zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Please Don't Call The Porsche 911 With The Engine In The Middle 'Mid-Engine'
Please Don't Call The Porsche 911 With The Engine In The Middle 'Mid-Engine'-February 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:25

Perhaps my favorite quote of the weekend is from Porsche Vice President of Motorsport Frank-Steffen Walliser on the new Porsche 911 RSR. The engine is now, but calling it “mid-engine” is just a step too far.

“The engine was moved ahead of the rear axle—what they call mid-engine,” Walliser said at a pre-Rolex 24 press conference on Friday. “But we try to avoid saying that officially.”

“Mid-engine,” of course, is the widely used term for an engine that sits between a car’s axles. But no, the 911 has traditionally been a rear-engine car.

We’re talking about a fanbase who flipped right out when the 996 generation showed up with non-round headlamps. Can you imagine the things Porsche purists would secretly want to set on fire if they moved the engine forward, but ultimately won’t set ablaze because rioting is for the poors?

Please, spare Porsche your questions about the 911 becoming less and less like a 911. Let’s not upset the apple-cart too much. The current regulations made it a necessity to move the engine forward to take advantage of aerodynamic allowances that couldn’t be exploited with an engine in the way. It’s just for the series, guys, really! Please stop asking.

(So, when can we get a roadgoing 911 with a huge rear diffuser like that? Because it looks awesome.)

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
This May Be The Best Pan In Motorsport History
This May Be The Best Pan In Motorsport History
We may have already seen this year’s Oscars pass, but there’s a new shoo-in for best camerawork of 2022: Whoever was behind the camera that caught Marcus Ericsson’s horrible, terrible, no good race end at IndyCar’s Grand Prix of Long Beach this past weekend. If you didn’t watch the race,...
Feb 12, 2026
Hey Miami Residents — How's That Formula One Track Looking?
Hey Miami Residents — How's That Formula One Track Looking?
We are officially less than one month out from ’s inaugural race in , and we here at Jalopnik are wondering just what’s going on with the whole “” thing. So, if you’re in the Miami region, we have a request: Head over to the track and show us...
Feb 12, 2026
Italian Authorities Seize Former F1 Driver Nikita Mazepin's Family Assets
Italian Authorities Seize Former F1 Driver Nikita Mazepin's Family Assets
This has been a bad year for Oligarch families with the surname . reports that Italian police forces have seized $114.45 million worth of property from Dmitry Mazepin as part of the ongoing sanctions against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Dmitry’s son Nikita Mazepin, you may remember, is...
Feb 12, 2026
Things Aren’t Looking Good For Aston Martin
Things Aren’t Looking Good For Aston Martin
At the start of the 2021 season, there was much hype in the F1 paddock as Aston Martin was returning to the field for the first time in decades. It was taking over the quietly excellent Racing Point team and, in a flashy launch hosted by actress Gemma Arterton,...
Feb 12, 2026
Russian Kart Racer Allegedly Shows Nazi Salute During Italian National Anthem
Russian Kart Racer Allegedly Shows Nazi Salute During Italian National Anthem
Russian go-kart champion Artem Severiukhin has been dropped by his team after allegedly performing a Nazi salute on the podium after winning an event in Portugal this weekend during a round of the 2022 FIA Karting European Championship. If you’re wondering how a Russian driver can compete when the...
Feb 12, 2026
This 528-Horsepower Aston Martin Is Too Slow
This 528-Horsepower Aston Martin Is Too Slow
For the entirety of the 2022 Formula One season, the safety car and medical car will be provided by either Mercedes-AMG or Aston Martin. For the first two races of the season, the safety car was a Mercedes AMG GT Black Series, which is more or less a street-legal...
Feb 12, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved