Sports cars provide some of the best thrills and spills of any vehicle on the planet. They are fast, agile, and powerful and provide an excellent experience for those who love driving no matter when or where.

As you might expect, this performance can come with a price. Cars such as Ferraris and higher-trim Porsche 911s have a price tag, but fortunately, there are some affordable sports cars on the market.

This list contains 13 of them. We’ve added them based on their value, the performance they offer for that price, and the driving experience they provide.

Toyota GR Supra

The current generation of the Toyota Supra is one of the best sports cars currently available and the flagship of the Toyota GR range. Launched a few years ago, its BMW connections initially led to some criticism, thanks to it sharing some DNA with the BMW Z4.

But the Supra has become a highly respected and well-loved sports car. The GR Supra currently has a starting price of $56,250, and the 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine under the hood provides up to 382 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque.

Toyota GR86

Toyota is currently the king of the affordable sports car, with the GR86 being one of their other products. Designed in partnership with Subaru, which created the BRZ, the GR86 starts at just $29,300 and represents fantastic value for money in the sports car world.

Power comes from a 2.4-liter four-cylinder Boxer engine, producing 28 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. Three trim levels are available: the standard GR86, the GR86 Premium, and the $34,720 GR86 TRUENO Edition.

Subaru BRZ

The Subaru BRZ is the other product of the partnership with Toyota, and it’s possibly one of the finest cars Subaru has ever produced. It packs the same 2.4-liter Boxer engine under the hood as the GR86, making 228 horsepower. However, the base BRZ will cost you a little more.

Subaru currently retails the BRZ at $30,195, which is $895 more than the GR86. The BRZ comes with its own design and Subaru systems, such as the Subaru Starlink infotainment suite and the company’s EyeSight driver assist technology.

Mazda Miata MX-5

Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary — Image Credit: Mazda.

Of course, the classic, budget-friendly sports car is the Mazda Miata MX-5. Introduced in the 1990s, the MX-5 is still going strong today and remains one of the most popular sports cars of all time.

The latest generation of sports cars starts at $28,985 and has a 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G 181 horsepower 16-valve four-cylinder engine. The MX-5 shows no signs of slowing down and will likely remain in production for generations to come.

Lotus Emira

While its initial asking price of $99,000 isn’t cheap, the Lotus Emira is still more affordable than a Ferrari or Lamborghini car. Plus, as Lotus’s final gas-powered sports car, it is also one of historical importance.

Power comes from either a 2.0-liter AMG M139 turbocharged inline-four, or a 3.5-liter Toyota 2GR-FE supercharged V6. Lotus is firmly looking towards an electric future, so the Emira really does represent the end of an era.

Ford Mustang

The current and new generation of the Ford Mustang is one of the best muscle/sports cars on the market. While the base model with the EcoBoost V6 starts at $31,920, the Mustang really shines when the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 is under the hood.

The 500 horsepower Mustang Dark Horse is the current standout thanks to that Coyote engine. But Ford is set to introduce the mighty Mustang GTD, the ultimate version of the car with a supercharged 800 horsepower V8 under the hood.

Chevrolet Camaro

Although it may no longer be in production and might be long in the tooth, the final Chevrolet Camaro still represented excellent value for money. For under $35,000, you got one of the best-performing cars on the market, with plenty of power under the hood.

If you want a V8 Camaro, the cheapest is the LT1, which starts at just over $40,000. The 6.2-liter V8 produces 455 horsepower, but the cheaper 3.6-liter V6 is still excellent, with 335 horsepower.

Nissan Z

The latest and greatest Nissan Z sports car might be one of the best-performing cars of the decade and certainly one of the most affordable, starting at $42,970. The latest Nissan Z takes some design cues from the original Datsun 240Z, and it shows a genuinely excellent-looking car with smooth, clean lines.

The Nissan Z’s 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine produces 400 horsepower. A six-speed manual transmission makes the car a gearhead’s dream, and Nissan has also launched an NISMO version of the new Z.

BMW Z4

While the Toyota Supra might steal the limelight, the BMW Z4, which shares some underpinnings with it, is still an excellent product in its own right. The Z4 comes with a turbocharged four-cylinder base engine, with the sDrive30i using a 255 horsepower turbo-four and the M40i using a 382 horsepower inline-six.

BMW, like Toyota, also offers a six-speed manual transmission with the Z4, in this instance with the inline-six model. The current Z4 sDrive30i will set you back $54,050, and the price can rise to $66,450 for the Z4 M40i with the turbocharged six-cylinder.

Porsche 718 Cayman

If you are looking to spend a bit more on a sports car, you might want to check out the Porsche 718 Cayman. This striking version of the 718 starts at $72,800, and thanks to the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, it has 300 horsepower under the hood.

If you want even more power, you can opt for the Cayman S model, which has a 2.5-liter engine under the hood that produces 350 horsepower and 309 lb-ft of torque. The 718 GTS has even more power thanks to the 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine that produces 394 horsepower.

Alpine A110

If you want an excellent, bang-for-your-buck sports car, the best value one on the market right now might be the Alpine A110. Revived in 2017, the A110 has a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood, which produces 252 horsepower in base form.

The A110S version can produce 300 horsepower. Alpine doesn’t currently offer the A110 in the United States, but it is set to expand into the US market and eventually bring over its flagship.

Alfa Romeo Giulia

There is no denying just how beautiful nearly every Alfa Romeo is. The Giulia is no exception. Thanks to its two extra doors and sedan body, it is also a practical sports car that looks better than nearly all of its alternatives.

Alfa Romeo sells two versions of the standard Giulia, the Ti and the Veloce. The standard versions produce 280 horsepower with the 2.0-liter inline-four turbo. If you opt for the Giulia Quadrifolgio, you are looking at 505 horsepower, thanks to the 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6. The prices can vary from $43,285 to $91,915.

Honda S2000

Although the prices of Honda S2000s might be rising, compared to some modern sports cars, the Honda Classic is still quite affordable. The S2000 is often regarded as one of the finest sports cars ever produced, and many still lament the end of its production run in 2009.

Power initially came from the 2.0-liter F20C inline-four engine, with Honda adding the 2.2-liter F22C1 engine in the second generation AP2 S200 from 2003 onwards. The six-speed manual transmission in the S2000 is one of the finest to ever grace a sports car, with it particularly excelling with the VTEC engine up at the redline.