Quote:
Originally Posted by Power Surge
A mid engine car is one with the engine between the driver and rear axle. A rear engine car has the motor over or behind the rear axle.
Pretty much every other car in the world has the engine between the front and rear axle  . |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-engine_design
The term "mid-engine" has usually been applied to cars having the engine located between the driver and the rear drive axles. This layout is referred to here as RMR layout. Sports and racing cars typically have this mid-engine layout, as these vehicles' handling characteristics are more important than other features, such as capacity. Additionally the mechanical layout and packaging of a RMR car is substantially different than that of a front engine or rear engine car.
A subset of Front-Rear when the engine is in front of the driver, but fully behind the front axle line, the layout is sometimes called Front Mid engine Rear FMR layout instead of the less-specific term front-engine. In handling and vehicle layout FMR is substantially the same as FR. Some vehicles could be classified as FR or FMR depending on the factory installed engine (I4 vs I6). Historically most classical FR cars such as the Ford Models T and A would qualify as a FMR engine car. Additionally, the difference between FR and FMR may be as little as a few millimeters of engine protrusion in front of the front axle line. Not all manufacturers use the Front-Mid designation.
This is also good info:
http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Mid-engine