I didn’t even get into MR2, X1/9, or 914.

for Michigan > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 05/05/2016 at 01:11

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Those are mentioned in the full article.

Nauraushaun > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 01:13

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No one needs a manual gearbox

No one needs more than 200hp

No one needs flambouyant styling

Everyone should drive an autonomous minivan

Mid-engined road cars exist for the same reason we have powerful cars, manual cars, two-door cars, RWD cars, convertible cars, etc. They’re more interesting. I don’t need a mid-engined car, but I love the way my MR2 feels through roundabouts.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 01:13

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I thought you were going to say they are dumb because having the engine in the middle makes maintenance more difficult, but .. meh.

Mid-engine cars feel different because of their weight balance, construction, and suspension tuning, and as a concept they’re fine if you can afford the compromises.

Mike > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 01:22

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jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Nauraushaun 05/05/2016 at 01:24

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Plot twist: Toyota Previa. Minivan, but also mid-engined. Available with a manual. Available with awd. Available with a supercharger. None of those availables at the same time.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 01:42

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I think someone left something stinky in your Cheeri-O’s. Should probably check that first next time.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 01:57

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How about front-mid like the Miata, Corvette, Viper, M100 Elan, S2000 etc.

Nauraushaun > jdrgoat - Ponticrack? 05/05/2016 at 02:02

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I bet none of them feels quite like my MR2 ;)

traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn > Nauraushaun 05/05/2016 at 06:11

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An oppo said something along the lines of this a while back: “We don’t buy cars based on what we need (we buy them for what we want ) - if everyone was driving what we need, that would probably be a Prius.”

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 07:24

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Nauraushaun > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 05/05/2016 at 07:48

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That’s just it! And oppo wouldn’t exist - you can’t engage oppo in a Prius.

*waits to be proven wrong*

BigBlock440 > sdwarf36 05/05/2016 at 08:23

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I mean, they didn’t...

Wallaby > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 08:30

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This must be Alyssa Walker’s secret oppo account.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Nauraushaun 05/05/2016 at 10:12

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Agreed, but I just like the statistic about the Previa that makes it such an oddball. ;) I would also take my Fiero over a Previa any day.

Opposite Locksmith > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 10:28

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You're just mean man

Opposite Locksmith > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 10:28

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No one needs more than 80hp then you walnut

Übel > BigBlock440 05/05/2016 at 10:30

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That’s the Benz Patent-Motorwagen. If that didn’t catch on, we’d still be using horses to get around.

BigBlock440 > Übel 05/05/2016 at 10:57

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But they’re not in that configuration.

Nauraushaun > jdrgoat - Ponticrack? 05/05/2016 at 18:15

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It is an oddball. Typical of Japan at the time I suppose. Back when Toyota was building things like the Sera just ‘coz.

That’s good to hear ;)

jeffywk > jdrgoat - Ponticrack? 05/05/2016 at 19:37

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haha awesome

jeffywk > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 05/05/2016 at 19:38

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make me ;)

jeffywk > Baeromez 05/05/2016 at 19:38

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and now HE’S ON TOP GEAR!!

jeffywk > for Michigan 05/05/2016 at 19:39

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I’ll admit, the 914, albeit the slowest car I’ve ever driven, was very fun.

jeffywk > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 19:40

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I can’t actually tell if that’s Matt LeBlanc or not.

jeffywk > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 05/05/2016 at 19:40

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Where did you find a picture of me???

jeffywk > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 05/05/2016 at 19:43

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More of what I’m saying is that mid-engine cars are for people who want to show off and aren’t skilled enough to bring out the superior balance of a mid-engine car. There are plenty of interesting and cool cars that aren’t mid-engined!

jeffywk > Urambo Tauro 05/05/2016 at 19:45

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Very well said. I’d like to add that you can have a 50/50 weight distribution without having an engine in the middle. I’d list the cars that are, but ehh, that’s a lot of effort. Miata, 944... etc.

jeffywk > CRider 05/05/2016 at 19:46

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Same reason you are, probably :)

jeffywk > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 05/05/2016 at 19:46

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Mosty just sad, unfortunately.

Urambo Tauro > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 20:15

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I imagine that having 2000 pounds in the middle of the car would still be better for stability than having 1000 pounds up front and 1000 pounds in the rear. Either method will get you that 50/50 weight distribution, but the arrangement of mass and weight in a car gets into some of the deeper aspects of car physics that I’ve never really explored.

At any rate, that stuff really only becomes important in serious racing, not so much in everyday driving. I like racing stuff, but normal practicality is much more important to me, and that’s part of why I could never see myself owning something like a Cayman. That car has storage in both front and rear, but adding up the cubic feet of cargo space doesn’t give it the same capabilities of one large trunk.

Oi, here I go with the big paragraphs again. I really should make a full post on the subject. But I really need to do more research first...

jeffywk > Urambo Tauro 05/05/2016 at 20:24

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Right! Racing is where it is actually important!

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Nauraushaun 05/05/2016 at 21:47

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That bubble that Japan created for themselves sure did lead to some fun cars to look back on. :) The A-B-C Kei cars are sweet, too.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 22:12

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For sure. But that doesn’t mean those of us who might be shouldn’t be able to enjoy them, too.

Baeromez > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 22:23

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_MacF…

rockingthe2 > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 22:29

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And you can go to hell. My mid engine car is a blast to drive on a daily basis, and I couldn’t have a dedicated track car, so I used it as a daily. Now it’s more for a dedicated track/weekend car, but I wouldn’t trade 4 years of using it as a daily for anything. So yeah, mid engine cars aren’t the most practical choice, so sue me. How long have you driven a mid engined car? How many track days or miles have you put in behind the wheel of one? Assholes on the road will be assholes in a prius, or in a p1. Seems like the same rings true for people on the computer.

jeffywk > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 05/05/2016 at 22:37

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Well of course you can enjoy them! You’ll just look stupid! :)

jeffywk > rockingthe2 05/05/2016 at 22:56

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I’m not saying don’t buy one, I’m saying you’ll look stupid. I will not sue you, but I may see you in hell.

Nauraushaun > jdrgoat - Ponticrack? 05/05/2016 at 23:50

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Damn right! My MR2 probably came out of there. Very glad.

rockingthe2 > jeffywk 05/05/2016 at 23:52

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That, that you might. I’ll buy you a beer...

....and drown your heathen ass in it.