MIDSHIP RUNABOUTS
SOME PEOPLE JUST idealise proper, mid-engine cars in a way they don't those of any other configuration. No big deal – it's okay to know a bit more about the Lotus Espirit or Fiat X1/9 than one probably should; or to never miss an opportunity to rue WRC's stillborn Group S. Maybe, for this person, there’s a Toyota MR2 in their past, the old one that looked like it could split logs if hit with a really big hammer.
While these loveable folks might not be able to afford the cars of their mid-engine fantasies, they secretly aspire to one day get into a Lotus Elise. Or a Porsche Cayman. At least that was the case about 10 years ago, because now they're a bit more spoilt. There’s the Alfa Romeo 4C with all the ’tude of a baby Ferrari; and newer still, the Alpine A110, championing not just Gallic vibes but classic mid-engine dynamics and lower weight with its trick all-aluminium chassis.
Yes, this proliferation of small, two-seat mid-engine sports cars simultaneously excites and overwhelms those who just want to hear an induction grumble, or turbo hiss, aft of their ears instead of fore. So in the interests of science, we’re taking the best circa-$100K mid-engine sports cars for a spin – not on the brakes into a corner, let's hope – in order to name the best.
WIDE AND LOW, AND TRUE TO ITALIAN CAR DESIGN, THE ALFA ROMEO 4C SPIDER OOZES SEX APPEAL
Of course, the staple of this here comparison has to be the Porsche 718 Cayman.
