Expert opinion
For many years, the default choice for a back-to-basics sports car was the Mazda MX-5 – if you wanted simple rear-drive thrills and low costs, there wasn’t much to touch it. Until 2012, that is, when the Subaru BRZ arrived. Although created as a joint project with the Toyota GT86, the DNA of the sports car pair is all Subaru, right down to the growling 2.0-litre boxer motor. With just 200hp on tap, it’s not exactly king of the drag strip, but it’s got more than enough power to be thoroughly amusing, blessed as it is with sublime chassis balance and tyres whose threshold of grip is deliberately limited. Plus, unlike its rival from Mazda, the BRZ actually features a pair of rear seats – although you wouldn’t want to spend much time in them if you’re above average height. For a nine-year-old. Choosing between the Toyota and the Subaru is really up to personal preference. However, since the factory producing the pair was contractually bound to build far more Toyotas than Subarus, the BRZ is a relative rarity. Consequently, it tends to command slightly higher used prices. And of course, if you want the classic Mica blue, the BRZ is your only option.