Middle class
The traditional British sports car had its engine up front, but these mid-engined marvels looked at things differently.
As racing-car design influenced road cars, mid-engined models arrived from the 1960s and proved superbly able.
From surprisingly affordable roadsters to all-out supercars, there are mid-engined British cars of all types, though some have proved to be more successful than others.
Here’s our rundown of mid-engined British cars, presented in alphabetical order.
1. 1979 AC 3000ME
AC Cars introduced the design for its only mid-engined model from Peter Bohanna, which had started out using Austin Maxi components.
To give the car more performance, AC re-engineered it to use a Ford 3-litre V6 using a bespoke gearbox to mount the engine transversely.
Based around a central monocoque chassis, the 3000ME broke cover in 1973, but it didn’t go on sale until 1979 due to trouble tooling up for production.
By then, the 3000ME’s 139bhp was not sufficient to rival the likes of the Lotus Esprit and Ferrari 308.
Sales faltered as a result and even a short-lived revival of the car being made in Scotland only raised total numbers made to around 107.
2. 1976 Argyll Turbo GT
Bob Henderson was already an acknowledged expert on turbocharging when he conceived his own mid-engined machine, the Argyll Turbo GT.
Power could come from a Rover V8 with the addition of a turbo, but the majority of the handful of Argyll Turbo GTs made used a turbocharged Renault V6.
Initially revealed in 1976, it wasn’t until 1983 that the Turbo GT was officially on sale with a price noticeably higher than a Porsche 911’s.
Combined with its awkward looks, partly due to its four-seat cabin, and so-so performance, the Scottish-made Turbo GT made little impact, even if it did remain notionally on sale until the early 1990s.
3. 1999 Ariel Atom
The Ariel name has a history going right back to the early days of motoring, but it got a shot in the arm when Simon Saunders revived the brand with his idea for a Light Sports Car, or the Atom as it became when the model was unveiled in 1999.
A modern take on the Lotus Seven idea, the Atom’s design made a virtue of its exposed chassis and lack of doors or windscreen.
Rover provided its 1.8-litre K-series engine which proved potent in a car that weighed just 500kg (1102lb).
From there, the mid-engined Atom gained more powerful Honda engines, while the limited run of 25 V8 models used a bespoke unit with up to 500bhp created by splicing together two Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle engines.
4. 1997 Ascari Ecosse
The Ascari FGT was a mid-engined racing car from the fertile mind of Lee Noble that used a mid-mounted Chevrolet V8.
The Ecosse that followed was a roadgoing version that swapped the US motor for a BMW 4.4-litre V8.
With 300bhp in a car weighing 1250kg (2756lb), the Ecosse covered 0-60mph in 4 secs and had a claimed top speed of 200mph.
The Ecosse certainly had the looks and engineering to back up those numbers, but it’s reckoned only 19 were made before the company switched to making the BMW M5-powered KZ1.
5. 1967 Cox GTM
The Cox Grand Touring Mini, or GTM for short, used the BMC Mini’s engine and gearbox wholesale, but mounted them behind the cabin.
By using the Mini’s subframe, it made it easy to create a compact, mid-engined car that overcame the issue of the tall A-series engine.
Although it was well received, the original Cox GTM was fiddly to build – it was always sold as a kit – until the project came under the wing of Peter Beck and Paddy Fitch.
Operating as GTM Cars, they reworked it to be more simple to make and went on to sell around 600 examples, adding to the 200 or so already sold prior to their ownership.
6. 1986 Darrian
Davrian was the company started by Adrian Evans to build his low-slung Imp-based sports car that proved very successful on and off the track.
Company employee Tim Duffee bought the assets, renamed the company Darrian and turned the car into a mid-engined specialist rally machine.
The new Darrian won on its first outing and the model went on to claim numerous championships, as well as enjoying success on the track.
Power for the Darrian models started with four-cylinder Ford engines, though Honda and Vauxhall units have been fitted, too. Now, bespoke Millington race engines are used.
7. 1962 Deep Sanderson DS301
The unusual name of this company founded by Chris Lawrence was inspired by his father’s jazz band, called Deep Henderson, combined with his mother’s maiden name, giving Deep Sanderson.
The DS301 was a serious attempt to create a roadgoing sports car following a series of Formula Junior race cars from the company.
Using the Mini’s engine and gearbox mounted behind the cabin within a backbone chassis, the DS301 was low and aerodynamic – sufficient to register 152.6mph during the 1963 Le Mans 24 Hours race.
The DS301 was used successfully in motorsport, but it didn’t make the sales impact hoped for. Only around 30 were made by the time production ended in 1965.
8. 1985 Ford RS 200
Ford might be an American marque, but its RS 200 was all British, produced by Ford Motorsport in Boreham, Essex, in the UK.
By the time Ford launched its dedicated Group B rally car in 1985, the mid-engined layout was the norm for these exotic homologation specials.
What was unusual about the RS 200 was the location of its gearbox. Rather than being fixed to the engine, the Ford’s transmission was separate and placed up front to help with ideal weight distribution.
This design meant power from the 1803cc, turbocharged, four-cylinder motor went forward to the gearbox and front wheels as well as back again to the rear wheels.
With up to c450bhp in motorsport spec, or c650bhp in rallycross trim, the Ford RS 200 was an impressively quick and capable car, but arrived too late to make a major impact on rallying before the Group B category was banned.
9. 1989 Ginetta G32
The Ginetta G12 was the company’s first mid-engined model, but the later G32 was a concerted effort to compete against mainstream rivals with its neat styling and nimble handling.
It was powered by Ford’s 109bhp, 1.6-litre, fuel-injected engine from the Fiesta XR2, so it was reliable and cheap to run, and 0-62mph took a decent 8.2 secs.
Ginetta also knew how to make superb glassfibre bodies, so the G32 was well finished, yet the company only sold 130 of this model in the face of competition from the Toyota MR2 and Mazda MX-5.
10. 1992 Jaguar XJ220
The difficult birth of the Jaguar XJ220 – changing from V12 power to V6 and dropping four-wheel drive in favour of rear-wheel drive – should not detract from this model’s greatness.
At launch, the XJ220 was the world’s fastest production car with its 213mph top speed, thanks to its mid-mounted, 543bhp, 3.5-litre V6 that came with twin turbochargers.
It took Jaguar a long time to sell all 274 made because of the economic climate at the time of the XJ220’s launch, not helped by TWR launching its factory-approved, mid-engined Jaguar XJR-15 powered by a 7-litre V12 and with racing pedigree.
11. 1992 LCC Rocket
Mixing the talents of Gordon Murray and Chris Craft was always going to result in something special, and so it proved when the Light Car Company Rocket was unveiled in 1992.
Even more than Murray’s McLaren F1, this was a car obsessed with paring weight to a minimum: it tipped the scales at less than 400kg (882lb).
The Yamaha motorcycle engine was also chosen for its low weight, plus it came with a compact gearbox that made it easy to drop into the middle of the Rocket’s chassis.
Vivid performance offered 0-60mph in 5 secs and 131mph in something more akin to a single-seater racing car.
12. 1995 Lotus Elise
By far the most successful model from Lotus, the Elise was a welcome return to the company’s core values in the eyes of enthusiasts.
Light, simple and brilliantly agile, part of the Elise’s success was due to its mid-mounted Rover K-series engine.
The lightweight aluminium unit was ideal for the Lotus and the mid-engined configuration gave the Elise a handling balance that seemingly defied the laws of physics.
More power arrived in time, though the original 118bhp still offered 0-60mph in 6.1 secs thanks to an all-up weight of just 731kg (1612lb).
In all, Lotus turned out 10,619 Elise Mk1s before the Mk2 version took over in 2001.
13. 1976 Lotus Esprit
There were some familiar Lotus elements to the new Esprit that launched in October 1975 and entered production in June ’76, yet this mid-engined marvel was nothing short of a revelation.
A backbone chassis was still used, like that of the Elan, and the four-cylinder engine was borrowed from the Éclat and Elite.
However, the motor was mid-mounted and the Esprit clearly had supercars in its sights, like the Ferrari 308 and Porsche 911.
Brilliant as the early Esprit was, it took until the arrival of the Turbo model in 1980 before Lotus had a true supercar on its hands – it could do 0-60mph in 5.6 secs and had a 141mph top speed.
Later Esprits gained more power and speed, and even a V8 engine, and the model ran until 2002.
14. 1966 Lotus Europa
Given Lotus ran its first mid-engined racing car, the Type 18, in 1958, it’s surprising it took this innovation-led company as long as it did to offer a road car with this engine configuration.
When the Europa did arrive, there was nothing that could get close to its handling brilliance, helped enormously by its mid-mounted motor.
The engine and gearbox came from Renault, so power was a modest 78bhp to begin with from the 1470cc, four-cylinder unit.
The Europa Twin Cam addressed this issue with up to 105bhp for 125mph and 0-60mph in 6.6 secs.
15. 1992 McLaren F1
The McLaren F1’s mid-engined V12 engine could easily have been a Honda unit rather than a BMW motor.
However, Honda politely declined, even though it was supplying McLaren’s Formula One engines at the time.
Honda’s loss was BMW’s gain and it developed a sensational 6.1-litre V12 with more than 620bhp that sat well ahead of the rear axle line.
Unusually for a car with an engine mounted north-south, the McLaren F1 had a transverse gearbox to keep the overall length of the car to a minimum. It was also made from magnesium to reduce weight.
16. 1970 McLaren M6GT
Following a thwarted attempt to turn his M6A Can Am car into a closed coupé to use in motorsport, Bruce McLaren looked to create the ultimate road car: the M6 GT.
The car was up and running in early 1970 with a Chevrolet V8 sat right behind the passenger cabin, giving a top speed of 165mph and 0-100mph in 8 secs.
Plans to produce up to 250 M6 GTs came to an end when Bruce McLaren was killed while testing an M8 Can Am.
It wasn’t until Gordon Murray’s F1 arrived in 1992 (featured in the previous slide) that Bruce McLaren’s dream of a roadgoing car with race performance was realised.
17. 1995 MGF
If the Lotus Elise was a mid-engined sports car for hardcore enthusiasts, the MGF that shared the same motor and mid-engined layout was a more accessible choice.
Not only was the MGF cheaper, its handling was set up in such a way that it wouldn’t intimidate buyers coming from front-wheel-drive hatches.
Even so, the MGF could still entertain keen drivers thanks to its finely balanced handling, while the Hydragas suspension also delivered excellent comfort.
The fundamental rightness of the MGF was proved with total sales of 77,269.
18. 1984 MG Metro 6R4
This car may have had the silhouette of an MG Metro, but the 6R4 was a pure competition machine – and that included a mid-mounted V6 engine.
The position of its engine was the same as the 6R4’s key rivals, but the MG was out of step for not using turbocharging to boost power.
Instead, the MG had a 3-litre V6, because it was felt this would avoid turbo lag and improve throttle response on a rally stage.
Driving all four wheels through a five-speed gearbox, the 385bhp International spec 6R4 offered 0-62mph in 3.2 secs, while the Clubman version with 250bhp could still manage this sprint in 4.5 secs.
19. 2000 Noble M12
Lee Noble had been knocking on the door of greatness with his designs for years, but it was his M12 that finally showcased his talents to the wider world.
His earlier M10 had proved the theory of a compact sports car with a mid-mounted Ford V6 engine, while the M12 took it further with a turbocharged, 3-litre V6 developing 310bhp.
The handling of the M12 was otherworldly and this mid-engined marvel from Leicestershire in the UK’s Midlands routinely beat the best supercars in group tests.
More power simply made it better and the M400 offered 425bhp, 185mph and 0-60mph in 3.5 secs.
20. 1989 Panther Solo
On paper, the Panther Solo had it all: four-wheel drive, styling by Ken Greenley and a mid-mounted Cosworth engine.
On the road, the Solo was less impressive, while its looks were compromised to squeeze in four seats.
Not even replacing the originally planned Ford Escort XR3i engine with the 2-litre turbo motor from the Sierra Cosworth helped, because performance didn’t live up to the hype.
The Panther did handle very well thanks to its four-wheel drive and mid-engined design, but a huge price-tag sealed its fate and only a dozen were made.
21. 1997 Radical 1100 Clubsport
Radical is now a global motorsport player, but back in 1997 the 1100 Clubsport was its first car and, well, radically different from anything else you could buy and drive on the road.
Most 1100 Clubsports were intended for track use only, but they could be used on the road, too, and made for very rapid journeys if you could live with the total lack of creature comforts.
An 1100cc Kawasaki motorcycle engine with 146bhp was more than enough to make the sub-500kg (sub-1102lb) Radical exciting to drive.
Later models like the SR1 and SR8 have gone on to offer significantly more power, with up to 719bhp in the latest RXC.
22. 1989 Ultima Mk3
The Ultima story starts with Lee Noble, that stalwart of innovative British sports-car design, and his Mk1 in 1983.
The Mk1 gave rise to the V8-powered Mk2, which in turn resulted in the definitive Mk3 of 1989 with its Group-C-racing-car-inspired styling.
Originally intended only for motorsport, the Mk3 proved so successful it was banned from most series, so a roadgoing version was developed to keep production going. From there, Ultima never looked back.
Most Ultimas have Chevrolet V8 power, while McLaren used two of them to develop the F1 road car’s engine and gearbox; these cars were known as Albert and Edward.
23. 1966 Unipower GT
Ernie Unger came up with the layout of a compact, mid-engined sports car as early as 1960, but it took until 1966 for it to become reality as the Unipower GT.
It was an immediate sensation thanks to its low-flying looks and fantastic handling, helped here by its mid-mounted engine and gearbox lifted from the Mini Cooper range.
There was a choice of 998cc and 1275cc engines, and several Unipowers were used for racing to good effect with more potent A-series engines.
Unfortunately, the racing impacted on the production of road cars and the Unipower GT came to an end late in 1969, after just 73 cars had been built.
24. 2000 Vauxhall VX220
When Vauxhall and sibling Opel fancied some sports-car glamour, they looked to Lotus and used the Elise as a base.
The result was the Vauxhall VX220, badged as the Speedster by Opel in Europe.
Out went the Rover K-series engine and in went a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder motor with 145bhp to give 0-60mph in 5.6 secs and 135mph.
More importantly, the mid-engined VX220 handled every bit as well as its Elise cousin, though the 2-litre 200bhp Turbo model needed a little more consideration when using all of its pace.
Total sales amounted to 7207 of both VX220 and Speedster combined.
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