Porsche Mid Engine vs Rear Engine handling

Apparently you get what you pay for.

While fun to watch and more fun to do the driving, this video proves NOTHING about Mid vs. Rear engine handling superiority.

The test does prove that after 60 years, Porsche has developed the chassis on the 911 design to a very high level, virtually eliminating the tendency to oversteer.

My point is that it is all too simplistic. The car with bigger tires and a better developed chassis beats another car with far less development. The issue is chassis development, not engine placement.

IMHO,

Terry

Do it over with a 1970 914-6 and a 1970 911 and lets see what happens. Traction control makes a BIG difference in modern 911's

It also helps to grossly mis-match the cars on engine/drivetrain in addition to tires.

At the end of the magazine article they do say that if equally matched Boxster/Cayman to lower-end 911, the former middies would win hands-down!
... so why not test it that way!!??

Conversely the Boxster S likes to push the front end when getting near the edge.

Only way to fix it is to super size the front tires and remove grip from the back tires.

anybody know the horse power


descrepency between these two ?



?

......Mid engine handling....no comparison
(actually in any make!)

somewhere in the 50-55 h.p. range I think. Cayman is around 325, the 911 is closer to 380

Cayman R 330 hp, 2855 Lbs
GT3 RS 450 HP, weight 2690

Just a little bit unfair test.
Put the 3.8 liter in a cayman and then look at the results.

It whooped some factory cars at the 24 hours at the ring.

Rich

From the article:

1969 - After witnessing a decade of mid-engine success throughout the top levels of motorsports, Porsche and VW team up to develop the hapless 914 sports car, which enjoys a life span of only six years.

Yeah, this test would have been much more useful if the Cayman would have run against a standard Carrera and not a GT3.

Hell, if you put a Corvette Z08 up against my 914 it would kill the 914 ... does that mean that front engine/rear wheel drive is superior to mid engine?

According to the article in Car and Driver this month, the 911 is on Michelin Pilot Sport Cups (DOT-R tires), and the Cayman is on Bridgestone Potenza RE050As ("summer tires"). If the Cayman was on DOT-Rs I'm sure it would win this handling contest.

A sidebar to the article also references the 914, and describes it as "hapless." I'm willing to bet that my 914 (while not exactly stock), would pull more Gs than both the Cayman and the 911 on the skidpad.

I also was kind of irritated at the "hapless" comment in regards to the 914. Basically because it makes no sense. The 4 cyl 914's were a great sales success.. so in that regard, would be considered a successful if short lived platform. And weren't the 914-6's successful in racing, even though a failure in regards to sales / profitibility?

I just am not understanding what was "hapless"... most accounts I have read of the 914-4 describe it as an overwhelming success in regards to popularity and sales at the time.

just reinforces my opinion of that magazine..

This just in.......

All F1, IndyCars and LeMans race cars will be rear engine next year. That mid engine thing just ain't working out.

Traction control was off according to the article.

i say take the price difference of the two cars and invest that into the caymen with tires wheels shocks and some more power and see where this would story would be then!