So your friends have told you repeatedly to buy a Miata already, but you can't get over the old cute-car stigma. Or perhaps you don't want a shuddery convertible, and don't look forward to paying an extra $1k for a Miata hardtop to make it more of a real car. Great news! For about the same price as a tatty NA Miata, you could have a sweet-looking, survivor-grade AW11 MR2. Find this 1986 Toyota MR2 for sale in San Diego, CA for $2,500 via craigslist.
The first generation (AW11) Toyota MR2 was introduced in 1984 with a 1.6 liter 4-cylinder engine mounted amidships. It wasn't the first reasonably priced mid-engine car to be offered for sale, but it was the first from a Japanese manufacturer to be tuned on Willow Springs Raceway by former Formula One driver Dan Gurney. Find this 1986 Toyota MR2 AW11 with only 30k miles on the odometer offered for $9,500 in Milpitas, CA via craigslist. Tip from KBZ. 
Next weekend (20-21st June, 2015) some of the DT staff are going to be hanging out with Black Iron Racing at the 24 Hrs of LeMons Button Turrible. Black Iron Racing is bringing out their MR Sakibomb, an AW11 MR2 powered by a Kawasaki Ninja engine riding shotgun and we'll be drinking beer in the pits, swinging wrenches, and figuring out how the shift the sketchy sequential box without breaking something. 
The last seller submission we featured (a Saleen S281E) had a price tag a bit on the extreme side for the likings of some of DT readers, editors and our pool boy (that guy is always around and I don't even think we own a pool...). Anyway, to make amends, the next seller submission we feature is going to be this really cheap mobile used tire warehouse. It happens to come with a 1987 Toyota MR2 AW11 shop car and is offered for $3,200 via the Gr Ass Root Smot or Sports forum classifieds. Stellar submission from SlowBoy 
The first generation Toyota MR2 (short for Mid-engined Runabout 2-seater) shared mechanical components with the Corolla and was relished in its day for
handling and speed. Today the AW11 generation MR2 is just starting to gain acceptance and recognition as a classic, but prices for nice ones are still dirt cheap. Find this 1985 Toyota MR2 AW11 offered for $3,995 by the original owner with only 75k miles on the clock located in Ojai, CA via craigslist. Tip from Einhander.