The exotically cab-forward proportions the mid-engined layout lends itself to so well. Lots of cylinders, lots of horsepower, lots of drama. Exactly the type of emotive, inspiring cars you'll find on page 60 in the second half of this test, in fact.
Or does it flip to the other side of the coin: the small, nimble, neat sports car? Ever since little Coopers did battle with front-engined Ferraris on the Grand Prix circuit in the '50s and '60s, and Lotus took on the old-guard Offyengined roadsters at Indy, light, compact cars that put the engine behind the driver's shoulder blades and which can outpoint more powerful Goliaths have held a special kind of appeal.
Supercars are glorious, and so are front-engined sports cars. We're assuredly not saying that mid-engined sports cars are 'better' (except, perhaps, from a purely scientific point of view in terms of on-paper weight distribution, moment of inertia and so on). But there's something very special about starting one and hearing its heartbeat come to life behind you, rather than in front of you; the open, unencumbered view ahead; the inherent sense of agility the layout brings and the sense that you're right in the centre of a snug vehicle created for driving for fun - above all else.
It's worth owning a mid-engined car at least once in your life. And it needn't involve exchanging supercar-sized money. We've assembled three giant-killers in terms of affordability as well as ability. Each is a great used buy right now for different reasons: one has become a modern classic but remains under the radar in value; one is on the cusp of modern-classic status and can be had for tempting prices; and one is already an appreciating asset, but best enjoyed as a sports car to be driven, not closeted away as an investment.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2024 من Evo UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2024 من Evo UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.
TYRE 2024 TEST
Want to fit the very best tyres to your performance car? The annual evo Tyre Test identifies the cream of the current crop
HONDA ACCORD TYPE R
A liberal sprinkling of Honda Type R fairy dust on the late-'90s Accord produced an unlikely evo icon and a genuine performance bargain
TOY STORY
Where best to store some of Toyota’s most prized and valuable racing superstars? Under the wind tunnel at its Cologne HO, of course...
POWER PLAY
It develops 819bhp. It has no turbochargers, no hybrid assistance. Ferrari describes it as the most complete GT it's ever made. And it’s so proud of its mighty V12 engine it’s named the whole car after it. This is the 12 Cilindri
THE FIRST SAMURAIS
Japan has been responsible for many of our favourite driver's cars of recent decades, but their ancestors are often much less well known. We take a look at where the big manufacturers began their performance car journeys
DEFINITELY. NO MAYBE
Three Japanese performance icons - Lexus LFA, Subaru Impreza 22B and Nissan GT-R. Over three days on some of our favourite roads we explore what makes each uniquely thrilling, but also the car culture that unites them
1V3.0
F1, P1... and now W1. The next chapter in McLaren's Ultimate Series is the British firm's challenger to the forthcoming new Ferrari hypercar and a £2million, 1257bhp, hybrid-powered, technical tour de force
Thornley Kelham European RS
One man’s dream to build the perfect Porsche 911 has resulted inthis aaticMously restored and enhanced classic. We delve into the details and take it for a drive
Bentley Continental GT Speed
The new Continental GT is the most powerful Bentley ever, and the beginning of anew plug-in hybrid era for Crewe. But is it still a benchmark grand tourer?
