The BEST Cheap Sports Cars! 

I love how Doug is really been bringing out the deepest parts of his inner corvette guys soul with each of these question panels 🤣🤣

If you listen really closely during this entire video, you can hear Miata prices going up in real time. So glad to have bought mine back in 2019 just before the market shift.

I KNEW Randy was going to shout out the Volvo 740! As a long-time 240 and 740 owner, people these days would be shocked how well they handle out of the box. With a little wrenching and upgrades, they are really fun to drive and you wont lose your license taking them up to redline! Long live the turbo brick!

986 Boxster ftw! S2000 are just sooooo expensive now... sad but true.

Can't believe no one picked Toy. MR2 Spyder True mid engine . Best handling.

I have an 84 Porsche 944 and even though its slow, its incredibly well balanced, handles fantastic, well built and just an all around great car.

I should have picked the S2000 haha. Cheap is relative though, and I bought that trackrat Miata for only $800. Hard to beat the amount of car for the money haha. Thanks for having me on!

What is the best cheap sports car?

I had a 2002 S2000. One of my favorite all-around cars. Torque/power was low, but the fun factor was top notch.

There a bit old but ‘65-‘69 Corvair. Despite what Ralph Nader said about them, they actually handle really well. They’re fun in the twisties, rear wheel drive. You can get them with manuals and they come as coups, convertibles and four doors!

Hard to go wrong with a corvette around 10k. But my pick would be an E36/E46 3 series. RWD, manual, 6 cylinder, lots of aftermarket support.

Ed's idea of a "cheap" Sports car now cost about the same as some BRAND NEW cars... Cannot wait to see what the rest of this list is comprised of, heh! I'd speak my favorite but they're starting to rise in value as well... Casey, Randy, and Ficarra have some excellent choices though no one on the list mentioned my favorite with that 80's digital dash, T-Tops, and Pop-ups... XD

98-02 F-body... Huge aftermarket, nice T56 six speed and an aluminum LS from the factory, decent suspension,and can be built from mild to wild, for any discipline you enjoy

I'm so glad Randy and Arne brought up the rear wheel drive Volvos! Great question and answers from the community. Would love to see more quick videos like this when Doug isn't able to get in front of the cameras. MORE DOUG PLZ!! He's GOT to have a great Corvette story with the C8s by now....

What other questions should we ask the panel?

I'm surprised nobody said the 350Z or 370Z

I love my SLK320 I picked up for $4K last year, was over $50K when new, sure wish she was a 6 Speed! Magic Mike loves his SLK32 with 348HP, I'm sure they can be had for cheep! And yes my 92 Yellow Miata was a hell of a ride back in the 2000's!

Just bought a 1.6 spec Miata, going to race it this year in the SCCA. Can’t wait! Nice to hear all the Miata praise here.

C5 Corvette is the best bang for your buck. Find a well sorted R title version, toss on C6 Z06 shocks and sway bars and whatever exhaust you want, put the targa top in the trunk area and cruise it all over reliably. Plus you can work on it yourself.

another one missed is the BMW Z4's, older ones are getting cheap. although not that fast its a inline six manual stwo seater.

S2000 owner here and I was ecstatic to hear Ed start off with that considering I have always enjoyed every car in his collection, so looks like we may have a similar styles lol def not in clothes style though 😂

Everything said about the Volvos is 100% right. I bought a pretty rough 95 850 turbo wagon and it’s still fun being fwd

Something he neglected to mention is that the Volvo 7xx & 9xx series are practically indestructible, same for the Aisen Warner transmissions they put in them.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the Miata!

Glad to see the TR6 getting a mention.

Had a bored out 69 mgb that was fun to drive but had lots of flex in it but for pure fun nothing beats a shifter kart. My 80 cutlass Supreme with a medium built 350 was a great cruiser at 90 mph. A c5 z06 is my somewhat affordable dream sports car but the c7 manual gets me harder faster than anything.

S2000 has one of the best feeling MT transmission I have ever driven; owned one in pristine condition for 2 years; eventually sold it because it was not the best for daily driving. But chassis felt so rigid, not a slightest of flex which I cannot say about my bro’s new ‘22 Miata.

987 Boxster/Cayman all the way. One of the best handling cars I’ve driven only surpassed by newer caymans and Boxsters. Imo the handling feels better than a 997.2 Turbo S, a 991.2 Turbo, and a 2015 Audi R8 v10. (Just some reference as to how good it is).

Damn, I'm glad no one mentioned the E46, keep the prices low till I can afford at least 3 of them XD

I love that Ed has dragonfruit on his shirt. Only CarTrek guy who could pull that off. :)

I agree with so many different opinions in this video. Just swapped ATSV big brakes on to a C5 corvette for track use. Super cheap big brake mod.

My opinion based on personal experience, the Chevy Cobalt SS Turbo. Those things are an absolute blast. Yea they're fwd, but if you're looking for a drift car there are many more options. For a straight up driving car, definitely the Cobalt. Dirt cheap, you can get upwards of 300-350whp without doing a full engine build, they handle great, look great (imo), just all round a fun time.

Hello from Australia. Deffinetly can back the Miata. I've driven a stock NA Miata and a NC Miata with a track set up both fill you with confidence and give you a smile when you drive. The NC was more powerful was it was modified to track focus.

How about a 190e? Multilink rear suspension, came with manuals and a variety of engines. Plenty around, super reliable, plenty of aftermarket.

Ed where do you recommend I find a salvage or blown engine 360 modena? I've been searching online but nothing seems trustworthy or reputable

Definetly a Birkin or a Caterham any lotus 7 replica. Shove whatever motor you have lying around it and have a blast. Mine had a 2.0 16V turbo charged opel motor. Parts are cheap just shove in whatever parts you have lying around the workshop. My business partner had one with a 1.6 Ford engine out of an estcourt. Blew the bugger up and just for kicks threw in a 1.9 tdi engine out of a diesel vw polo.

986 boxter s with good tires handles like a dream.

As an Aussie I would have to say that a Holden or HSV Ute with the V8 motor would have to be an awesome vehicle. RWD, manual gearbox and (depending on what you can get in budget) power to burn from the big V8. Plus its a vehicle in a style that will likely never exist again (car body with a rear tray).

I'm with you Big Guy, still covet the S2000, loved that 944 forever too. I took a ride in late-model S4, never forget it.

A neighbor of mine who knows I'm into cars, asked me about a cheap, fun little car for a weekend toy. I suggested a Miata. He's not really a car guy per se, but after speaking with him for a little while, it's the right car for him.

Twins for a daily only vehicle you can be a weekend warrior with and autocross and track. Can finance a GR86 tomorrow (assuming you can find one in stock) MX5 for a second vehicle. After that you need a bunch of cash on hand to buy anything. C5 or boxter/cayman are safe bets.

Lexus is300 especially if you can find a non-abused manual. 4 doors, super reliable, and still so much fun to drive. They still look cool also 🤘

I agree with miatas. my first fun car was a Honda Prelude. Now days i drive a VW R32 and a Subaru wrx, all these cars would be great to pick up and track out in my opinion. there are many good cheap sports cars out there just find one you like and fix it up.

Evos are not cheap at all they cost as much as a new car now

E36/E46 M3 Convert w/ 5/6 speed Can be had sub 15k with some miles

After watching this video, I REALLY want to get an old Mazda MX3. My mom had one ages ago with the 1.8L V6 and a 5 speed. Obviously it's not the Miata MX5, but it looked pretty cool, and that V6 had some pep for how tiny it was.

Pontiac solstice. Stick w turbo. Very close to 50/50 balance. 270hp ish 2.0l gm

Next Car Trek: If the MX5 is apparently more or less the best affordable sports car, which generation/version is the best?

S2000s are fantastic starter track cars. I track mine and from the factory they're pretty much set up for track work! Over time you will need to address rewelding the front wishbone arm mounts and upgrading valve retainers and keepers but that's pretty simple

AS a Mazda MX5 NC owner living in the Scottish Highlands -it's the perfect car for some pretty well perfect roads maybe if I lived in the US a corvette would be my choice but here and now MX5 every time

I am surprised no one mentioned a gd wrx or e30 325 And older prelude very fun a balanced

Mr2 Spyder. Better power than a Miata. You sit down with a really well thought out seating position, hear the raspy 4 banger behind you, and it just feels like it was built to be a sports car from day one. Handling is very good on dry pavement without much bias for oversteer or under steer. The only time to watch out is in the rain. A wet road will rapidly snap the rear end out under hard turning. Overall, great car though!

Third gen Camaros, the market tops around 20k and decent running driving cars are around 5k fun lots of aftermarket parts, you can't go wrong

For me I find blasting thru the hills in my BA Ford Falcon xr6 a blast. It not even being the turbo or v8 model too. It handles well and the mighty barra has enough power but a xr6t or xr8 would be even better.

1993 Miata here. Hands down most fun car. I've owned muscle cars, street rods, but there's something special about s Miata.

7th/8th/9th gen accord v6 6mt coupe. Underrated by a longshot

Miata's an obvious choice, but an RX8 with a good engine can be had for cheaper and is pretty much a Miata with a little more power and better handling. If you really want to save money you can get a blown one for dirt cheap and rebuild the engine and you'll have a really solid car for around $4000 at least where I live.

I'm English so we don't have the Miata , MX-5 we do have , 5 or 6 years ago you could have a good 1 for £1500 not now. But you can have a reasonable NC for £2500 or a good 1 for £3000 . A good NB £2000 . They are by far the cheapest over here. The 850 Volvo was mentioned we didn't get an 850 called the Turbo , however we got 3 versions with the same Turbo.just each model had more power . We had 850 T5 , T5R and R. T5 had 230, T5R 245 and R 260ish. They are not cheap anymore but all fantastic a rough T5 can be found for £5000 upto at least £15,000 for a nice 850R. The 850R Mike Brewer bought 1 when wheeler dealers was in the states. Back In 2018 he sold it for $14000 so about £11000 back then. They definitely have a cult following here in Europe but they certainly aren't cheap.

Im really surprised no one mentioned the BMW 1 series. Can be easily modified. Can be had with or without turbo. 50/50 weight ratio. And damn cool looking. Plus its a simple BMW not full of electronics. Its a back to basics model. I love mine!

Fame at last for my MX-5! Definitely the best car for Scottish roads.

Had a Boxster, great driver. Miss the hell out of mine. But I'm not a big soft top fan, so Cayman is more inline for me. Just a shame I can't find a 987 PDK car :(

The Coyote s197 is a great cheap sports car. With a Watts link you can pull a G on the skid pad. The GT is one 3400 pounds and the Boss 302 is 3600 pounds. The MT82 is it's Achilles heel but a stage 3 transmission from Ben Calimer is 4k and that includes the core.

6:00 IMO the civic/integra has the most aftermarket support of any platform period. JDM Honda vtec engines go crazy.

Gotta love Randy. Weld that diff and go drifting!

for me it's the American tuner triplets: Chevy Cobalt SS, Ford Focus SVT, or Dodge Neon SRT4. they're cheap as dirt, drive pretty good, and theirs aftermarket parts to fix most common problems that they have.

BMW 1 series got my 135 I convertible for $5 k another 2k in mods 523 at the rear when the engine finally goes if it does ls conversion

I got to agree with Ed on this one I think the Honda S2000 or the Honda Prelude are a blast I miss my Prelude so much

I agree with Arnie on the Volvo 850 wagon, wish I still had mine it was an absolute joy to drive and I've driven much fancier stuff. Was hoping to see Garage 54 on here saying Lada though :-)

Cadillac Ats, you can get everything from the camaro minus the v8. The chassis is amazing and the parts are surprisingly cheap

There were a ton of good answers here. But I stand by my decision. Even if Doug called C4's "junky" right before me 😂

Knew the Miata would figure heavily in this one...I am cleaning my NC Miata's engine bay while this video is playing. I would also say a C5 or C4 Vette isn't a bad choice if you must have the ability to shred tires, or want to be able to dust a late model minivan with a V6...

I want doug to review his kitchen pantry as a corvette owner. Anything in that character would have me in stitches.

I am surprised that nobody mentioned the MINI John Cooper Works or Cooper S 2 door hatch. Cheap to buy and easy to modify. They handle like they are on rails. Even the Smithsonian channel added the MINI to it's series Supercar Super builds

C5 Corvette has to be my favorite car that I have ever owned. A good runner up for this list is the Nissan 350/370Zs. I like driving those. For the experience, the 1988 Fiero GT/Formula is a good, fun car. If it something to beat on. Get a Dodge Charger Pursuit Hemi. You can awd or rwd. They are better than an R/T with upgraded brakes, stiffer suspension, and better cooling. A strut bar will give you a surprising boost in handling. Mainly in the slalom.

My 1990 firebird formula with the ws6 package for 4k$ was the best car purchase I've ever made fun wise

2014-2016 Cadillac CTS-V!!!

Miata enthusiast here, so you know my answer! But my younger self would have said DSM, they were cheap, plentiful and fast. Now they are harder to find a good one

FC RX-7 is probably my pick, and you can possibly find the turbo2 variant in the right place for less than $10k

Great video for the next one you should give each person a different price range from 1-30k so we can get all different types of cars

Mk3 focus st. New nice and relatively cheap. Easy to build. And sounds amazing

I honestly don’t think you can argue with a c5 corvette or a ls1 camaro z28 . Even a lt1 fbody is a lot of car for the money

The 1st gen IS300 was my Miata. Koni’s & sticky tires made that car a riot!

2005 Holden VZ Sv6, $4000 handles like a dream, got an alright kick, easy to modify, comfortable

Back when I was in college, an early 90s Lancia Delta HF Integralé might've made this list at only £4,000 - £18,000. Then Top Gear and Fifth Gear did episodes on them and their value skyrocketed over the next few years - now the same ones can be seen for around £80,000 - and that was a few years ago I last checked!

EDIT: YES John Temerian!!!! Porsche 996. Got mine for $15k a few years ago. Hasn't cost me hardly anything to own and enjoy it for these last few years. A blast to drive!!! Sold my first one with 180k miles and the buyer (last I heard) was over 200k miles. Bulletproof cars once you sort the IMS. Buy a warm-climate car, if you can, to avoid bore-scoring issues.

I've owned half of these. Boosted Miatas, b5 audi s4's and 986 boxster S. They're all great choices

I own a 2000 Miata (recent project -fixer upper) and a 2001 Boxster S (near mint).... I approve of this video

For the money of most of the picks id get a Honda Crx Del Sol. A good base is about 5k. Aftermarket support is endless. If your fancy grab the junkyard ls of the Hondaworld. A K Series. All in youre less then 15k for a really good built. They have good room to be daylied and have great handling.

Miata. Always more fun going fast in a slow car than slow in a fast car.

1st gen Boxster and 1st gen Miata. I love both...but i fit better in the boxster🤷🏽‍♂️.

Thanks for bringing this back… prices have changed a lot since 2 years ago 😢

Still chucklin over the Crown Vic pick. I think you can satisfy most everyone with a pair of sports cars in the garage, a Miata and a C4 Vette. I'd track the miata and cruise the Vette...Swiftly. Cheers 🇨🇦

I like the cayman option.

Miatas are great if you are 5'5 or below MR2 Turbo or 944 for those who are over 5'5

Fun episode. Randy Probst “weld the differential and go drifting” 😂😂😂

I went for a VE Holden SS Ute, 6 litre LS, 6 speed manual, big brakes etc and the biggest boot (trunk) of all the cheap sports cars.

I owned a 2006 Crown Vic police car and I now own a 2013 Dodge Charger. These cars were very cheap and honestly they’re the most fun cars I’ve owned. Also the Volvo s70 turbo and the 2001 Hyundai Tiburon were sleepers 👌🏾🔥

E36, straight 6, longitudinal engine, RWD, 50/50 weight distribution, just as God intended.

Back in the day I would have said the Datsun Z series, but that was then, and nowadays yer lucky to find one intact, let alone running.

The amount of Miata compared to boxter is appalling. The Porsche boxter is incredible and you can find them well UNDER 10k