Mid-engined turbocharged sports cars occupy a special place in the enthusiast hierarchy. The layout promises sharper handling through better weight distribution, while forced induction delivers the power to exploit it. Historically, this combination has commanded serious money. Development costs for mid-engined platforms run high, and the exotic positioning keeps prices elevated whether you're buying new or secondhand. Models like the Ferrari 488 and McLaren 570S represent the pinnacle of what turbocharged mid-engined money can buy, but entry into this segment doesn't necessarily require six figures.A deep dive through used car listings across multiple platforms revealed something unexpected. Acquiring a turbocharged mid-engined machine costs far less than conventional wisdom suggests. The used market contains at least one overlooked option that delivers the mechanical thrill of a mid-mounted turbo engine at a surprisingly accessible price point.For anyone who assumed this particular driving experience remained financially out of reach, the reality offers better news. Here's the most affordable turbocharged mid-engined sports car available in 2025. The MkII Toyota MR2 Is The Cheapest Mid-Engined Turbo Car Today Bring a Trailer Valued at around $19,400 in good condition by Hagerty, the 1992 Toyota MR2 Turbo is the cheapest mid-engined turbo car you can buy. A fair-condition MKII 1992 Toyota MR2 Turbo is valued at $9,000, while a pristine example could fetch as much as $56,400. Depending on the model year, condition, and mileage, the MkII W20 MR2 turbo prices are generally around a similar ballpark. But Hagerty values the 1992 model year MR2 Turbo as the cheapest of them all. Kelly Blue Book considers a fair value of $4,520 for a 1992 MR2 Turbo 2D coupe.Bring a Trailer Browsing through the classifieds, we found that all MkII Toyota MR2 Turbo sold between 2020-2025 sold for an average of $22,955. According to Classic.com, the highest recorded sale for an MR2 Turbo MkII W20 was $61,750. This was a 1995 model with 67,000 miles sold in 2022 through an auction on Bring a Trailer.Bring a Trailer Similarly, pictured above, the lowest recorded sale was a 1991 MR2 Turbo that was also sold through a Bring a Trailer auction. The cheapest mid-engined MR2 Turbo sold for $7,128, with 171,000 miles in 2022. This model was equipped with a removable glass T-top roof panels, a rear spoiler, cruise control, and a Sony touchscreen stereo. The cheapest example of the MR2 Turbo ever sold also had a clean Carfax report, and a clean Washington State title.Bring a Trailer The car is finished in black, featuring aftermarket five-spoke 15-inch wheels wrapped in a staggered set of 195/50 front and 225/50 rear Kumho Ecsta AST tires. The car came with an additional set of the original 14″ five-spoke wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich tires included in the sale. The MR2's Turbocharged 3S-GTE Engine Makes 200 HP Via: Bring a TrailerFor the W20 second generation 1991-1999 MR2, Toyota offered varying engine options depending on the market. In the US, the mid-engined MR2 MkII was available with either a 2.2-liter naturally aspirated 5S-FE engine producing 130 hp. It was paired with either a 4-speed automatic or a five-speed manual.Bring a Trailer However, the MkII MR2 Turbo was the more powerful version. The W20 MR2 Turbo featured a 2.0-liter 3S-GTE engine. This turbocharged inline-4 engine made 200 hp at 6,000 rpm and 200 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm. Toyota used a CT26 single turbocharger and electronic fuel injection for the engine that ran an 8.8:1 compression ratio.This engine was solely offered with the E153 5-speed manual transmission that sent power to the rear wheels. The MR2 Turbo was exclusively available with the T-bar roof after 1993.Via: Bring a Trailer However, the MKII MR2 Turbo was in its least powerful form in the US. Due to strict emission regulations, Toyota was required to detune the engine. The MR2 Turbo was never sold in the European market by Toyota. Only the naturally aspirated versions of the MR2 were available in Europe. The Japanese spec MR2 Turbo was the most powerful version of the mid-engined sports car.In Japan, the MR2 GT-S and GT trims used the 2.0-liter 3S-GTE turbocharged engine like the American models. As emission norms for the market were not as strict as in the US, Toyota tuned them to produce 220 hp at 6,000 rpm and 224 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm. Japanese model MR2 with the turbocharged engines had a top speed of 152 mph.Bring a TrailerHowever, Toyota introduced a more powerful Gen3 version of the 3S-GTE engine for the 1995 model that used a more efficient CT20B turbo, and a 9.0:1 compression ratio. This robbed some torque to 223 lb-ft, which peaked at a higher 4,000 rpm. But the power output of the Gen3 3S-GTE improved to 245 hp, arriving at 3,200 rpm. Even in Japan, the MkII MR2 with the turbocharged engine was exclusively available with the 5-speed manual gearbox. Toyota MR2 MkII Turbo: US Spec Vs Europe And Japan The MkII MR2 Turbo made just 200 hp and 200 lb-ft due to the stricter emission norms in the US The MR2 Turbo was never sold in the European market, only the naturally aspirated models were sold The Japanese spec MR2 Turbo was the most powerful Between 1991-1994, the turbocharged 2.0-liter 3S-GTE made 220 hp and 224 lb-ft In 1995, Toyota increased the compression ratio and used a new turbo The later models of the MR2 Turbo in Japan made 245 hp and 223 lb-ft The MkII MR2 Turbo Was Faster Than A Supra, Honda NSX, And Ferraris Bring a Trailer The US spec MkII Toyota MR2 Turbo recorded a 0-60 mph time of 6.1 seconds and finished the quarter mile in 14.7 seconds. The W20 gen MR2 received several revisions over its lifecycle for the US and Japan. A Japanese spec Revision 3 model of the GT-S Turbo recorded a quarter mile in 13.1 seconds.This made the MR2 Turbo faster than other high-powered cars like the 13.5-second Honda NSX, 13.8-secondToyota Supra RZ, and the Ferrari 348 TB, which ran the quarter in 13.71 seconds. Thanks to its impressive power-to-weight ratio, and well-tuned suspension and chassis, the MR2 Turbo was generally considered one of the best-handling cars of its time. Furthermore, the Rev 2 GT-S model was able to clock 1:08.00 around the Tsukuba Circuit in Japan, which was extremely quick for a car with 245 hp. This made it quite desirable, and being a Toyota, the mid-engined sports car was fairly reliable.Sources: Hagerty.com, Classic.com, Bringatrailer.com, Toyota.com.