Not really. All other things being equal, it makes the most sense for a big, heavy power source to be square in the middle. It's worth pointing out that car design is a complex alchemy of art and science, and there are well-designed cars with the engine located in the front, the back, or probably hovering 10 feet off to the side in some cases -- but playing purely by averages, mid-engine wins out.
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The biggest losers are the mechanics that could have charged you for naps while lying underneath there pretending to work.
Mid-engine cars have better balance and power delivery, as well as a lower "moment of inertia" -- which means that the 50:50 weight distribution allows them to turn and handle better in general. In fact, many high-end manufacturers either don't make front engine cars at all, or reserve them solely for low-end models.
In the early days of motorized cars, it was easier to convert horse-drawn carriages than to build an entirely new car from scratch. So the first adaptations of this technology put the engine in the same place as the horses it was replacing: in the front.
via Motors Town
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