Affordable mid-engined cars

When you think of mid-engined cars, you generally think of machines like Ferraris, Lamborghinis and a surprising number of Porsches. High-end performance stuff. But what if we were to tell you that there are actually a surprising number of affordable midengined/rear-drive vehicles that you can buy second-hand? And, no, we’re not going to pull the old ‘Toyota Previa’ joke. Although it really is mid-engined. Anyway, here we go.

Toyota MR2

The obvious one. With the MR, Toyota was arguably the first mainstream powerhouse to bring affordable and reliable (that’s the big one, Fiat fans) motoring to the masses. While excellent examples of the first generation MR2 are starting to gather momentum price-wise, the larger second-gen cars and scruffier first-gen cars are still remarkably cheap, with examples starting as low as $3500.

Fiat X1/9

Sadly not all that common here, thanks to not many being brought in to New Zealand in the first place and that good old Italian classic – rust. But the X1/9 is considered something of an under-appreciated classic in Europe these days. With prices sitting at around $8000-$12,000 for tidy examples in the UK, an X1/9 would make for a nicely exotic alternative to other cars on this list and still remain relatively affordable.

Honda Beat

Honda Beat The diminutive Honda Kei car, which packs a tiny 660cc naturally-aspirated three-cylinder engine, was designed by Pininfarina and is the last car to be approved by Soichiro Honda before he died. While fellow Kei car, the Mazda Autozam AZ-1, is cooler, it’s almost impossible to find here now, but Beats do still pop up. Expect to spend $10,000-$13,000 for a good one.

Porsche Boxster

Porsche Boxster Not that long ago we would have put the 914 in as the affordable midengined Porsche. But like all air-cooled Porsches, it has gone up in value over the last few years. Fortunately the first Boxsters are now within that ‘‘not quite classic yet, but still cool’’ stage of affordability. For about $15,000 you should be able to snag a tidy example, with $20k getting you something nicer.

MGF

MGF If you like your midengined motoring with a bit of British styling and the associated uncertainty, then the MG F is the car for you. The little mid-engined convertible Brit is the mega-bargain of our range here, with prices starting for as little as $2000 for an absolute heap of rubbish, topping out at around $10,000 for a beautifully maintained example.