The Best Rear-Wheel Drive Cars

Does a rear-wheel car get any better than the Porsche 911? A favourite amongst sports car enthusiasts, and for good reason, the 911 is perfectly poised and balanced, delivering an incredible driving experience that must be lived to truly appreciate how great it is. And when it comes to performance, the Porsche 911 pushes it to the max, especially with the Turbo S model, which achieves a blistering 0-62mph in just 2.6 seconds and hits a staggering top speed of 205mph. It’s definitely a car to enjoy on a track day or a hill climb event to really put it through its paces. At the same time, it’s also comfortable, practical, and rather fuel efficient for such a powerhouse of a sports car. In other words, it’s suitable for everyday use too. And it all comes wrapped up in a truly timeless and iconic design, coated with layers of luxury on the outside and in for a premium journey.

The Mazda MX-5 might not match the number crunching of the Porsche 911, but it does offer plenty of rear-wheel drive fun at a fraction of the cost. Where the 911 new will set you back upward of £80k, the Mazda MX-5 offers a different kind of number crunching, with a brand-new price that is relatively peanuts in comparison, from only £23k. It’s not just cheap either, it’s a fantastic all-round sports car. Providing a well-balanced experience, precise handling, and very stylish looks, all of which come together to form a poised vehicle that is excellent to drive. It’s well-suited to British roads too, with the performance to match. Plus, it’s surprisingly fuel efficient, equally at home on a race track or on a city street. Simply put, the Mazda MX-5 is a great rear-wheel drive car that is superb value for money.

For a rear-wheel drive experience that blurs the line between sports and supercars, look to the mighty McLaren 570S. It has super edgy styling, responsive and agile handling, and astonishing performance that will leave you catching your breath and grinning from ear to ear. And that’s likely before you’ve even gotten into the car. The ultra-light, one-piece carbon fibre chassis and a fantastic weight to power ratio lead to some eye-wateringly fast numbers, with 0-62mph in a mere 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 204mph. It’s definitely a car designed with track days in mind over every day driving, but when it comes to delivering a pure experience, few come close.

Where many rear-wheel drive cars focus on the power output, like the McLaren 570S, the Alpine A110 treads a different path, forging a careful balance of components in order to maximise the purity of the driving experience and the sheer sense of enjoyment. It’s not the most powerful of sports cars, with a top speed of around 160mph, but it does offer speedy acceleration when you need it, going from 0-60mph in around 4.5 seconds. It’s not the numbers however that has the majority of the motoring world singing the A110s praises. It’s the fact that Alpine has achieved the design brief, providing a perfectly balanced, lightweight machine that lets you feel in control of the road at all times, connecting you to the car like few others. In short, it’s a sports car with a true driver’s focus, one that is perfectly set between control and power.

The Toyota GT86 is another rear-wheel drive car for purists, enjoying a classic layout and a front mounted engine. It looks the part too, with a sleek and streamlined shape paired with an aggressive front facia – a very stylish exterior indeed. It enjoys sharp steering, a lightweight body, and a low centre of gravity, connecting you to the road and enhancing the thrill of the driving experience. And the GT86 is certainly thrilling, providing endless fun. Furthermore, although it’s a small coupe, it’s fairly practical for the segment. It is also excellent value for money, with an affordable starting price from just £29,005 brand new. You can find brilliant pre-owned deals on the used market too, with models in fantastic condition.

The sibling to the superb Toyota GT86, the Subaru BRZ is another rear-wheel drive car that puts the focus back onto the fun factor. Like the GT86, it has a lightweight body, a low centre of gravity, and a very exciting ride experience. It also offers a similar affordable starting price and many other similarities, including those stylish good looks. However, the two cars do have their own personalities that, no matter how slight, set the two apart by a good difference. Basically, the Subaru BRZ has sharper handling and stiffer suspension for a sportier feel well-suited to the race track, although that does leave it with a firmer ride for day-to-day driving.

Available from £46.6k brand new or pre-owned, with average prices of £28.9k, the Porsche 718 Boxster is well-priced for the experience it offers. When it comes to convertibles, few can match the fun on offer, although Mazda MX-5 certainly gives it a good run for its money. The class-leading roadster enjoys unrivalled handling and iconic styling. It’s a typical Porsche in every way, which is always a wonderful thing, performing as you’d want and expect and finished with a distinct layer of luxury and strong premium build quality. If you’d rather a coupe than a convertible, then check out the 718 Cayman, it’s essentially the same car, but without the retractable roof. It’s also a fantastic sports car.

The BMW 2 Series is offered as a coupe or as a convertible in rear-wheel drive. Whichever you opt for both have the premium finish that you’d expect from the world-renowned marque, as well as those sophisticated and dignified looks that make BMW cars so attractive and appealing to buyers. The 2 Series is a whole lot of fun too. It is engaging with precise steering and it has a comfortable, upmarket cabin, providing an excellent experience for driving around town. It also comes with a wide selection of engines as well, from high performance varieties with plenty of power, to more frugal options offering impressively low running costs for everyday use.

The iconic Lotus Elise is a classic looking sports car that is brimming with appeal. It has a very low centre of gravity and a compact cabin that hugs you, letting you feel in touch with every inch of the road. It’s responsive, high-powered, and outright fun. Sure, the two-seater, mid-engine, rear-wheel drive roadster might not be the most practical for everyday driving, but it might just be the most fun, thanks to outstanding handling and a pure, pared back experience. You can also find some amazing used deals for the Lotus Elise. Whilst average prices sit roughly at £36.9k, particularly for the more powerful variants, you can find some exceptional offers for as little as £15k – not bad at all for an iconic slice of motoring.

With a front-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive, the Morgan Plus Four delivers a familiar setup, but in a wholly unique package, providing drivers with something very different and very special. It combines timeless looks from the classic golden age of motoring paired with 21^st century mechanics and performance. The car is handcrafted for added allure and it utilises three core elements in the design: aluminium, ash, and leather, in order to create an exquisite work of motoring art. It’s a rare breed of car from a company that walks its own path, which makes the Plus Four all the more desirable. Few come close to delivering the sense of play and performance as a Morgan Plus Four, and fewer still hit such numbers like 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds – it’s a lot of fun and like nothing else on this list.