Owning a mid-engined sports car is a rite of passage for many an enthusiast. And once you’ve sampled such a car, it’s easy to understand why: the sound of the engine over your shoulder, the quicker rotation in corners, the traction, the new challenge of understanding how it behaves, and how to get the best from it, all conspire to make the experience more evocative and rewarding. Then there’s the fact that most mid-engined machines tend to be exotica, giving you even more reason to reach for those keys come a quiet Sunday morning.
But many of those fabled cars, the Ferraris, the Lamborghinis, the Lotus options and the rest, mean considerable investment. And that might not be something you want to commit to even if you have the means, especially if you just want to dip your toe into mid-mounted motoring to see what it’s like. It might not even be the purchase price that is the hurdle. Instead, it could be the likely financial and ownership realities of living with such a car that consigns the idea to the dustbin.
As a case in point, you could buy an older Porsche Boxster or Cayman, netting yourself a car with serious credentials and a hefty dose of driver appeal. But if you want to use either as intended, the upkeep costs could be considerable. More significantly, the mere concern about major breakages or bills could douse your enthusiasm for actually driving the thing at all. And while some eke enjoyment from simply admiring a car in its garage, it doesn’t tick the boxes for everyone, especially among an audience such as this.
