Mid-Engine Wonders, an AW List

The mid-engine. Stepping up to a mid-engine car is like going from Triple-A ball to the majors. There’s plenty of skill in Triple-A, and you can go a whole lifetime in it and be happy. But nothing really compares with the big leagues. The names of mid-engine cars read like a who’s who list of motorsports champions--McLaren, Porsche, Ferrari. There are others with less pricey sounding names--Pontiac, Acura, Toyota. But all of them come with a near-perfect weight ratio and a good story.

Acura NSX

The mid-engine NSX was built from 1990 to 2005 in Tochigi, Japan, by Honda. It was the first production car to feature an all-aluminum chassis, suspension and body. The rear-wheel-drive supercar came with the now-famous 3.0-liter VTEC V6 making 270 hp.

Lotus Exige S

The Lotus Exige is one of those cars that get by on pure science. The supercharged 1.8-liter Toyota engine makes 240 hp in North America, but the vehicle weighs in at just more than one ton. The mid-mounted engine placed just in front of the rear wheels gives the Exige a near- 50/50 weight ratio.

Toyota MR2

The MR2 was a two-seat, mid-engine wonder built in between 1984 and 2007. The last generation (2000-07) housed a 1.8-liter DOHC I4 engine making 138 hp. The car was dropped for 2006 in the United States but continued to sell elsewhere.

Ferrari Dino 206 GT

The Dino 206 (named after the late Dino Ferrari) was the first time Ferrari used a mid-engine configuration on a road-going car. The 2.0-liter V6 made only 205 hp at 8,800 rpm. The Dino was also the first Ferrari to use direct rack-and-pinion steering.

Audi R8

Before the R8, Audi’s supercar stable was bare. The German automaker had racing credibility but nothing that excited the average buyer. Enter the R8. The mid-mounted 4.2-liter in the first R8 made 420 horses. Add that to an all-wheel-drive setup, and you have a recipe for a livable supercar with a unique look.

Porsche Cayman

Slotted in between the 911 and the Boxster, the Cayman was Porsche’s middle child. That’s good for us, because it meant there was a Porsche that was less expensive than a 911 but faster than a Boxster. The mid-engine and hardtop didn’t hurt either.

Ford GT

Tracing its roots to the Le Mans-winning GT40, the Ford GT was the Blue Oval’s supercar. The 5.4-liter supercharged V8 made 550 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. Rolling-pin wheels and the Gulf Oil paint job were trademarks of the GT.

McLaren F1

At one time, the McLaren F1 was the fastest production car in the world, with a 240-mph top speed. Production of the F1 lasted from 1992 to 1998, and only 106 were built. Even with unlimited funds, they’re still hard to find.

Pontiac Fiero

Don’t laugh; the Fiero was way ahead of it’s time. It paced the Indy 500 in 1984, beating out the Chevrolet Corvette. The “Iron Duke” four-cylinder was the base engine of the Fiero; soon after, Pontiac added a high- output V6.

Lamborghini Miura

The Miura was one of the first road-ready cars to feature a mid-engine, two-seat layout. It was designed against the wishes of Ferruccio Lamborghini but was well received at the 1966 Geneva motor show. The Miura was dropped in 1972 and eventually was replaced by the Countach.

By null