7 Rear-Engined Cars That Aren't A Porsche 911

1. Volkswagen Beetle

Oh yeah, I said not Porsche 911s. Sorry, moving on…

2. DeLorean DMC-12

The DMC-12 was the only car ever made by DeLorean, and it has gone down in history largely thanks to its role in the Back to the Future movies. But ignoring its Hollywood fame, the DMC-12 is still worthy of attention because it’s just so damn quirky: gullwing doors, brushed stainless steel bodywork and an engine in the back.

It’s got a 2.85-litre V6 unit sourced from Peugeot-Renault-Volvo, which helped the DeLorean hit 60mph in a relatively brisk 8.8 seconds. It was dynamically pretty flawed, but that’s all just character for enthusiasts.

3. Renault Twingo/Smart Fortwo

You might think that making a rear-engined, rear-wheel drive city car is an odd decision, but with the Renault Twingo and Smart Fortwo (which are essentially the same car), it helps contribute to some impressive packaging and a hilariously tiny turning circle. And once you’re behind the wheel, you honestly forget you’re in such a tiny car.

4. Fiat 500

While we’re on the subject of rear-engined city cars, there’s only one place to turn next: the Fiat 500. We’re not talking about the hipster retro modern 500, rather the original car that inspired it. Introduced in 1957, it was in production for nearly 20 years and sold 3.8 million units in that time. It was powered by a 479cc two-stroke engine making 13bhp; its funky styling and unique layout made it one of the first proper city cars, and its popularity spawned a segment that’s now absolutely dominant.

5. Hillman Imp

Everyone knows the Mini, but the Imp was built as a direct competitor, and is suitably intriguing in its own right. Thanks to having the engine in the back, the passengers had loads of cabin space, making it a great choice for families. It even had a rear window that folded out to allow easy luggage access for the rear seat rest. It was also the first mass-produced car to have an aluminium engine block and cylinder head, as well as having an automatic choke and gauges for things like the oil temperature, which were rare things in the 70s.

6. Chevrolet Corvair

The Chevrolet Corvair might look like a typical American land yacht from the outside, but thanks to its rear-engined layout it was pretty unique - and incredibly controversial. GM was sued by more than 100 people who claimed the Corvair had dangerous handling, and was responsible for crashes they had suffered. This was compounded by a book called Unsafe at any Speed, which highlighted these lawsuits, and claimed that cost cutting on a suspension component (which was installed on later models) contributed to the danger.

Independent studies from the Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration eventually found that the Corvair was no more dangerous than its rivals, but the damage was already done. The year after Unsafe at any Speed was released, Corvair sales dropped by more than half, with a further 90 per cent drop the following year.

7. Alpine A110

Alpine’s back in the news as Renault has relaunched the brand with the pretty Vision concept. But it has a rich history, most notably with the A110, which is a true legend of the rally scene thanks to its WRC successes in 1973.

One of the quirky facts associated with this car is that it owes that unique front end styling due to the fact the engine’s air cooling intakes are beneath the chassis, leaving the front end grille-less.