There is also a storm version of the VR6 in limited colours and slightly different spec. although more expensive than non storm versions they hold their value well if reasonable mileage.

VR6 would be my choice, 190bhp excellent strong engines, add a supercharger and you're looking at 300-340bhp, stock internals good for 400ish.

For a storm expect to pay circa £5k+, other VR6's can be had for cheaper with good mileage.

make sure the timing chains have been done if aproaching 100k, you can hear a slight rattle if you hold the revs at about 1200rpm. budget £500-£600 if they need doing. engines are good for over 200k if well looked after.

things that usually go wrong are:
active rear spoiler not going up - easy enough to fix
sunroof tilts but does not slide - pretty easy fix
door handles - not to bad to fix.

hope that helps mate.

Matt.