Hello
You should be able to get a post May 96 car for that amount, the facelift car has newer lights (front and rear) and many other differences too - it's more desirable. (It also has three separate dials grouped together for water temp, fuel and boost pressure) .
An Auto Tiptronic gearbox version.
The most common performance enhancement is Basic Performance Upgrade , this involves raising the boost pressure from 0.8bar to 1.2bar to make it much more responsive with a lot more power. This will obviously reduce the life of various components on the car but it really depends on how it's driven by the owner.
So you can spot a bpu car, bpu involves fitting an aftermarket free flowing exhaust, removing the catalysts and replacing them with straight through pipes , boost gauge , colder plugs, upgrated fuel pump and a fuel cut defender . The total cost £800 min.
For this reason personally I would only buy a car that's been modified cosmetically , this is the decision you have to make.
The import turbo cars are very reliable even after they've been modified if they're looked after.
De-restricting the car so it can go faster costs around £80 for the little box.
Also, learn how to spot a facelift car.
Be wary of the fact that the DVLA have been known to give incorrect registration plates to import cars , making the car appear much newer than it actually is.
Some info:
http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/forumdisplay.php?f=60