Top five cheap sports cars

Cars don’t need to have six-figure price-tags and count their engine power in multi-hundreds of kilowatts to be fun to drive and own.

At motoring.com.au we’re fans of the principle of less is more. Here’s five affordable, dare we say cheap, sports cars that are fun with a capital F…

5. Subaru BRZ / Toyota 86
Perennial favourites here at motoring.com.au, the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86 twins provide the combination of predictable dynamics and exploitable power.

Driving the rear wheels through a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, the co-engineered coupes each utilise a normally-aspirated ‘Boxer’ four-cylinder engine.

In spite of developing just 147kW/205Nm, the car’s light weight and communicative chassis is able to exploit every available kilowatt. The result? Big driving fun for a small asking price.

>> Power to weight: 122.4W/kg
>> 0-100km/h: 7.4sec (claimed)
>> Subaru BRZ (from $32,990)
>> Toyota 86 (from $30,790)

4. Mazda MX-5
The world’s most popular roadster has sold more than a million examples since its debut in 1989.

Each of the four generations adheres to the same fun to drive, lightweight formula, adding wind-in-your-hair thrills to the sports car experience.

Simple to modify and extremely robust, the MX-5’s front-engine/rear-drive combination is offered in both 1.5 (96kW/150Nm) and 2.0-litre (118kW/200Nm) capacities.

A terrific steer, the MX-5 is available with manual or automatic transmissions and the choice of a soft or hard roof.

>> Power to weight: 117.4W/kg
>> 0-100km/h: 7.1sec (claimed)
>> Mazda MX-5 (from $31,990)

3. Volkswagen Polo GTI
Volkswagen pioneered the hot hatch in the 1970s ad its Polo and Golf GTI models have inspired dozens of imitators since.

The latest iteration Polo pocket-rocket features a turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine making 141kW/320Nm. It’s offered with a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Supported by lowered suspension, and stopped by bigger brakes, the front-drive Polo GTI also offers the practicality of five doors and five seats. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?

>> Power to weight: 114.3W/kg
>> 0-100km/h: 6.7sec (claimed)
>> Volkswagen Polo GTI (from $27,490)

2. Ford Fiesta ST EcoBoost
Ford’s hard-charging Fiesta ST turns the mini hot hatch dial to 11. Making 147kW/290Nm from 1.6 litres, the three-door-only hatch is limited to just one gearbox choice: a slick-shifting six-speed manual.

A crisp chassis and accurate steering ensure the Fiesta ST delivers its power cleanly to the front wheels; so capably in fact it ranked fifth at motoring.com.au’s inaugural Australia’s Best Driver’s Car awards in 2015.

This turbocharged wunderkind is equal parts forgiving and involving at the wheel, making it perfect for novice and experienced drivers alike.

>> Power to weight: 114.3W/kg
>> 0-100km/h: 6.9sec (claimed)
>> Ford Fiesta ST EcoBoost (from $27,490)

1. Abarth 124 Spider
Combine the turbocharged fizz of a European sports hatch with the wind-in-your-hair thrills of the Mazda MX-5 and you’ve got this: the Abarth 124 Spider.

Built at the same Japanese plant as the MX-5, the Italian-enhanced roadster combines a feisty 125kW/250Nm 1.4-litre turbocharged engine with a well-balanced rear-drive chassis, lowered suspension and sporty Brembo brakes.

With 20 per cent more torque than its top-spec Mazda equivalent, the 124 Spider is quick in a straight-line, and even quicker in the corners. It’s offered with six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.

>> Power to weight: 113.6W/kg
>> 0-100km/h: 6.8sec (claimed)
>> Abarth 124 Spider (from $41,990)

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