Customers are what's holding Porsche back
Photo: Porsche Today there are precisely two brands selling cars with rear-engines. Smart and Porsche. For Smart, the reason for putting the power-train in the back is practical. There's more space in the back since the rear-wheels don't need to be steered. That is also why it's rear-wheel drive, meaning the engine presses the driven wheels to the road, increasing acceleration for when you really need to get that parking spot first. For the Porsche 911 the reasons are in fact also practical. Space is key. When the first 911 was designed, Ferdinand Porsche knew exactly what he was doing. Adolf Rosenberger, racing driver from the 1920s and chief designer at Porsche, convinced him long ago that the mid-engine layout is the way to go, with the fuel tank between engine and cabin. That way, the weight-distribution stays the same at all times. Because while you wouldn't notice any difference to tne traditional front-engine, rear-wheel drive setup at first, the ha