What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Front, Center, And Rear Engine Positions?

The front engine, as the name suggests, is installed above the front axle of a car. The front engine layout is also the most common layout, and currently 99% of household cars on the market use the front engine layout. Its driving methods are further divided into three types: front wheel drive, front wheel drive, and front four-wheel drive.
Advantages: Strong practicality, the most convenient operation, and the ability to maximize the interior space of the car.
Disadvantages: A large amount of power waste and loss of braking performance.
Representative models: Ford Mustang, Honda Civic, BMW, Audi.
Engine mounted vehicle
① Front wheel drive is currently the most commonly used method for most vehicles and is also the most practical. The engine is arranged horizontally, with the engine and wheels running in the same direction, so there is no transmission shaft. Its advantage is that the efficiency of the engine is relatively high, and the space utilization rate is also high.
However, its handling is poor, so many high-end car companies only apply this layout to low-end models or simply abandon it. Many car enthusiasts also reject this form of driving, as the handling is too weak.
As for the reason, it is not difficult to understand. Because in terms of performance, rear wheel drive vehicles have the best performance. If a front wheel drive engine is used, the engine power output must be transmitted to the entire vehicle in order to drive the rear wheels, which wastes a lot of power. Therefore, there will inevitably be a certain loss of power performance.
In the actual handling process, due to the center of gravity of the entire vehicle being pressed against the front wheel axles, the bending limit and flexibility will be compromised, and the phenomenon of "pushing the head" will also be more severe.
② Front and rear wheel drive, the engine adopts a longitudinal arrangement, and the crankshaft is perpendicular to the front axle of the car, mainly outputting power to the rear wheels through the transmission shaft. Its advantage is that the handling is good, and the joy of handling is greater than that of the front wheel drive. Therefore, most car enthusiasts who enjoy playing with cars prefer the front and rear wheel drive form.
In actual handling, the cornering limit of the front and rear wheel drive is relatively large, but the requirements for driving skills are also relatively high. If the driver's skills are in place, they can also complete difficult actions such as "drifting". However, if encountering wet and slippery roads in rainy and snowy weather, it is very dangerous.
As for the drawbacks, they are also related to the transmission shaft. Due to the addition of a transmission shaft, some power loss may occur during the output process. Another drawback is that transmission issues can also affect the interior space of the car.
③ Compared to front wheel drive and front rear wheel drive, the front four-wheel drive has a much better driving form and better handling. Furthermore, due to its four-wheel drive format, the technical requirements for drivers are relatively low, as is the case with Audi quattro four-wheel drive models. In addition, many off-road vehicles are also equipped with front wheel drive, and its ability to overcome difficulties is beyond doubt.
The engine is installed in the middle of the front and rear axles of a car (as shown in the figure), and there are two main driving forms: central four-wheel drive and central rear wheel drive.
Engine mounted vehicle
Advantages: The front and rear weight ratio is more balanced, and the handling is better, making it the layout form of most supercars.
Disadvantage: It takes up a lot of space.
Representative models: Bugatti and Koniseg.
The engine is the least common of the three layouts, but in reality, its engine is in the best position of the entire vehicle. The reason is that its position is close to the outside of the rear wheels, allowing the vehicle's weight distribution, center of gravity, and tension to achieve the optimal balance.
In addition, as the center of gravity of the vehicle is in the middle, it will not cause wheel imbalance due to additional weight, which is also beneficial for effectively improving the accuracy of the vehicle's steering, especially when it is more easily reflected in sharp turns on the track. Better handling and higher limits have greatly surpassed practicality.
The rear of the engine refers to the installation position of the engine on the rear axle of the car (as shown in the figure). This layout method is relatively rare, except for daily buses and buses, which are more familiar to everyone is the Porsche 911. This layout method mainly has two forms: rear wheel drive and rear four-wheel drive.
Rear engine mounted vehicle
Advantages: The front of the car is more flexible, and the handling experience is better.
Disadvantage: High technical requirements for drivers.
Representative model: Porsche 911.
The rear engine layout is more popular in sports cars because placing the power source above the rear axle can improve acceleration and braking performance, while also providing a more flexible handling experience.
In addition, vehicles equipped with a rear engine are also smaller in size than regular passenger cars, so the advantage of size, that is, the compact layout, is also significant in improving driving handling. The specific manifestation is the omission of some structures and the lighter body, which is more conducive to breaking through the acceleration performance of 100 kilometers per hour.
However, due to the increase in rear axle pressure, this type of sports car is also more difficult to control. For example, rear wheel drive is prone to side slip; When the rear wheels of a vehicle slide past the front wheels, a tail sway effect occurs, thus requiring high driving skills from the driver. However, this is also the reason why most racing drivers like it, after all, its driving effect is really "too cool".