Top 10 best sports cars 2023

The 911 has grown longer and slightly wider, all versions of the the 992 using what used to be called the 911's 'widebody' shell (which has been lightened by more extensive use of aluminium in its construction), while four-wheel steering is now an option even on non-GT-level cars and mixed-width wheels and tyres come as standard.

Although there's as much reason as ever for the keenest of drivers to stick with the purer rear-driven mechanical layout, the 992's wider front axle track and quickened steering ratio seem to have sharpened its handling very effectively. Its turbocharged engine may not have the textural qualities of Porsche's old atmospheric units, but it makes for very serious real-world performance - and, overall, for a car that remains without equal among direct contemporary rivals for usability, for rounded sporting credibility and especially for the accessible, everyday-use, any-occasion brilliance of its driver appeal.

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2. Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 / 718 Boxster GTS 4.0

Yes, it's a Porsche one-two at the top of the charts. The German firm really knows what it's doing when it comes to screwing together a sensational sports car. No more so than when Zuffenhausen took the decision to answer the critics and return an atmospheric flat six back into this car in 2019, creating series-production 718 derivatives with prices well above £60,000 before you put a single option on them. So while the more affordable four-cylinder, sub-£50,000 derivatives of the 718 continue to present themselves to buyers with less to spend (and are ranked in our affordable sports car top 10), the higher-end 718s have absolutely progressed in among the bigger fish of the sports car class.

Not that they struggle in such treacherous water. Porsche's latest naturally aspirated six-cylinder boxer engine is an utter joy, offering as much outright performance as any road-going sports car really needs but also wonderful smoothness and response and an 8000rpm operating range. Unusually long-feeling gearing makes the six-speed manual versions slightly less appealing to drive, in some ways, than the seven-speed paddle-shift automatics - although for pure driver interaction, the three-pedal versions are hard to beat.

The 718's beautifully poised handling, incredibly linear handling response and effortless body control at speed are now widely celebrated. This is the kind of sports car that can seem word-perfect in how it takes apart a cross-country road tough enough to expose a lesser machine. If you like a sports car with more power than its chassis can easily deploy or whose dynamic quirks and flaws present something of a challenge to be 'driven around', you might even think a GTS 4.0 too good. Only kidding: it's flippin' brilliant.

Compared with some cars in this list, there's also perhaps a slight lack of desirability about this car, but its usability is first-rate - and its powertrain can be considered every bit as stellar as its ride and handling. Quite simply, it's one of the most complete driver's cars there has ever been.

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3. Lotus Emira

The last hurrah for ICE power at Lotus, the all-new Emira certainly has a lot resting on its shoulders. And the good news is that the Norfolk newcomer gets so much right, from its junior exotic looks through to a chassis that maintains the decades-long tradition of Hethel handling greatness.

There are some novelties for a Lotus, too, such as an interior that delivers previously unheard of levels of luxury and quality, plus all the latest gadgets and gizmos. It's decently practical too, proving easier to get into and out of than the old Evora and packing handy storage. This is an everyday-usable sports car.

However, this extra usability and refinement comes at a cost, with the Emira weighing in at a very un-Lotus 1440kg, which is heavier even than a Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0. That means the supercharged Toyota 3.5-litre V6 doesn't feel quite as strong as you would expect, its efforts aided and abetted by the slightly slack six-speed manual gearbox. That said, this is still a quick car, with the 0-62mph emergency start taking 4.3sec.

More importantly, it drives like a Lotus where it matters: in the corners. The extra mass means it doesn't feel quite as lithe as the old Elise, but the Emira is beautifully balanced and damped, helping it breathe with the surface where others attempt to pummel it into submission. The steering is quick and feelsome, and as a result the Lotus dives through bends with quick-witted agility, its ability to shrug off unsettling bumps further boosting confidence.

The Emira feels like it's a few development tweaks away from greatness, and there's a sneaking suspicion that (whisper it) the forthcoming four-cylinder version might actually be the dynamic highlight. But for now it's a fine send-off for suck-squeeze-bang-and-blow Lotus sports cars.

4. Chevrolet Corvette

Much has been written about General Motors' decision to gamble with this, the eighth generation of its iconic Chevrolet Corvette sports car, by switching from a front-mounted engine to a mid-mounted one. There were objective reasons to do it: because it improves the car's weight distribution, enhances its outright handling potential and makes it more competitive for motorsport use. And there was a more complex argument: that a mid-engined layout has become expected of an operator within this part of the sports car market, and the old C7 Corvette's front-engined configuration made it something of a relic to the latest generation of sports-car buyers.

Whatever it took to finally convince GM to make the switch, you could say it was worth it. The C8 Corvette has all of the metal-for-the-money and bang-for-your-buck appeal as any of its forebears possessed, its supercar-looks-for-sports-car-cash shtick earning it the Dream Car accolade in the 2022 Autocar Awards. Yet there's more to its appeal than simple showroom sparkle and prices that run to £81,700 for the coupé and £87,110 for the convertible (911 Carrera cash).

Bristling with small-block-V8 combustive charm, the Corvette's engine has excellent throttle response and a wonderful mid-range power delivery, liking to rev to beyond 6500rpm and sounding superb doing it. For outright performance, it feels broadly in line with the old C7. It's perhaps not quite fully 'supercar fast', then, but for this money, you're unlikely to quibble with any run-to-60mph figure that starts with a three.

The Corvette also handles with plenty of stability and precision, feeling instantly more benign and easier to drive quickly than any of its front-engined forebears, even if the slightly numb steering and a predilection for on-the-limit understeer might take the edge of its appeal on track days. In a subsequent twin test with a 911, however, it stood up and held its own remarkably well, and any sports car that can retain its own particular appeal under pressure from a car as complete as the 992 must be a pretty good one.

Yes, its cabin has plenty of ergonomic quirks and it still lags behind the best for perceived quality, but we can't help but feel grateful that a car like the Corvette exists at all, and in right-hand-drive form to boot. It's not an unequivocal recommendation, but the caveats are small and easily offset by the car's big-hearted character.

6. Alpine A110 R

The standard Alpine A110 already appears in our list of affordable sports cars, but the recently launched R model is an altogether more serious proposition (not least because it costs a whisker under £90,000) and so earns its place among the sports car elite. In terms of power, it's no more potent than its less costly siblings, but with a laser-like focus on delivering hardcore driving thrills and a more than dash of track-ready kudos, the flyweight French machine is a desriable option for those the simple want to get behind the wheel for the hell of it.

The addtion of carbonfibre bodwork and figure-hugging one-piece seats helps slash 34kg from the already waiflike A110, while the suspension gets 20-way manually adjustable dampers and helper springs. In its default setting, the A110 R sits 10mm lower and is 10% stiffer than the previous flagship A110 S, while sticky Michelin Pilot Cup Sport 2 tyres give an extra clue to the enhanced performance potential.

On the road, the A110 R feels stiffer but remains comfortable, while there's an increase noise due to a slightly rudder exhaust. Yet the upshot is even sharper and more connected steering, increased grip and, crucially, cast-iron body control at the limit (the standard car can get floaty at this point, while faster corners can promote a slightly disconcerting corkscrewing effect). It's even more pronunced on the track, clinging on tenaciously and resisting the time-consuming (if fun) roll oversteer that occurs in lesser variants.

So why doesn't it finish higher in our rankings? Well, with no increase in power the turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine lacks the hard-hitting punch to truly test such a grippy and poised chassis. It's a fantastic piece of kit and a surefire future collector's item, but it's also a classic case of more sometimes being less. 

6. Jaguar F-Type

Nearly a decade after its debut, the Jaguar F-Type is beginning its farewell tour. Jaguar has announced its flagship sports car will die at the end of 2023, with no direct replacement in the pipeline. In fact, the sales fortunes of the British brand's much-hyped successor to the legendary E-Type will tell you much about the development of the modern sports car market. When it was launched in 2013, we imagined the buying public would value it as a sort of prettier and more dependable modern TVR, favouring the biggest-hitting eight-cylinder engines and viewing it as a cheaper and more powerful front-engined rival to the 911. And for a while, they did exactly so. But as the car aged and the focus of the purist sports car market migrated (both upwards towards mid-engined super-sports cars like the Audi R8 and downwards towards cheaper mid-engined machines such as the Cayman and A110), the F-Type had to move with it. The six-cylinder models grew in popularity, until Jaguar created another wave of interest in the car by furnishing it with a four-cylinder engine.

So, after its latest facelift at the beginning of 2020, the F-Type straddles even more market territory than it used to, despite the decision to axe the V6, which was becoming increasingly difficult to clean up to meet emissions regulations. At the top of the range, the new R version remains a bleeding-heart, 567bhp upper-level-911 and cut-price Aston Martin Vantage rival; at the lower end, it costs less than £60,000 and makes do with just under 300bhp; and in the middle, the V8-engined, rear-wheel-drive, £70,000 P450 version might even be the pick of the range.

As a nod to the company's 75th anniversary of its ICE sports cars, which stretches back to the XK120, the V8 machines will all be badged 75 for the last year of production and feature bespoke trim and equipment treatments.

Jaguar's new styling treatment for the F-Type certainly gives it some fresh and distinguishing visual appeal, though. We have thus far only driven the range-topping R AWD, but it charmed us with its somewhat antediluvian V8 hotrod speed and noise and yet impressed with its outright handling precision and chassis composure too.

In its early days, the F-Type existed partly on the patriotic fervour of an audience who had long been calling for a succuessor to the legenday E-Type, yet as it has aged, the F-Type's flaws have become harder to ignore. Yes, it's still charming and drives well, but its poorly packaged interior is a bugbear and its facelift has blunted its visual appeal.

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7. Mercedes-AMG SL

Over the years, the Mercedes-Benz SL has swung between out-and-out sports car and sunshine-seeking cruiser, but with this latest seventh iteration, the drop-top two-seater is aiming to be more of the former and less of the latter. Underpinned by an all-new aluminium platform, this SL has been engineered exclusively by the performance-enhancing engineers at AMG, which gives you the clearest indication of the SL's intent.

Other clues to the car's renewed focus include the use of a weight-saving fabric roof in place of the old car's folding metal hardtop, the option of four-wheel steering for enhanced agility and the fact that the entry level engine is the 470bhp twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 in the SL 55, which results in a claimed 0-62mph sprint of 3.9sec and 183mph top speed. If that's a bit tame for you, the SL 63 offers a 577bhp version of the same unit.

Whichever way you cut it, the new SL is a more dynamic and capable car than its predecessor, its quick steering, strong grip and taut body control allowing it to scythe through corners with greater precision and poise. It's aided by four-wheel drive that allows you deploy all of the V8's considerable firepower out of a corner yet also has enough of a sense of humour to permit some throttle-induced yaw shenanigans when you're in the mood.

That said, anyone expecting 911 levels of driver interaction and agility will be disappointed, as the SL still feels a little too big and bloated in this company. However, it counters this by being more easy-going when you just want to get from A to B, its adaptive dampers slackening off for a more compliant ride and its cosseting interior feeling as luxurious as that of the S-Class limousine. As a result, it's a fine all-rounder, one that's willing to play when you're in the mood but capable of cosseting when you're not.

8. Mercedes-AMG GT

With the spaceframe body structure of a supercar, a front-mounted engine from a muscle saloon, suspension tuned for maximum attack on the track and yet the practicality and luxury allure of an elegant coupé or roadster, the Mercedes-AMG GT is an even more bewildering addition to the sports car world than the Mercedes-Benz SLS was.

With lower-end (if you can call 523bhp 'lower-end') versions available for less than £110,000, however, it deserves to be considered next to higher-end examples of the 911 and F-Type. In fact, thanks to its bombastic hotrod character and somewhat rough-edged, unreconstructed and to-the-point handling, it's at this level that the car probably has the greatest appeal.

Of course, there would be times when you'd grow tired of the GT's high-adrenaline temperament and lack of civility; but cheaper versions of this car have that bit less wearing aggressiveness about their character than the pricier ones, and the highs would always outweigh the moments when it annoyed. The GT is certainly capable and versatile, as much as cars twice its price, and it's so charming and lovable with it, even if not quite as delicate as alternatives.

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9. Audi TT RS

Like the F-Type sitting a little higher up this list, the Audi TT RS is living on borrowed time. Audi has revealed that the curtain will be drawn down over the eye-catching coupé at the end of 2023, a quarter of a century after the original made its debut.

So what will we be missing, and why should you buy one now before the factory doors close for the final time? Well, the TT still looks the part, and in range-topping RS guise it has a stonking 395bhp five-cylinder engine that delivers a warbling soundtrack that instantly brings to mid the firm's brutal Group B rally machines. Thanks to Quattro four-wheel drive, it can do 60mph in comfortably less than 4.0sec, and if you pay extra, it will run on to as much as 174mph.

Chi-chi design appeal probably doesn't have the same allure among cars like this that it might among Mazda MX-5s and Toyota GR86s, and it isn't the most multifaceted or engaging driver's car in this class either. The four-wheel-drive layout makes for a slight lack of throttle-on cornering balance on the limit of grip, with the TT RS's controls feeling a bit remote and over-filtered.

As a final hurrah, Audi has also revealed a celebratory Iconic Edition version of the TT RS. Although mechanically identical to the standard car, it features a unique bodykit, interior trim and a smattering of iconic badges, all for an eye-watering £87,650 (yes, that's right, a similar price to the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4). Just 100 will be built, with 11 coming to the UK, all of which have already been sold.