The Chevrolet Corvette is the closest the American auto industry ever got to a proper sports car to rival the likes of the Europeans. It had the traditional layout with the engine in the front, the drive went to the rear and there was enough space in the middle for two people and their luggage. This trend continued all the way from 1954 until 2019.
The eighth-generation Corvette flipped the formula and put the engine in the middle, right behind the occupants. This not only made it a better sports car, but it also shifted it directly into the path of the greatest sports and supercars ever made. The C8 Stingray is a monumental success for the Corvette brand as it costs just over $60,000, but packs a punch like something double or even triple its price. The new Z06 moved one step further and decided to take on Ferrari at their own game – and it’s doing quite well. We can only imagine what the upcoming E-Ray, Grand Sport, ZR1 and Zora trims will offer.
While the mid-engine layout has so far worked out spectacularly for the Corvette, many have speculated that other sports cars should do the same. It would be interesting, but there are some which simply wouldn’t work. Here are ten sports cars which we hope never to become mid-engine like the Corvette.
10 Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is one of the most established cars on the market, boasting the traditional front engine, rear drive layout since it was introduced in 1964. While there have been some renderings going around showcasing a mid-engine Mustang, this would ruin the model for everyone.
The Mustang is the affordable sports car, available to anyone with a few thousand dollars lying around. Replacing the Mustang with a mid-engine version would hike up the price and turn it into something unreachable that only the wealthy could afford.
9 Chevrolet Camaro
Like the Ford Mustang, the Chevrolet Camaro is one of the most popular sports cars in the US. Since the Corvette C8 was unveiled, many render artists have added the Camaro’s front end to it, effectively showing what a mid-engine Camaro would look like. We weren’t all that impressed.
The Camaro is perfect where it currently sits, with the base trim starting from under $30,000 and rising to just over $70,000 for the range-topping ZL1. A mid-engine model would negate the low price and make the Camaro unaffordable. It would also ruin a great history of the model.
8 Jaguar F-Type
The Jaguar F-Type is currently on its way out, as Jaguar have stated that 2024 will be the final year for the model. This is quite sad, but inevitable as the company is embracing electric power. Even if the brand comes up with another F-Type, we hope it won’t be mid-engined.
The F-Type is considered to be the spiritual successor to the legendary E-Type, and it did an admirable job as a sports car. If Jaguar wants a mid-engine sports car, they should rather refer to the canceled CX-75 or possibly a new XJ220.
7 BMW M4
The BMW M4 is the successor to the M3 coupe and is currently in its second generation. While the current M4 has some controversial styling, there is no doubt that it is a magnificent piece of German engineering, out-performing most of its rivals.
The M4 as a mid-engine sports car would radically improve the already great dynamics, but would result in it competing with the McLaren Artura and the Maserati MC20 – two cars which would wipe the floor with the M4. We think it’s better to keep the M4 as is.
6 Toyota Supra
Another car which got lots of mid-engine renders when the C8 Corvette debuted was the Toyota Supra – both the current A90 and the previous A80. This is not such a bad idea, as the older Supra would realistically be competing with the first generation Honda NSX – in an alternate universe.
A modern mid-engine Supra wouldn’t work as the Supra is aimed at fighting the Ford Mustang, BMW M440i, Nissan Z and the Lexus RC-F. It is a sporty GT car which happens to have a massive following – most of which would probably riot if the engine wasn’t in the front.
5 Nissan Z
The Nissan Z cars were always designed to be worthy alternatives to the big American muscle cars. They were smaller and cheaper, but still offered the same level of enjoyment when driving along a twisty road. The current Z still does this.
A mid-engine Nissan Z would undo 50+ years of Japanese heritage and would put the car in a different class – somewhere below the C8 Corvette. The Z is a great car, but is better in the current spot it occupies, rivaling the Toyota Supra for Japanese-German dominance.
4 Lexus LC 500
The Lexus LC 500 is an underrated GT car in all ways. It is a fantastic vehicle which deserves more praise than it is currently getting. But moving the engine to the middle would possibly alienate it even further – plus, there is no reason for Lexus to do this.
The only supercar Lexus ever made was the LFA, and it was and still is spectacular. The engine was technically in the middle as the entirety of it sits behind the front axle, but moving it behind the occupants won’t make much of a difference – the same as with the LC 500.
3 Dodge Viper
Like the Chevrolet Corvette, the Dodge Viper is a proper American incarnation of a sports car. Unlike the Mercedes-AMG GT which it rivals, the Viper had an engine more than twice the size and no traction control – in proper American fashion.
While a mid-engine Viper would probably be fantastic, it won’t quite fit with the idea of the Viper. After all, the Viper ACR proved the vehicle’s capabilities around a circuit, and a mid-engine model won’t necessarily improve the formula.
2 Nissan GT-R
Judging by the renderings and the public perception, there is a small chance that the R36 Nissan GT-R may feature its engine in the middle. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, we hope it doesn’t get to this, as it would ruin the traditional GT-R formula.
The GT-R is a beloved model within the automotive community, and every model had its engine in the front, with drive going to the rear or all four wheels. It is a staple of the community and, playing with the idea of a mid-engine GT-R, is cause for backlash.
1 Porsche 911
This might be odd as the engine is at the back, but a mid-engine Porsche 911 would be one of the weirdest looking sports cars out there. Thanks to the engine in the back, the rear-end design is compact and concise, resulting in the iconic design.
A mid-engine 911 would have an elongated tail, resulting in an odd sloping silhouette, which would just look bizarre. It would also completely ruin the classic Porsche 911 driving dynamics and cause a lot of outrage.
