In automotive engineering , a mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine in front of the rear-wheel axles , but behind the front axle.
52-432: The Pagani Zonda is a mid-engine sports car produced by Italian sports car manufacturer Pagani . It debuted at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show . Produced on commission in limited units, as of 2019 a total of 140 cars had been built, including development mules . Variants include a 2-door coupé and roadster variant, along with a third new variant being the barchetta . Construction is mainly of carbon fibre . The Zonda
104-478: A 5-speed manual transmission. The C12 can accelerate to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 4.0 seconds and to 161 km/h (100 mph) in 9.2 seconds. Only five cars were built with the 6.0 L engine, though the C12 was still available in 2002 when the C12 S was introduced. One was used for crash testing and homologation , while another was a demonstrator and show car. The remainder were delivered to customers during
156-652: A 7.3-litre M297 engine but with a power output of 760 PS (559 kW; 750 hp) and 780 N⋅m (575 lb⋅ft) of torque. Development of the Zonda GR started in December 2002. Tom Weickardt, owner of American Viperacing, Toine Hezemans, owner of Carsport Holland, and Paul Kumpen, owner of GLPK Racing , incorporated a new company, Carsport Zonda, to develop a racing version of the Zonda. They secured exclusive rights to develop, build and sell competition versions of
208-492: A front-engine or rear-engine car. When the engine is in front of the driver, but fully behind the front axle line, the layout is sometimes called a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, or FMR layout instead of the less-specific term front-engine; and can be considered a subset of the latter. In-vehicle layout, FMR is substantially the same as FR, but handling differs as a result of the difference in weight distribution. Some vehicles could be classified as FR or FMR depending on
260-921: A net profit increase of 45% to €129.1 million. He also reported the company was exploring acquiring assets, with a focus on the automotive and aviation sectors. The company's corporate headquarters are in Stezzano, and the company has more than 10,634 employees within Italy and at branches in Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US. As of 2019, Brembo was present in 14 countries worldwide. In October 2024, Brembo acquired Öhlins Racing for $ 405 million. Brembo specializes in performance braking systems and components as well as conducting research on braking systems. Brembo sells over 1,300 products worldwide and
312-458: A problem in some cars, but this issue seems to have been largely solved in newer designs. For example, the Saleen S7 employs large engine-compartment vents on the sides and rear of the bodywork to help dissipate heat from its very high-output engine. Mid-engined cars are more dangerous than front-engined cars if the driver loses control - although this may be initially harder to provoke due to
364-405: A progressive and controllable manner as the tires lose traction. Super, sport, and race cars frequently have a mid-engined layout, as these vehicles' handling characteristics are more important than other requirements, such as usable space. In dedicated sports cars, a weight distribution of about 50% front and rear is frequently pursued, to optimise the vehicle's driving dynamics – a target that
416-491: A redline increased to 7,500 rpm. Unrestricted, however, the 7.0 L V12 engine is capable of producing around 780 hp (582 kW; 791 PS) and 750 lb⋅ft (1,017 N⋅m) of torque. Performance figures include a 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time of 3.3 seconds. The car was entered into the 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans , but retired after ten laps due to a gearbox failure. Mid-engine design The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive format can be considered
468-478: A removable carbon fibre roof and canvas side curtains, weighing just 5 kg (11 lb) more than the coupé. Power output of the engine increased to 650 PS (478 kW; 641 hp) and 780 N⋅m (575 lb⋅ft) of torque. Production of the Roadster F was limited to 25 units. The Roadster F maintained chassis rigidity without any gain in curb weight, eschewing conventional thinking by not strengthening
520-494: A top speed of 208 mph (335 km/h). Introduced in 2002 the Zonda S 7.3 used a new, larger naturally aspirated M120 V12 engine displacing 7,291 cc (7.3 L; 444.9 cu in) designed and manufactured by Mercedes-AMG having a power output of 555 PS (547 hp; 408 kW) at 5,900 rpm and 750 N⋅m (553 lb⋅ft) of torque at 4,050 rpm. To better handle the power, traction control and ABS were made standard. Performance claims were unchanged from
572-401: A vehicle safer since an accident can occur if a vehicle cannot stay in its own lane around a curve or is unable to stop quickly enough. Mid-engine design is also a way to provide additional empty crush space in the front of the automobile between the bumper and the windshield, which can then be designed to absorb more of the impact force in a frontal collision in order to minimize penetration into
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#1732776518977624-519: Is an Italian manufacturer of automotive parts that most notably produces brakes and rims, especially for high-performance cars and motorcycles . Its operational head office is in Curno , Bergamo , Italy , while Amsterdam , Netherlands, is the company's legal seat. Brembo was established in Paladina , Italy, on January 11, 1961, by Emilio Bombassei and Italo Breda (father and uncle, respectively, to
676-483: Is known for their aftermarket automotive brake components, including calipers, drums , rotors, and brake lines. Brembo owns the foundries that produce their initial materials and supply the manufacturing plants. In all other markets, the company controls the entire production system—from raw materials through distribution. The company holds QS9000 and ISO 9001 certifications. A variety of Formula One teams, including Ferrari , use Brembo brakes. Brembo also supplies
728-461: Is limited to just 3 units with one unit retained for Horacio Pagani's personal collection. The Zonda HP Barchetta marks an end to the Zonda's production run. One-off Zonda Revo combining Zonda Revolución track-focused body kit and 800 PS engine with Zonda Barchetta open-top experience. The Zonda One-Off Series is a custom line-up built for special customers, sometimes made as rebuilds of existing (and sometimes crashed) Zonda chassis. These models have
780-408: Is typically only achievable by placing the engine somewhere between the front and rear axles. Usually, the term "mid-engine" has been primarily applied to cars having the engine located between the driver and the rear drive axles. This layout is referred to as rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive , (or RMR) layout. The mechanical layout and packaging of an RMR car are substantially different from that of
832-736: The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 tested during the same episode, but lost in a quarter mile drag race against the Veyron by nearly 2.5 seconds. German racing driver Marc Basseng managed to lap the Zonda F Clubsport around the 20.8 kilometres (12.9 mi) Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7:24.7. In 2007, Pagani introduced the Zonda R at the Geneva Motor Show , a track-only version of the Pagani Zonda. The Zonda Cinque (Italian for five)
884-762: The GP2 Series and the FIA Formula 2 Championship . Since 2010, Brembo has been an official whole brake supplier for the GP3 Series and the FIA Formula 3 Championship . Brembo is the exclusive supplier of braking systems for the MotoE World Cup . AP Racing brakes are currently used on GT500-class cars in the Super GT series as well as cars competing in the DTM . Brembo is the official brake supplier for
936-490: The Goodwood Festival of Speed , an evolution of the Pagani Zonda R. The Zonda HP Barchetta was unveiled at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance as a present to the company's founder, Horacio Pagani for his 60th birthday as well as to commemorate the 18th anniversary of the Zonda. It has unique exterior design cues which makes it different from other Zondas produced with the most distinguishable features being
988-409: The barchetta body style and rear wheel covers inspired by group C race cars, making it the first Pagani to ever use this styling. It also has a rear spoiler, air intakes and rear lights taken from the 760 series cars. Power comes courtesy of the 7.3 L (445 cu in) Mercedes-AMG V12 engine rated at 800 PS (588 kW; 789 hp) and 850 N⋅m (627 lb⋅ft) of torque making it
1040-417: The "S" centered on optional carbon/ceramic brakes (measuring 380 mm) developed in conjunction with Brembo , OZ alloy wheels, Inconel exhaust system, hydroformed aluminium intake plenum, and a redesigned "Z preg" weave in the crash structure to improve rigidity and reduce weight. The Zonda Roadster F debuted at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show . Exterior wise, the roadster was similar to the coupé, but with
1092-412: The 0–100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time down to 3.4 seconds. The gearbox has three driving modes, namely Comfort, Sport and Race which optimises the gearbox for different driving conditions. The Cinque also had a revised form of carbon fibre called "carbo-titanium" which incorporates titanium in the weave to increase strength and rigidity. The suspension used magnesium and titanium components, and
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#17327765189771144-604: The 1950s and 1960s, e.g. the AEC Reliance . The Ferrari Mondial is to date the only successful example of a true mid-engined convertible with seating for 4 and sports car/supercar performance. A version of the Lotus Evora with a removable roof panel is anticipated but no definite date is known. Like any layout where the engine is not front-mounted and facing the wind, the traditional "engine-behind-the-passengers" layout makes engine cooling more difficult. This has been
1196-923: The 1980s, Brembo also began supplying brakes to BMW , Chrysler , Ferrari , Mercedes-Benz , Nissan , and Porsche . Brembo went public on the Milan Stock Exchange in 1995. In 2000, Brembo purchased the UK-based racing brake and clutch manufacturer AP Racing (a former division of Automotive Products ). On November 9, 2007, Brembo's North American subsidiary acquired the Automotive Brake Components division of Hayes Lemmerz. The approximately €39.6-million sale included approximately 250 employees and production facilities in Homer, Michigan and Apodaca, Mexico . An official press release on May 21, 2014, announced an €83-million expansion of
1248-525: The 7.3-litre engine's power and torque were increased to 678 PS (499 kW; 669 hp) and 780 N⋅m (575 lb⋅ft). Revised bodywork, which included a longer front splitter, new sideskirts, rear diffuser, bumper canards, and a flatter underside as well as a roof-mounted air intake scoop, enabled the Cinque to generate 750 kg (1,653 lb) of down-force at 355 km/h (221 mph) and 1.45 G of cornering force. The Zonda Cinque Roadster had
1300-447: The C12 S but had stronger internals and differential gears. Zonda F has a top speed of 345 km/h (214 mph). Production of the Zonda F was limited to 25 cars. It came equipped with an extra headlight and a new configuration of fog lights in the lower grille, new bodywork (revised front end, new rear spoiler, more aerodynamic vents all around) that improved the car's aerodynamics, and different side mirrors. Further enhancements over
1352-491: The Michigan facility. Later that year, on December 2, Brembo also announced plans to invest €32 million into a 31,500-square-meter production facility, projected to produce two million aluminum calipers annually. The expectation was initial operation by 2016 and full operation by the end of 2018. On March 5, 2015, Brembo's deputy chairman, Matteo Tiraboschi, reported the company's 2014 sales growth of 15% up to €1.8 billion and
1404-488: The Roadster to have virtually the same weight as the coupé, 1,230 kg (2,712 lb). The Zonda Roadster F Clubsport is a lightweight version of the Zonda Roadster F. It has an extensive use of the new carbo-titanium material developed by Pagani as well as having an upgraded engine. It was tested by Top Gear's The Stig along with James May and achieved a lap time around their test track of 1:17.8, beating
1456-489: The Zonda C12-S. In 2003, Pagani presented the Zonda Roadster, an open top version of the Zonda S 7.3. Carrying the same components as the coupé, Pagani promised no loss of performance, a claim supported by the minimal weight gain of 30 kg (66 lb). A total of 40 roadsters were produced. The Zonda F (or Zonda Fangio - named after Formula One driver Juan Manuel Fangio ) debuted at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show . It
1508-473: The Zonda from Horacio Pagani , and the first GR was completed at Carsport's facility in Modena within months. The Zonda GR is based on the Zonda S. It was built on the same carbon fibre chassis, with lightweight tube frames present on the front and rear. The bodywork was modified to include front and rear diffusers and louvers for improved aerodynamics. The car was 2 meters (6.6 ft) wide, in accordance with
1560-521: The case of the Ferrari FF taking power from both ends of the crankshaft with two separate gearboxes. These cars use a traditional engine layout between driver and rear drive axle. Typically, they're simply called MR; for mid-rear (engined), or mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout cars. These cars use mid-ship, four-wheel-drive , with an engine between the axles. These cars are "mid-ship engined" vehicles, but they use front-wheel drive , with
1612-465: The current Chairman Alberto Bombassei ). The company was named after the Brembo river . Bombassei lived in a village on the coast of the river before moving to Milan. Soon after Brembo was formed, it specialized in disc brakes , which were imported from the UK at the time. The company entered into a supply contract with Alfa Romeo in 1964 and became Moto Guzzi 's brake component supplier in 1966. In
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1664-417: The engine has a power output of 550 PS (405 kW; 542 hp) and is mated to a newly developed CIMA 6-speed manual transmission in order to handle the high power output produced by the engine. The C12-S can accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds, and to 161 km/h (100 mph) in 7.0 seconds. Lateral acceleration on the skidpad is 1.18 g (11.6 m/s²). The C12-S can reach
1716-543: The engine in front of the driver. It is still treated as an FF layout, though, due to the engine's placement still being in the front of the car, contrary to the popular belief that the engine is placed in front of the rear axle with power transferred to the front wheels (an RMF layout). In most examples, the engine is longitudinally mounted rather than transversely as is common with FF cars. Brembo 45°41′08″N 9°35′43″E / 45.685604°N 9.5953973°E / 45.685604; 9.5953973 Brembo N.V.
1768-413: The engine placed between the driver and the front axle. This layout, similar to the above FMR layout, with the engine between driver and the front axle, adds front-wheel drive to become a four-wheel drive. An engineering challenge with this layout is getting the power to the front wheels past the engine - this would normally involve raising the engine to allow a propshaft to pass under the engine, or in
1820-562: The factory-installed engine (I4 vs I6). Historically most classical FR cars such as the Ford Models T and A would qualify as an FMR engine car. Additionally, the distinction between FR and FMR is a fluid one, depending on the degree of engine protrusion in front of the front axle line, as manufacturers mount engines as far back in the chassis as possible. Not all manufacturers use the Front-Mid designation. These cars are RWD cars with
1872-439: The fore and aft weight distribution by other means, such as putting the engine in the front and the gearbox and battery in the rear of the vehicle. Another benefit comes when the heavy mass of the engine is located close to the back of the seats. It makes it easier for the suspension to absorb the force of bumps so the riders feel a smoother ride. But in sports cars, the engine position is once again used to increase performance and
1924-521: The front tires in braking the vehicle, with less chance of rear-wheel lockup and less chance of a skid or spin out. If the mid-engine vehicle is also rear-drive the added weight on the rear tires can also improve acceleration on slippery surfaces, providing much of the benefit of all-wheel-drive without the added weight and expense of all-wheel-drive components. The mid-engine layout makes ABS brakes and traction control systems work better, by providing them more traction to control. The mid-engine layout may make
1976-629: The majority of MotoGP teams; the Gresini squad used Nissin brakes during the 2014 season. Brembo was also an official brake supplier for the IndyCar Series from the 2012 season until the 2016 season; during the 2017 season, Brembo supplied calipers only. During the next season , Brembo supplied entire braking systems to all Spark Racing Technology Gen2 cars in Formula E . Since 2005, Brembo has been an official brake caliper supplier for
2028-591: The most powerful road legal Zonda ever produced. It borrows its seats and suspension from the Huayra BC along with its power output being identical to the BC with the only difference being that the BC has a Bi-turbo engine while the HP Barchetta is naturally aspirated. The wheels of the car also have different colour inlays with the wheels at the left having gold and the wheels at the right having blue inlays. Production
2080-502: The next three years. The crash test and homologation car having chassis number 001 was restored by Pagani's recently established restoration program called "Pagani Rinascimento" and was presented to the public at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show for the Zonda's 20th anniversary. The Zonda C12-S uses a modified version of the M120 V12 engine used in the C12 enlarged to 7,010 cc (7.0 L; 427.8 cu in). Tuned by Mercedes-AMG ,
2132-466: The nose along the top of the car's surface. Unique to this car was a small wing placed behind the cockpit which reflected the tail wing of Frecce Tricolori's Aermacchi MB-339 PAN stunt plane. The three Tricolores were priced at £1.2 million. It was also 9.7 km/h (6 mph) faster than a standard Zonda at 354 km/h (220 mph). In 2012 Pagani introduced the Zonda Revolución at
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2184-483: The original layout of automobiles. A 1901 Autocar was the first gasoline-powered automobile to use a drive shaft and placed the engine under the seat. This pioneering vehicle is now in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution . Mounting the engine in the middle instead of the front of the vehicle puts more weight over the rear tires, so they have more traction and provide more assistance to
2236-443: The passenger compartment of the vehicle. In most automobiles, and in sports cars especially, ideal car handling requires balanced traction between the front and rear wheels when cornering, in order to maximize the possible speed around curves without sliding out. This balance is harder to achieve when the heavy weight of the engine is located far to the front or far to the rear of the vehicle. Some automobile designs strive to balance
2288-536: The potentially smoother ride is usually more than offset by stiffer shock absorbers . This layout also allows the motor, gearbox, and differential to be bolted together as a single unit. Together with independent suspension on the driven wheels, this removes the need for the chassis to transfer engine torque reaction. The largest drawback of mid-engine cars is restricted rear or front (in the case of front-mid layouts) passenger space; consequently, most mid-engine vehicles are two-seat vehicles. The engine in effect pushes
2340-412: The rear passenger seats forward towards the front axle (if the engine is behind the driver). Exceptions typically involve larger vehicles of unusual length or height in which the passengers can share space between the axles with the engine, which can be between them or below them, as in some vans, large trucks, and buses. The mid-engine layout (with a horizontal engine) was common in single-decker buses in
2392-540: The regulations of the FIA and ACO . The car's weight was reduced to 1,100 kg (2,425 lb), and a new suspension system was designed. Along with new motorsport-oriented wheels and brakes. The engine was equipped with an enlarged radiator, two air intake restrictor plates , and the engine and gearbox also had new oil coolers. The resulting engine is rated at around 600 hp (447 kW; 608 PS) at 5,800 rpm and 580 lb⋅ft (786 N⋅m) of torque at 4,300 rpm with
2444-543: The same specifications as the coupé from which it was derived. Only five units were built, like the coupé. The Zonda Tricolore, originally conceived as a one-off before production totaled three, was built as a tribute to the Frecce Tricolori , Italy's aerobatic team. It carried much of the body from the Zonda Cinque. The car was unpainted except for a clear blue lacquer, and red, white, and green stripes from
2496-405: The sills, a process which would have needed more than 35 kg (77 lb) of reinforcement. Pagani instead used racing car materials, and construction techniques, strengthening the firewall structure of the chassis tub together with billet alloy braces that connected the points where the roof rails would have joined. The windscreen was also strengthened for safety reasons. These techniques enabled
2548-412: The superior balance - and the car begins to spin. The moment of inertia about the center of gravity is low due to the concentration of mass between the axles (similar to standing in the middle of a playground roundabout, rather than at the edge) and the spin will occur suddenly, the car will rotate faster and it will be harder to recover from. Conversely, a front-engined car is more likely to break away in
2600-479: Was meant to be the last iteration of the Zonda, being a road-legal version of the Zonda R. Only five were built, hence the name, with deliveries set to June 2009 for all five cars. The Zonda Cinque was developed at the request of a Pagani dealer in Hong Kong. The differences from other variants of the Zonda were the new 6-speed automated manual gearbox, resulting in shifts taking less than 100 milliseconds, dropping
2652-609: Was originally to be named the "Fangio F1" after Formula One champion Juan Manuel Fangio , but, following his death in 1995, it was renamed for the Zonda wind , a term for a hot air current above Argentina . The Zonda C12 debuted in 1999 at the Geneva Motor Show . It is powered by a 6.0 L (366 cu in) Mercedes-Benz M120 V12 engine having a power output of either 408 PS (300 kW; 402 hp) or 450 PS (331 kW; 444 hp) at 5,200 rpm and 570–640 N⋅m (420–472 lb⋅ft) of torque at 4,200 rpm mated to
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#17327765189772704-399: Was the most extensive re-engineered variant of the Zonda yet, though it shared much with its predecessors including the 7.3 L Mercedes-AMG M297 V12 engine which through enhanced intake manifolds, exhaust and a revised ECU now had a power output of 602 PS (443 kW; 594 hp) at 6,150 rpm and 760 N⋅m (561 lb⋅ft) at 4,000 rpm. The transmission is largely the same as
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