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[Amol S.]

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[jlee]

Or the Toyota MR2 which was like the Mazda RX8 at a cheaper price.

/SLAP




...now that we have that out of my system...

The mid-engine selection (unless you are counting front-mid engine) selection has always been sparse. Lotus Elise? Porsche Boxster? Porsche Cayman is rear engine, I believe. Kit cars, Factory Five 818? Exomotive Exocet (Miata conversion, so front engine)?

Comparing the S2000 to an Enzo or MC12 is just silly, so I'm not even going to go there.

Also. The MR2 has been produced from 1984 to 2007. The RX8 was...2003-2011? How is the MR2 like an RX8 when all three generations of the MR2 preceded the RX8? pfft.

 

[Amol S.]

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[Tuanies]

^They look nothing alike unless you're blind.

 

[jlee]

look at picture of the last gen of mr2 and compare with the mazda 95% match.
same with the Honda, look by pics
Poshe? isnt that $200K? please go lower, max $60k, that's the max a middle class can afford.

I have owned all three generations of MR2s. I don't need to look at a picture. The MR2 came out BEFORE the RX8. The RX8 is a front-mid engine rotary-powered weird half-door something coupe.

The MR-S is a mid-engined, piston-engined two door convertible.

A 2015 Boxster starts at $51,400.

 

[Tuanies]

I guess they both have four wheels....

2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder by sleepintill2, on Flickr

RX8 [EXPLORED!] by kyle is raaddd, on Flickr

 

[Midwayman]

You have a hard on for MR, but many of the examples you give are FR. If you really want a non american MR, the boxter is within reach of someone plausibly called middle class. Alpha Romeo 4c is MR and starts at $54,900. Might be others. Lotus Elise, but they appear to have left the US.

 

[Amol S.]

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[Amol S.]

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[Tuanies]

FD RX-7
Mazda RX7 Efini Twin Turbo Black by Digital Brownie, on Flickr

NA Miata
Beginning by Lauri Ahtiainen, on Flickr

NB Miata
NB Miata by albert2982001, on Flickr

NC Miata
NC Miata x BBS by Jasper Ash, on Flickr

ND Miata
New ND Miata Driving by RallyWays, on Flickr

First gen MR2
TOYOTA 3 TONE COLOR MR2 (AW11) -Olympus TRIP 35 Test Shot_01 by yuchan's point of view, on Flickr

Second gen MR2
Toyota MR2 by Albert S. Bite, on Flickr

Yea, I don't see it.

 

[JulesMaximus]

You have a hard on for MR, but many of the examples you give are FR. If you really want a non american MR, the boxter is within reach of someone plausibly called middle class. Alpha Romeo 4c is MR and starts at $54,900. Might be others. Lotus Elise, but they appear to have left the US.

You can still find them on the used market for $30-35k. They hold their value well and with that Toyota powertrain should give years of trouble free performance.

I do like the new Miata.

Plenty of used Corvettes on the market too.

 

[tweakmonkey]

Mid-engine is always a rare thing and a luxury to us because the layout basically removes the rear seats no matter how you do it and there's little storage space so it becomes a "toy" rather than a normal car.

Then nobody wants to drive one that's not fast and sporty, so they will usually end up with a pricier engine, brakes and suspension. There were a few that didn't have fancy engines a few years back like the Spyder, but most are more expensive. They also know they can't sell a lot of them since they're so impractical, so the price is even higher. There are no NEW cheap mid engine cars available now AFAIK.

If you want a cheap USED one, MR2 Spyder, 01-04 Boxster S, Lotus Elise in that order for pricing. I'd get a Lotus if I had room for another fun car right now.

 

[JulesMaximus]

By the way, is it just me or does the thread title make absolutely no sense to anyone else?

 

[jlee]

banging head on table not the convertible the coupe, they have a coupe. or maybe I am mixing up with RX7

Not the convertible MR2? You mean this one?

I don't see the resemblance...

 

[SSSnail]

No mentioning of NSX? You guys are all fired.

Oh, I see you mentioned it in the OP, but yeah the new NSX will be faster, more fuel efficient and less troublesome than the v8 r8.

 

[jlee]

No mentioning of NSX? You guys are all fired.

Oh, I see you mentioned it in the OP, but yeah the new NSX will be faster, more fuel efficient and less troublesome than the v8 r8.

OP was talking about 2009+ cars - the new NSX isn't out yet and is decidedly out of the "middle class" price range.

If I were shopping in the $25-40k range right now I'd have an 09+ CTS-V.

 

[Yuriman]

I think we first need to decide what middle class is.

If middle class is the middle 50%, that's a household income of $22,500 to $85,000. Seems to me that socking away $20-30,000 per year isn't unreasonable (spending 50-60k per year) with an $85,000 income, depending on one's circumstances (e.g. doesn't have 8 kids), so a middle class household could probably afford to put an R8 or NSX in its driveway (paid in cash) with 4-5 years' savings, if it were important to them.



Of course, nobody saves money these days, and if you do, you're not likely to spend it on a car.

EDIT: Just stirring the pot.

EDIT2: Can you even lease one of these cars?

 

[jlee]

I think we first need to decide what middle class is.

If middle class is the middle 50%, that's a household income of $22,500 to $85,000. Seems to me that socking away $20-30,000 per year isn't unreasonable (spending 50-60k per year) with an $85,000 income, depending on one's circumstances (e.g. doesn't have 8 kids), so a middle class household could probably afford to put an R8 or NSX in its driveway (paid in cash) with 4-5 years' savings, if it were important to them.



Of course, nobody saves money these days, and if you do, you're not likely to spend it on a car.

EDIT: Just stirring the pot.

EDIT2: Can you even lease one of these cars?

You're forgetting entirely about taxes and any retirement contributions, as well as using the extreme high end of the scale.

 

[Amol S.]

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[Zor Prime]

1991 NSX cost approx. $60k, 2005 NSX cost approx. 90k.

2015 NSX will likely be in line with the pricing gradient.

NSX hasn't ever been a middle-class priced automobile unless you sacrificed greatly for one or bought one second hand.

 

[Amol S.]

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[jlee]

the first two and the last.

Do you just think all cars look the same?

 

[Midwayman]

Alpha Rome what never seen that running in NYC , although I have seen a rusting old one that look like crap on a abandoned Rail Road tracks in Queens near where I live.


Looked it up UGLY! need something with style!

This is ugly? Whatever floats your boat I guess.

 

[Fenixgoon]

since when the hell was any exotic ever affordable by the middle class? please share whatever you're smoking...

 

[RichieZ]

This is ugly? Whatever floats your boat I guess.

the 4c is ugly bro