Items15The creator’s order
  1. 1Porsche 914Porsche 914Porsche and Volkswagen developed the 914 together, and it launched in 1969 for the 1970 model year. It is still one of the cheapest ways into a mid-engined Porsche, with well-kept four-cylinder 914/4s remaining within ordinary reach. There is a boot at each end, which makes a weekend away more…0
  2. 2Fiat X1/9Fiat X1/9Marcello Gandini, the Bertone designer behind the Lamborghini Countach, shaped this small Fiat, and it brought a mid-mounted engine and a targa roof to everyday money from 1972. Gandini gave it two luggage spaces, one in the front and one in the rear, so two people can actually travel in it. The…0
  3. 3Toyota MR2Toyota MR2Three generations, three quite different cars, all with Toyota engineering underneath. The first went on sale in Japan in June 1984 and is the light, simple original. The second followed in October 1989 with 2.0-litre engines; the turbocharged versions are the quick ones, so a documented history…0
  4. 4Pontiac FieroPontiac FieroAmerica's own affordable mid-engined car, built from 1984 to 1988, and its reputation problem is well understood. Around one in 400 of the 1984 cars caught fire, mostly because a small three-quart oil pan could starve the engine of oil, and because a wiring harness could touch the exhaust manifold…0
  5. 5MG F / MG TFMG F / MG TFOften the cheapest way into a mid-engined car of all. The MG F arrived in 1995 sharing its 1.8-litre K-Series engine and five-speed gearbox with the first Lotus Elise, and in Britain a running, roadworthy one can still be found for about a thousand pounds, with around £6,000 buying a very clean…0
  6. 6Lotus EliseLotus EliseThe purest demonstration of why mid-engined balance matters: light, direct and talkative at speeds where heavier cars feel dull. Lotus built 35,124 of them between the Series 1 of 1996 and the end of production in 2021, so there is a deep pool of used cars and specialists who know them well. That…0
  7. 7Porsche Boxster (986)Porsche Boxster (986)The cheapest way into a modern mid-engined Porsche, and a genuine touring car thanks to luggage compartments front and rear. The excellent ergonomics help on long days too. The known risk is the intermediate shaft bearing inside the engine. Porsche Club GB calls its failure relatively infrequent,…0
  8. 8Porsche Boxster and Cayman (987)Porsche Boxster and Cayman (987)This generation added the Cayman, launched as the 3.4-litre Cayman S for the 2006 model year, essentially a coupé version of the Boxster S. A fixed roof suits anyone who wants one car for all weathers. The cars to target are the Gen 2 models delivered from early 2009, which brought an all-new…0
  9. 9Lotus EvoraLotus EvoraThe Lotus for people who need more than a weekend toy. It arrived in 2009 as a more civilised car than the Elise, and the 2+2, the most common configuration, adds a pair of rear seats. They are tight, so think children or bags rather than adults. The engine is Toyota's 2GR-FE V6, a well-proven…0
  10. 10Porsche Boxster and Cayman (981)Porsche Boxster and Cayman (981)The last Boxster and Cayman with six-cylinder engines across the whole range, a 2.7-litre or a 3.4-litre in the S, before the 718 cars of 2016 switched to four-cylinder turbos. Porsche Club GB says these engines have shrugged off the issues of the earlier 987 cars, which makes the 981 the sweet…0