Porsche

The reviews of the boxster and cayman have been glowing lately, with the subtle suggestion that these mid-engined cars are better balanced, better handling, better all-around sportscars than the 911. the carrera gt supercar is also mid-engined. is it only a matter of time until the engine in the 911 finds itself on the other side of the rear axle?

Back in 1964 when porsche introduced the 911, they also introduced the midengined 904. around the same time competitors like ferrari were also coming out with midengined cars. since 1964, it has come up many times "will the next generation 911 be midengined."in the 1960s the issue was drivability and that in the days before aero elements, the added weight over the drive wheels provided better traction. moving on to the 1990s, the choice would become more market driven: if you ask someone what a 911 is, you would most likely be told it is a rear engined car with a flat 6. as the most popular model and the key to their financial success, moves to a midengined platform or an 8 cylinder are often rumored, but have never materialized. and unless there is a change in buying habits, unlikely to see such a change anytime soon.