MR vs. FR

[nbw]

From reading threw this and other car comparison forums/threads/posts/comments I see people say a car is "better becuase it is a mid engine" but I rarely do I see WHY a midrear engine layout is overall better for handling.
So without further ado...

What are the pro's and con's of the MR and FR layout compared to each other? And how does a front-mid engine like an RX-7 or Viper compare? Like take for example the mr2, 240sx and rx7. All of wich have about the same weight(2750lb~). And the 240sx and rx7 both have near 50/50 wieght distribution.(not sure what the mr2's WD is..)

**This is not a mr2 vs rx7 240sx topic, just engine layout**

[Moppie]

To get a proper answer you need a technical explanation, so Im moving it to the technical forum.

[Kurtdg19]

A MR designed car greatly increases the steering response of the vehicle due to polar inertia properties. I wouldn't necessarily say it is better overall handling wise (cause handling is very subjective), but it can provide superior balance when decelerating, and more weight to the wheels when accelerating. Typically, a FR design can provide an easier 50/50 balance versus a MR design mainly due to the layout of the engine and transmission (assuming the tranny is in the rear) vs. a MR design (tranny and engine in the rear).

Here is a site that can provide a good sum of info. pertaining to the differences of setups.

Handing of different setups,and more.