The 8 Best Used Sports Cars for under £10,000
Some of these are a MUST
I often get asked by friends and family what the best Sports car is to buy without spending a fortune. I am by no means qualified to give a good enough response but I usually end up narrowing it down to these few twisty road gems.
Toyota MR2 Mk3 - £1,500 - £5,000
© - Toyota
This is a fantastic buy for those who want the thrill of a convertible sports car without standing out too much or having to buying a Porsche. To me, the MR2 is the sweet spot in the market. Not only is it very cheap for what you're getting but it also looks rather good and I have heard it handles pretty well too.
Porsche Boxster (986) - £2,500 - £5,500
© - Porsche
Nothing beats proper German engineering. The 986 Boxster demonstrates the perfect balance between fun and class in my opinion. Let me elaborate. So, the 986 is the sort of car you can take to work and not get too much attention but you can also take it to a sunday car meet and get plenty of attention. It's just that sort of car.
Mercedes-Benz SLK - £4,000 - £7,000
© - Mercedes
While this generation of SLK may sound a bit like a hoover, it's a great car nonetheless. With enough punt to get you through the corners and loved by hairdressers, it's a great choice. I would highly recommend finding one with the 'heat scarf' as that is a great feature for those slightly colder mornings.
Mazda MX-5 (NB) - £1,500 - £4,000
© - Mazda
This is a bit of a open one in that any generation of MX-5 is a gem. I didn't choose the NA Miata as it is tricky to find a good one with minimal rust these days but it is manageable. The NB is a great buy at the moment as it isn't too expensive and probably offers the most fun from a little cheap convertible sports car. We all saw how much fun Jeremy Clarkson had with it during the Top Gear nativity special.
Audi TT - £1,500 - £5,000
© - Audi
I've been in one of these and they're mint. I'm not ruling out the convertible either. Not only do they sound and look good but they're such great value for money. As long as you find one with a good history then you should be golden. I know people who have owned this one and loved it so much they went on to by a newer one.
BMW Z3 - £4,000 - £8,000
© - BMW
Another car used in the nativity special, the Z3 isn't too unreliable and looks as good as the rest. But as we saw in Top Gear it is better to get the manual as it'll just be more fun and the automatic is pure trash. I'm sure these have gone up in value too over the last couple years?
Honda S2000 - £6,500 - £10,000
© - Honda
This is just on the cusp as it's getting harder to find an S2000 for under £10k but there are still a few. If you love a good 2.0L inline four which revs to 9,000 rpm then this is the car for you. You'll definitely hear some excellent noises from the exhaust with the roof down. Get in the mix before it's too late!
Nissan 350Z - £4,000 - £8,000
© - Nissan
Again, both coupe and convertible versions are great options to go for. Lots of people claim this is basically a baby GT-R. This is not strictly true but it would make a great daily and/or weekend cruiser. This is one of the more tail-happy cars on the list so go and enjoy sliding around country roads in this (you didn't hear that from me).
There you have it. I would love to know your thoughts in the comments.
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Comments (17)
Re Boxster: article describes a 986, but the image is a 987. Different car, different price range! Are the other images correct? Surely can’t be too difficult for a motoring writer to get the models correct
I have a 350Z on the Isle of Man, no speed limits, twisty tight roads, it's perfect.
Yeah they're a bit more expensive where I live 😂
Z4 over the Z3, unless it's the M Coupe breadvan.
Mazda RX8’s can be a bargain. Alfa GT and Alfa Berra if you fancy something Italian. I’d assume an early Scirocco would be well within budget if you need something a bit practical. If you only have one tenth of the budget, an MG F is a surprisingly engaging drive.
RX8s can be a bargain but there are lots of neglected examples out there due to some owners treating them like a normal car. They're said to be extremely well handling and the engine is fun and sounds great. But in my area, I wouldn't want to pay...
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