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What’s the best layot for sports cars? For over a century, many drivers have favored front-engine and rear wheel drive powertrains. The proliferation of front wheel drive cars and crossovers is threatening the timeless front-engine, RWD car. Here are the ones you can still buy.

Are rear wheel drive cars better?

Sports car layout is a matter of preference. Fans of front-engine, rear wheel drive (RWD) cars claim their rides handle high-speed driving better and are just more fun in the twisties.

A white Dodge Challenger and green Dodge Charger parked in a warehouse.
2022 Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT | Stellantis

According to Motorists.org, putting the motor up front, and a live drive axle in the back spreads the weight of the powertrain throughout the car and keeps it balanced. Accelerating to high speeds presses a car’s rear wheels into the pavement and allows a RWD car to really shine. This is why NASCAR Cup cars still use a front engine, RWD layout.

It is also easier to break the rear tires loose while cornering in a rear wheel drive car. This is a major plus for drift drivers, but a negative if you spend a lot of time navigating snowy roads.

Finally, spreading the powertrain out through the car makes room for a larger engine and beefier components. This may make your the car easier to work on, more durable, and cheaper.

What cars are rear wheel drive?

Some rear wheel drive cars have rear or midengines, such as the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 911. When it comes to pure, front-engine, RWD cars, there are over a dozen to choose from, ranging from American muscle cars to German sports sedans to Japanese sports cars.

Silver mercedes-benz sedan speeding down a city street.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Sedan | Mercedes

This is a partial list of the front engine, rear wheel drive cars available:

  • Alfa Romeo Giulia
  • Aston Martin DB11, Vantage, and DBS
  • BMW “Series” Sedans (2,3,4, etc) and BMW Z4
  • Chevrolet Camaro
  • Dodge Challenger and Charger
  • Ferrari 812, Portofino M, and Roma
  • Ford Mustang
  • Genesis G70
  • Jaguar XE, Jaguar F-Type
  • Kia Stinger
  • Mazda MX-5 Miata
  • Mercedes C-Class, S-Class, and E-Class.
  • Nissan Z
  • Subaru BRZ
  • Toyota Supra, and GR 86

What’s the best rear wheel drive car?

There’s a lot of diversity within front engine, rear wheel drive cars: American muscle cars offer retro good looks and enough power for a highway pull to 100 MPH, German sports sedans feature well-balanced handling, and Japanese RWD sports cars afford the most bang for your buck.

A row of Mazda Miata convertibles parked in front of the Los Angeles skyline.
Mazda Miata MX5s | Mazda

Each class of front engine, RWD car offers a very different driving experience. But they are all united by a single layout, and most offer performance-oriented trim levels.

The American muscle cars offer an incredible straightline driving experience. They include the Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger, and Dodge Charger. These front-engine, rear wheel drive cars all offer powerful V8 engine options, several even offer manual transmissions. The supercharged Hellcat from Dodge pulls harder from 60 mph to 150 mph than most anything on the road.

German sports sedans showcase the pinnacle of front engine, RWD car engineering. Many of these luxurious sedans can corner very well. But the beautiful Italian-made Alfa Romeo Giulia is hot on their heels.

Japanese automakers originally entered the North American front engine, rear wheel drive car market with budget friendly alternatives. But today, these models have morphed into some of the most capable sports cars around. The Mazda Miata, Nissan Z, and Toyota Supra are old favorites. The Subaru BRZ/Toyota GR 86 is a relative newcomer worth considering.

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