Front-mid-engine, front-wheel-drive layout

In automotive design, a front-mid-engine, front-wheel-drive layout (also called more simply "mid-engine, front-wheel-drive layout", and abbreviated MF or FMF) is one in which the front road wheels are driven by an internal-combustion engine placed just behind them, in front of the passenger compartment.

[1][2] [3] [4] In contrast to the front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout (FF), the center of mass of the engine is behind the front axle.

This layout is typically chosen for its better weight distribution (the heaviest component is near the center of the car, lowering its moment of inertia).

Many early successful (and mostly French) mass-produced front-wheel drive cars used the MF layout, until the 1959 BMC (Austin / Morris) Mini demonstrated the layout and passenger car packaging benefits of mounting the engine transversely in front of the front axle.

At first – when well executed – the packaging, space utilization and user experience of MF layout, even in a subcompact or supermini, like the Renault 16 or Renault 5, made many people consider the differences between the FF and MF layouts to be minor.