The Cheapest Sports Cars

We couldn’t talk about affordable sports cars in the UK without mentioning the ever-popular Mazda MX-5. Throughout its many generations the MX-5 has been a by-word for reliability and low-cost performance, with owners loving the simplicity of this two-seater sports car.

We’ve picked out the third generation MX-5 owing to its good blend of comfort and low price, this age of MX-5 is available with 1.8 and later 2.0-litre petrol engines, linked up to one of the sweetest manual gearboxes around. The good news is that this car really won’t break the bank and you can pick up decent examples for as little as £2,000 – though remember to factor in servicing and repair costs.

The Porsche Boxster was introduced as an alternative to the famous 911 and while there have been several negative stereotypes associated with this car, they are misplaced as the Boxster gives you that full Porsche experience for a very tempting price.

The first-generation Boxster is starting to look a little like a ‘modern classic’ these days but, thankfully, can be picked up for some very low prices. You can find slightly ratty ones for around £2,000, but we’d be looking to spend around £4,000 to get a clean, decent-mileage example. Just make sure that you give the folding roof a proper test – they can be prone to failure and would be expensive to replace.

When it first arrived, the Audi TT showcased a curvaceous, dynamic design which went on to influence this brand’s designs for a long time. While that first-generation car might be tempting – and it can be picked up for a low amount – we’d opt for the second-generation car, which brought a few extra creature comforts without losing the stylish exterior which defined the model which came before it.

You’ve got a great range of engines to choose from, too, going from the entry 1.8-litre engine which offers decent performance and economy, right the way up to the potent five-cylinder 360bhp engine in the range-topping TTRS. You could pay as little as £3,000, but double that for a super-clean example.

Toyota aimed to deliver the feeling of an old-school sports car when it first introduced the GT86. Here was a lightweight car that was decent on fuel, relatively inexpensive to repair and great to drive, all delivered at a price that was attainable for most drivers. What’s not to like?

These days, the GT86 isn’t tough to find on the used market and, because it had a reasonably low starting price when new, doesn’t command to high of a price tag now it’s on the second-hand side of things. Get the keys to a GT86 and you’ll be rewarded with a car with sparkling dynamics but one which doesn’t cost too much to keep running.

If you’re after a cheap sports car that is a little more alternative than most, then check out the BMW i8. It showcased a whole new direction for the brand when it was launched in 2014, utilising a hybrid system that gave this futuristic-looking car loads of performance but the possibility of some very low running costs too.

Sure, used examples of the i8 aren’t the cheapest but given the supercar-rivalling looks that you get, it seems good value. Prices for the i8 start from around £25,000 and there are plenty of good examples available for under £30,000. It’s a lot of car for the money, that’s for sure.

Hyundai’s ‘N’ performance brand took the motoring world by storm. Headed up by the former boss of BMW M Albert Biermann, the N brand showed that Hyundai could make sharp, lively performance cars that still had this firm’s usual sense of practicality and everyday usability at heart.

While things did kick off with the i30N, we’ve got a soft spot for the smaller i20N. It’s got that true performance car character packed into a more compact design. They weren’t all that expensive from new, so it’s easy to get hold of a second-hand i20N for a very decent price. In fact, these relatively-new cars can be bought for just over £21,000 and, with a good reliability record, they shouldn’t cause too many headaches repairs-wise, either.

The Mercedes SLK is one of those affordable sports cars that doesn’t feel like a cut-price option in the slightest. We’re fans of this third-generation car, too, as though the versions which came before it can be found for some very low prices, this age of SLK delivers the toys that you’d want for a still-reasonable price. Good examples of this generation of SLK trade for around £8,000.

Core to the SLK’s appeal is its folding hard top roof which, when in place, gives this convertible a far more refined driving experience than you get from its soft-topped rivals. Just make sure you give it a good test on any car that you’re looking at as replacements will be expensive.

BMW followed on from its successful Z3 with the more grown-up and rounded Z4 – a car which brought a more ‘everyday’ ability than its smaller predecessor. The second-generation Z4 may not be as curvaceous as the original car, but it’s a comfortable and well-price car that you can get for around £9,000 with reasonable miles on the clock.

While the Z4 might not be as sharp to drive as others here, what it does deliver is refinement. This is a cheap sports car that is still quite relaxing to drive over long distances and this, as a result, makes it great for drivers that like to tour or go on bigger adventures. The folding hard top only helps to make the Z4 even easier to live with day-to-day.

Nissan has a long history of creating driver-focused ‘Z’ cars and the 370Z was one of its latest installations. Following on from the successful 350Z, the 370Z brought a sharper look and sharper dynamics, making this futuristic-looking sports car better to drive.

Its 3.7-litre V6 is at the heart of the 370Z’s character, giving this car a bundle of performance alongside a rather exciting exhaust note. While some interior plastics aren’t the best, this Nissan is a great option for those who want a lot of power on a budget – high-mileage examples go for around £10,000, while newer versions will come in at around £15,000.

Honda’s S2000 occupies a near-legendary position in the motoring history books. Known for its incredible performance, it’s a car which punches well above its weight in terms of output and, despite this, doesn’t command too much of a premium – you can pick up decent examples for around £10,000, though clean, unmolested versions can head northwards of £20,000.

The 2.0-litre VTEC engine at the heart of the S2000 is the star of the show, though – as with all VTEC engines – it needs to be worked hard in order to showcase its very best. However, good reliability and relatively low servicing costs make this a budget-friendly sports car that shouldn’t make you wince when it comes to repair and maintenance costs.