What is the best budget sports car?

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El_mochilero@reddit

You can buy base model 2005-2007 C6 Corvettes easily for $20k - $25k.

400hp 6.0L LS2 V8, rear wheel drive, available in a manual transmission, RWD, removable hard top, 4 second 0-60mph, top speed of 180+, infinite options for modifications, plus reliable & affordable ownership.

It’s the best performance car deal out right now.

Source: I own a 2007 Corvette and it f’ing rips.

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Salty_Bandicoot3598@reddit

It’s hard to beat the bang for your buck with Corvettes. I’ve had a handful of them!

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Smovve@reddit

Good daily?

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El_mochilero@reddit

It’s a decent daily. The comfort and reliability are great. The trunk is incredibly huge for such a high performance car.

I have driven fast cars like the Nissan GTR and GT2 Porsche 911 and they are so fast that you dont really even have a chance to enjoy them. You can do 120+ like its nothing and then youre overtaking highway traffic so fast that its like youre the only one moving.

It is more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow.

Maybe try a WRX, a Civic Si, Toyota 86, etc... Im just saying....

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Buckeyebornandbred@reddit

It's true. Fast acceleration means less time having fun acceleration. If it's the journey and not the destination, then you cut the journey way too short.

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El_mochilero@reddit

Good luck! The Corvette community is huge and there is TONS of info available online.

This video is a great buyer’s guide and a great place to start: https://youtu.be/QiOZciFMRGE?si=3sS_tmRKwmIvZFv-

I LOVE my ‘07 base model. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the ownership experience.

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cumaboardladies@reddit

Exactly why I just picked up a 2008 z51 with the LS3 for $18k

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El_mochilero@reddit

How’d you get an ‘08 for that price?!?!? That’s either the deal of a lifetime or a car with some history.

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Several_Ad_6576@reddit

If you mean the experience is different by being slower then you would be correct.

My wife drove my plugin hybrid on electric only mode and her response was “Holy fuck! That car just wants to go!” I will never go back.

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per54@reddit

I have a fast EV and a fast gas car. The gas car, while ‘slower’ is much more fun to drive. The sound, feel of the gears, and engine and exhaust noises are world’s apart.

My gas car is a V12 BiTurbo.

I’ve had model S plaid, lucid, Taycan, Mercedes EV… all are faster but not as fun

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Own-Inflation8771@reddit

We're programmed to react to sound and vibration which togethet provide a more visceral 0-60 experience than pure acceleration alone. Additionally, op is looking for a sportscar which would evoke a "holy fuck" reaction not just from acceleration but also from braking due to massive brakes and cornering forces from big sticky tires....both of which your plug in hybrid lacks. You SHOULD go back. But keep the plug in for whats it's great at...A-B fuel efficient transport.

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Several_Ad_6576@reddit

Visceral? So if a car goes 0-60 in 14 seconds but the car is falling apart, that’s good?

Not sure you can possibly convince me that a C8 corvette is a budget sports car. It would be a premium sports car in my opinion. Maybe you could call it a budget super car.

I would even say that the mustang gt is not really a budget sports car, that's what the ecoboost is along with cars like the miata and the gr86.

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beipphine@reddit

It is budget in the context of the performance per dollar, there is no sports car that you get so much performance at that price point. To get the same level of performance as a $70,000 corvette, you're going to be in a far more expensive platform with any other automaker. Porsche 911 starts at $135,000, Mercedes AMG GT - $106,000, Lotus Emira $107,000, Aston Martin Vantage $195,000. Yeah it doesn't have the interior quality of the European competitors, but it is in this context that it is a "budget" sports car.

I don't consider the ecoboost mustang to be a sports car, It's a sports car like a Mustang II is a sports car. If you're going to spend the money to get a mustang, there is no reason not to spend a little more to get the V8. Plus screw how Ford is trying to shove turbocharged ecoboost down everybodies throats, you'll never convince me a wet belt camshaft is a good idea.

Yes, the Audi RS e-tron GT is widely considered an electric supercar or a high-performance "super sedan". It offers supercar-level speed, accelerating from 0–60 mph in roughly 2.4–2.5 seconds with up to 925 horsepower.

Forget what you think you know after driving the Mach E.

Test drive a Model 3 Performance with the accel control in sport mode and the the steering set to heavy.

Halfway through, park, and put it in track mode. Enjoy, then slap the grin off your face.

I love engines, but I will never not own a performance EV at this point. They are insane. I'd sell my gas car before the EV.

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AlgernusPrime@reddit

Sure, I have a MYP and it’s a great car for its intended purpose, which isn’t a fun sporty car but the M3P might. Having said that, my Cayman, with half the power is 10x more fun on any track, sure it might be slower, but the driving dynamics and feel are pure. It’s built as a sports car, a M3P is an appliance that is crazy fast. Two different worlds of ethos and driving dynamics.

I’ll sell my MYP in a heartbeat over my Cayman.

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AJHenderson@reddit

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leungadon@reddit

Miata with a turbo or k20 swap… obviously!

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Far-Telephone-7432@reddit

I really share that sentiment. I was so used to driving underpowered diesel econoboxes (Peugeot 208) with manual transmissions (to compensate for the lack of horsepower), that driving an electric car feels amazing.

Thats not now actual sports cars work though. At least not in my opinion. Sports cars compromise on all that practicality stuff so they can be more entertaining to drive. That’s why so many of them are 2 seaters.

Choosing that option allows them to place the seats very close to the point of rotation, meaning the vehicle rotates around you. I love having back seats in my M2 for space reasons, but you do notice the seat being placed a bit further forward in the chassis vs what’s ideal.

I am actively seeking to buy a Miata so I can have a sports car in addition to my fast daily.

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kraize00@reddit

Is a 350z a sports car? If yes, then why is a mustang not a sports car?

If a 350z isn’t a sports car, why is a Miata a sports car? What about a 350z stripped of 500 lbs?

I don’t understand what the boundary is

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Heavy_Importance2491@reddit

The Miata is a sports car because it's a two seat convertible; a knock off Elan.

Mustang convertibles are a bit big but the rear seat is unusable so they're sports cars in the same way as a big Healey.

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sofiestarr@reddit

It just depends on what definition of sports car you're using, there's quite a few.

Traditionally it had to be a 2-seater rwd roadster.

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micifaramustar@reddit

Good to know that the alpine a110 isn't a sports car.

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sofiestarr@reddit

If you're talking about the original it was marketed as a Berlinetta, a type of sports coupé. So yeah not a sports car in the traditional serse.

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And you have. It's a little sedan. It can be fun, like an Escort Mexico or a hot hatch, but it's not a sports car at all.

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RunninOnMT@reddit

They built a practical hatchback, then turned that into a coupe then turned that into a fast car.

RunninOnMT@reddit

200 lb difference or so. Here are contemporary reviews of both cars. (They mention the weight of the previous G35 in the body of the first article below)

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a18199891/2007-infiniti-g35-sport-6mt-sedan-road-test/

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15136959/nissan-350z-road-test/

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metamodern-mess@reddit

I was thinking no way an Emira is close to a mustang. 7” lower and 16” shorter…

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myrichiehaynes@reddit

so we are limiting the meaning of sports car to: the smallest available cars?

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RunninOnMT@reddit

More about “was it designed from the outset to be for driver enjoyment”

If it was designed as a practical car first and then turned into a performance car, it’s probably not a sports car.

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myrichiehaynes@reddit

I like this take \^\^\^

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Rottenwadd@reddit

A boat that will smoke them...

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TellemTom@reddit

On the freeway? Sure.

On track or a mountain road? Not so much.

Watch out for the crowds!

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Zee216@reddit

6:52 Fastest Mustang Nurburgring time 7:59 For the 86 7:33 for the Miata

So why would you bring them up?

I didn't.

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SuccessfulHospital54@reddit

You brought up the times of heavily modified cars for some reason. If you didn’t want to compare them to the 8 minute lap set by the gt then don’t bring them up.

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Zee216@reddit

From lightning lap: Virginia International Raceway

Ford Mustang GT (S650) 2:53.8 Toyota GR86 (2022+) 3:11.8 Mazda MX-5 Miata (ND2) 3:17.2

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SuccessfulHospital54@reddit

Bruh you gotta just be rage baiting, or just illiterate.

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Zee216@reddit

The mustang range operates in a higher performance category than 86 or Miata. This is my premise this is what I am arguing. Do you dispute this premise.

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Meant more like some people here are ferociously doubling down on what they say a sports car is, and insisting everyone else is wrong, and only they have the answer. It's pretty ridiculous. But, welcome to Reddit, I guess.

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RunninOnMT@reddit

Yeah, i think there’s some of that, but some people just like arguing and/or talking about this stuff.

It can be fun or it can sound like people yelling at one another. It’s probably a bit of both, but you’re right, reddit does make normal ass communication difficult.

I can 100 percent have this conversation with fellow car enthusiasts and it’s like everyone has their own view on what makes a sports car and it’s fascinating and interesting. But not on reddit.

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That's kinda my point, though. I think the term "Pony Car" should remain a description of a specific point in automotive history - the 60's/70's.

I think using the term Pony Car to describe any modern car is pointless and shouldn't be used.

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Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

Even the modern Mustang, that seems silly given how much like the 60s Mustang it is?

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soggybiscuit93@reddit

It's not very 60s like at all. It's very well rounded with good handling

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RunninOnMT@reddit

Well so was a 60s Mustang by the standards of the 60s. I do think the modern Mustang is a pretty decent approximation of that within the context of the time these cars existed/exist.

I don’t subscribe to “pony cars only existed in the 60s and 70s” but it’s an interesting perspective/idea. I don’t hate it.

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Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

So was the 60s Mustang, by 60s metrics.

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notLennyD@reddit

It would be a GT car.

Grand touring cars are basically sports cars with fixed roofs and longer wheelbases.

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Total-Improvement535@reddit

Right.

Everybody everywhere since the 911 came about has considered it a sports car. Youre just wrong.

The Type R is a sports car along with the Golf R or GR Corolla.

Ohhh I didn't realize this was all sarcasm.

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Club_Penguin_Legend_@reddit

Good job glossing over the rest of my comment explaining why they are.

What makes them not sports cars in your eyes?

I think the difference between 300 heavy and Veyron heavy is that the 300 is built like a tank for comfort and the Veyron has 16 cylinders, 4 (i think?) turbos, and a big fuckass cooling system that I would hate to work on. So yes, still definitely a sports car.

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The M3 is a sportscar although less so recently than it has been in the past due to its increasing weight and decreasing ability to drive on the track without blowing up.

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Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

Don't care what year.

ThisIsShullbit@reddit

You're delusional.

Long hood, short trunk,

You’ve largely just described a GT car.

Mustang didn’t invent it, they arguably have been around for decades prior to the Mustang.

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SailingSpark@reddit

I will let AI give the full answer as it does it better than I could:

A pony car is an affordable, compact, highly styled American coupe or convertible with a sporty, performance-oriented image, designed to appeal to young drivers. Defined by a long hood and short rear deck, they originated with the 1964.5 Ford Mustang, emphasizing style, handling, and customization over raw power.

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carpet_whisper@reddit

Yeah I get it, it also makes no sense.

It was a coined marketing term, like ‘Hot Hatch’ ‘Muscle Car’ ‘Gran Tourer’ and even ‘Pony Car’

Functionally speaking, the definition makes no sene.

European manufactures specifically England & Italy in the late 50s and 60s were making cheap, affordable sports cars with long hood to trunk ratios, many convertible, high stylized & appealing to the youth. With an emphasis on style & handling over raw power.

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SailingSpark@reddit

the Shelby was a bad assed car.

I wouldn’t consider at Miata a sports car. I’d consider it a slow-azz roadster.

Cold_Specialist_3656@reddit

Okay hear me out before you downvote.

A Hemi Charger. 2016+ with ZF8 transmission ONLY

The engine on newer years is solid. It's not turbocharged or fiddly. Post 2016 most V8 Chargers have ZF8. The same legendary transmission BMW puts in their M cars.

Chargers are a meme car, like Neon-SRT4 was back in my day. They are shitboxes. Dodge stripped everything out to give Charger buyers what they wanted more than anything: A big ass motor with a reliable drivetrain.

Most car guys hate them. Because they are designed for teenagers that want to go fast for cheap. Everything besides the drivetrain is garbage.

And that's why it's perfect for you.

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Icy_Comparison_1029@reddit (OP)

I really don’t understand what you’re trying to say here

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Cold_Specialist_3656@reddit

Buy a Charger. It has a big powerful motor and reliable transmission. The rest of it is as nice as golf cart

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Icy_Comparison_1029@reddit (OP)

I don’t like the charger. In my opinion it has turned into a wanna-be rich/drug dealer car.

This is the answer. Stick with the ND2 or ND1 and you can turbo them. The ND3 hasn't been cracked yet.

Or go older and get any previous gen and you can get a shitload of options for them.

You ccould go with any of them and do a Honda K swap... then you're anywhere from 200HP to over 1,000HP. You can even get a naturally aspirated one that'll still give you over 400 at the wheel.

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Steephill@reddit

The ND2 is worth it over the ND1. The engines have a higher redline and they fixed some issues with the ND1 transmission imploding.

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Demented-Alpaca@reddit

The ND2 still had the fuckass transmission. The ND3 supposedly fixed that but you can't turbo them yet

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TreesACrowd@reddit

Trans failure rates among the ND2 generation are far lower than ND1s. There were several changes made to achieve this, all of them 'band-aids' of one sort or another but for the average owner it isn't an issue. It does become more of an issue once you start looking at forced induction, since the clutch and throttle mapping were both redesigned to protect the transmission from driveline shock.

Just buy an Ioniq 5 N and go on a murdering spree. Even many supercars will lose in a straight up drag race.

But really, there's more to a sports car than just acceleration and top speed.

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omgftwbbqsauce@reddit

I was sort of in your situation, except I didn’t care so much about 0-60 and just primarily wanted something stick and that was super fun to throw around in corners, but still works as a daily driver/grocery getter. I landed on the Elantra N and it puts a smile on my face every damn day.

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Kanye_Z-143@reddit

Recently got a 2017 2ss camaro most fun ive ever had driving. Gen 6 id a bit sportier then gen 5. If going gen 5 you can probably get a zl1 in that range which is a demon

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Nice_Apricot_6341@reddit

370Z or new 400Z

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Hot_Sprinkles_650@reddit

ok, so a couple questions:

how experienced a driver are you? and I mean like really... in doing sports car things.

  only asking because before you're ready for it, that dream stat on a car can be frighteningly too much car for you to control. the point is (presumably) to have fun. and rolling your baby sideways through someone's front yard and crushing their kids because you froze and lost it? well, that's not fun for anyone.

are you just talking new? because to me, budget says older forgotten models.

That said, way back in the younger years of my driving I had two cars, one after another, that followed the 'step up when you're ready' plan. amd both are way less money now than new, and can be tuned to the gills when you're ready.

car #1 Eagle Talon TSI. it was a manual, awd, turbo 4 cylinder (iirc), and that car was a BLAST!!!!! it was lightweight, so you could abuse it through corners without breaking anything, it say low, comfy bucket seats so you were down in the center of gravity, it handled great, and was quick as can be. GREAT starter sports car.

car#2 Dodge Stealth twin turbo (mitsu 3000gt) it was everything the talon was but it was MORE in every way. in an era where 300hp were the high end of stock performance, it was brutally fast and handled like it was glued down. 7200 rpm redline meant you would pull passed almost everything you were racing when they had to shift, and over 70mph, it accellerated at 10mph per second, clear up to about 160. we took it on a vacation from detroit to washington dc and averaged 60mph for the trip, including the time it was parked. over 100mph it destroyed every factory corvette on the road. they just couldnt match the pace.

so there's 2. both can be hunted for and found on a budget, and both have go-fast goodies to make them into modernly competitive brutes.

hope this perspective helps a bit, even if the specific cars arent your cup of tea.

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ztcsdtx@reddit

I had an Eagle Talon AWD and a second-gen Eclipse GST. They are stupid fun. I saw a time-slip from someone who just ran a manual boost controller with a cone intake and got 12.8 in the quarter. For a 1990 4-cyl car with $300 in mods that's insane. The secret is the iron block in the 4G63. You can push the stock turbo to 20psi all day. Get the big turbo and you can get over 1,000hp.

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NatureItchy7586@reddit

3 letters GTI

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DJScaryTerry@reddit

For new cars, Elantra N hands down. Nothing touches it for price to performance.

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Pretty sure switching the discussion to handling is just about your opinion at this point. Going for handling over power is explicitly not what OP was asking about.

The original commenter wasn't saying across all cars, the context is still him answering the question.

New under 40k would be

Miata Gr86/brz Ecoboost mustang Elantra N

Outlier70@reddit

How about a small sporty sedan? Audi RS3

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Agent___24@reddit

Used b8.5 S5 for me. Doesn’t even come close

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Gloomy_Wolverine_491@reddit

4s 0-60 you'll probably need a 911 with PDK.

Used Porsche Boxster is worth a look for world class handling on a budget.

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JazzlikeBalance5376@reddit

A used Lexus rc350, sure it’s not the fastest V6 out there but it’s reliable and smooth to drive. 0-60 in around 5 seconds. They look great and they aren’t necessarily common traffic so you won’t see much of them around. They also hold great resale value so you won’t be taking big losses few years down the road. FYI Lexus is stopping their -350 V6 engines very soon so you would have a dime piece in your hands if you bought it now! Good luck with your search.

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Bigredtruckguy@reddit

The E93 M3 has a 0-60 time in that range but you Didn’t state budget or intended use.

Ninja 400