Front Engine, Mid Engine, and Rear Engine placement explained.

There are several advantages to designing a car with an engine at the front, which is perhaps why it is the simplest and most frequent arrangement. However, when complexity is an advantage, such as in high-performance vehicles, auto engineers have alternative options. 

The location of the engine usually corresponds to how the rest of the automobile is arranged, especially which wheels move the car. (This link is strong, but not entirely reliable; 4-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive vehicles are significant and fairly common outliers.) 

It's such a hotly discussed issue that Car & Driver performed a thorough investigation, comparing one rear-engine and one mid-engine Porsche. Even if a Porsche isn't in the budget, many of the fundamentals apply.

So, let's look at some of the key features of each plan. These ideas include a lot of physics and engineering, but we'll attempt to keep it as easy as possible.

Front Engine:

You're probably most familiar with a front-engine automobile, in which the engine is located directly between the front wheels. It is the most common layout since it is the most practical. Because there is more space for freight and passengers with the engine up front, sports vehicles with a front-engine may be created with four seats while still being rather quick.

However, because the engine is located at the front, the weight of the automobile is unbalanced toward that end of the vehicle.

While in motion, this balances out, but these cars have a higher center of gravity, which isn't ideal for handling and can cause body roll. Roll causes the drive to be less responsive. Finally, because most high-performance automobiles have rear-wheel drive, placing the engine up front causes considerable delay (and potentially waste) when the engine transmits power to the back wheels. It is preferable to have the engine closer to the driving wheels.

Pros:

• More space for both people and freight.
• The simplest to drive.
• Service and maintenance are simplified.

Cons:

• A relatively high center of gravity.
• Weight distribution is not optimal.
• Driveline failure

Mid Engine:

A mid-engine layout is used by the majority of exotics and high-performance sports vehicles. The engine is centered in this situation, generally directly behind the driver and closer to the center of the vehicle, rather than on top of or behind the rear wheels. 

This configuration offers many of the same advantages as a rear-engine automobile, but without the same downsides. Because the engine is closer to the rear wheels, there is more grip, which contributes to quicker acceleration, but because it isn't as far back, the vehicle isn't as ready to swing when turning at high speeds. 

Furthermore, with the engine in the middle, the weight distribution is better balanced, and the center of gravity is lower, all of which improves the vehicle's responsiveness.

In a mid-engine car, not everything is perfect. The engine's location makes the interior significantly less large, and while there are normally chances for a standard trunk and a frunk, they're unlikely to be the most accommodating. Finally, due to their evenly balanced weight, mid-engine automobiles can be difficult to manage while losing traction, such as during a spin. In other automobiles, you can find traction and stability by accelerating or braking, but this is far more difficult in a mid-engine vehicle.

Pros:

• Performance is not degraded.
• Looks exotic
• Weight distribution is excellent.

Cons:

• Cabin space is limited.
• More difficult to maintain/service.
• Spins are difficult to recover from.

Rear Engine:

Cars with the engine in the back are rather uncommon, albeit the classic Porsche 911, as well as several very specialized vehicles such as the Ariel Atom and Nomad, utilize this arrangement. The weight and power unit are directly adjacent to the driving wheels when the engine is mounted at the rear wheels. This weight aids with traction and acceleration. These cars' weight distribution is tilted toward the rear, yet they have a lower center of gravity than a front-engine vehicle.

While these vehicles function admirably, they can be difficult to handle in difficult conditions. Suspension and chassis tuning has helped to remove characteristics such as rapid oversteer, although drivers must still be cautious when driving on winding roads or tracks, should they encourage tail-wagging behavior. Furthermore, sports vehicles with rear engines are less practical: while they have a front trunk (a.k.a. the frunk), it is not as large as a tree trunk.

Pros:

• Better traction and acceleration
• Front-engine vehicles have a lower center of gravity.
• More useful than a mid-engine vehicle

Cons:

• It has the tendency to oversteer.
• Not as convenient as a front-engine vehicle.
• The Center of gravity and weight distribution is worse than in a mid-engine vehicle.

Conclusion:

This article includes everything about engine placement. So, there is no confusion left about it.