Driving enthusiasts often talk about the difference between sports cars. Many haven’t gotten the chance to get behind the wheel of a mid-engine car. These fun rides tend to cost more than $150,000, but if you look in the right places, you might get one for a lot less.
Here are mid-engine cars that you may find used. They start new at $60,000 So, don’t say we didn’t warn you! Still, there may be a used car deal that a true driving fanatic will find irresistible.
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What is a Mid Engine Car?
A mid engine car is one where the engine has been moved close to the middle, giving it an almost perfect 50/50 weight balance between the front and the rear. This makes it have an incredibly good center of gravity, and it greatly improves on aerodynamics by removing the engine weight from the front of the car.
Furthermore, this layout allows the powertrain to send power separately to each axle. There’s no heavy 4×4 drivetrain to accomplish this. It just uses a differential and some computer power.
Drivers love the ability to utilize the best of front-wheel and rear-wheel drive in a speedy car. Cornering is achieved at speed with less understeer or oversteer.
While this placement is difficult to achieve with a gas engine, it is actually the most logical thing for many electric vehicles. So, it may be that a mid engine vehicle, albeit an electric one, may soon be the norm. On this modern list, there are as many hybrid vehicles with electric motors to assist the gasoline engine as there are just regular gasoline engines.
Top Mid Engine Cars 2021
1. Outstanding V8 Choice
The Chevrolet Corvette adopted a mid engine in 2019. Considering the fact that this sports car has been around since 1953, that is late in its development. However, drivers will not complain if they get a chance to be behind the wheel.
The Corvette Stingray offers a 495 horsepower engine and rear-wheel drive. This V8 is controlled by a special dual-clutch automatic. When it was introduced, the asking price was about $60,000. If you can shop used cars, you may be able to get that price down.
If you can spare about $300,000, you can consider a mid engine Ferrari. The Ferrari 488GTB is powered by a 661-horsepower twin-turbo V8. The Ferrari F8 is powered by a 710-horsepower twin-turbo V8.
The Ford GT has one of the brand’s twin-turbo V6 engines that spits out 647 horsepower. This car, built light with lots of carbon fiber components, will run about $500,000.
2. Exciting V10 Choice
Another recent mid engine car is the Audi R8. This one has a huge 5.2-liter V-10 engine. If you expect high output, Audi does not disappoint. The R8 churns out 562 or 602 horsepower depending on the engine set up. It even comes in a convertible.
The initial price tag for this one is closer to $175,000. That’s sky high, but it is nothing like the prices on many mid engine cars. The Lamborghini Aventor has a V12 that spits out 729 horsepower and lists for just over $425,000. The Bugatti Chiron, which has a 16-cylinder mid engine layout, costs almost $3 million new.
3. Hybrid Powertrain Choice
The Acura NSX combines a mid-mounted V6 with electric power. The six-cylinder engine is a twin turbo, making it more like a V8. Then it has electric motors to drive the front and rear wheels separately. All of this technology allows the car to claim 573 horsepower.
This one started at around $150,000 in 2019. If you can find one used, you can get all of that power and not have to lay out quite as much cash. It certainly is a dream to drive.
4. Small and Light
If you want something that looks amazing, the BMW i8 is another mid engine choice among recent used cars. This one is built small and light, which is good because the output doesn’t sound impressive compared to the others on this list.
By combining electric power and a 1.5-liter three-cylinder gasoline turbo, the powertrain generates 369 horsepower. There’s an electric motor assigned to each axle. This is a car that cost about $150,000 new.
The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is more affordable at $68,000. However, you have to be able to drive a manual transmission.
The turbo engine generates 237 horsepower. There are no electric motors to improve that. However the manufacturer utilizes a carbon-fiber-tub chassis to 1make this one of the lightest cars on the road.
Final Thoughts
There are many sports cars out there, but mid-engine choices are truly unique. If you can get behind the wheel, you are sure to discover what makes them fun to drive.