Back in the day, a lot of lower priced sports cars were made possible because they shared much of their most expensive parts with higher-volume family sedans, things like engines, transmissions and suspension bits. That made them cost efficient to build, and to buy. Sadly, today most family sedans are transverse engined and front wheel drive which as the Australian Mercury Capri once proved, doesn’t make for a compelling sports car.

Ah you say, but what if you take that front-wheel drivetrain and stick it behind the passenger compartment, wouldn’t that serve to lower the cost of the sports cars a wee bit at least? Why yes it would, and as the Fiat X1/9 once proved, and more recently the Pontiac Fiero and Toyota MR2 reiterated, those cars can be more fun than a bushel full of puppies, and affordable to boot. So why is it that the last such car to be introduced – Toyota’s MR2 Spyder – went out of production back in 2007 with no replacement to take its place?

Considering all the sweet front wheel drive drivetrains out there right now – for example Ford’s 123-horse turbo 1-litre triple – why haven’t they found their way into some cool mid-motored sports cars? Do you think that hot hatches with their superior utility have made such cars superfluous? If not, would you like to see a new spate of the little sidewinders, and if so, who should be the companies to build them?

Image source: Beyond6000