The Ones That Make You Take the Long Way Home
This year’s best sports cars cover everything from lightweight, back-road favorites to full-on supercars that feel like they belong in a video game. The common thread is simple: they make driving feel fun on purpose, not like a chore you tolerate between destinations. Here are the 20 most exciting sports cars released over the last year.
1. Mazda MX-5 Miata
There’s a reason the Miata keeps showing up whenever people talk about “pure fun.” It’s light, communicative, and basically dares you to enjoy every corner without needing huge horsepower. It's sporty, but accessible.
2. Toyota GR86
The GR86 feels like Toyota built it for people who actually like driving, not just arriving. It’s balanced, eager, and makes even regular roads feel more interesting than they have any right to be. You’ll finish a drive and immediately start planning the next one.
3. Subaru BRZ
Subaru’s BRZ shares the same playful DNA, but it still manages to feel slightly different in the way it responds and settles. It’s the kind of car that rewards smooth inputs and makes you feel more skilled than you probably are. If you’re learning the art of momentum driving, this one’s a patient teacher.
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4. Toyota GR Supra
The GR Supra is quick, confident, and built to make you grin when the road opens up. It turns a normal drive into something you’ll talk about later. If you’ve been thinking about one, the fact that it’s a current lineup star isn’t exactly a secret.
5. Nissan Z
The Z shows up with classic coupe proportions and the kind of power that makes merging feel like a flex. It’s not pretending to be delicate, and that’s part of the charm. When you want a sports car that feels as bold as it should, this is a solid pick.
6. Ford Mustang GT
A Mustang GT doesn’t need to whisper its intentions because the soundtrack does the talking. It’s fast, charismatic, and surprisingly usable when you’re not acting like every on-ramp is a personal challenge. If you like your fun with a side of drama, you’ll get along great.
7. BMW M2
The M2 feels like BMW took all the good “driver’s car” ingredients and turned the volume up. It’s punchy, responsive, and built to make you look for corners instead of avoiding them. You’ll understand the hype about five minutes into your first spirited drive.
8. BMW M4 Competition
This is the one you pick when you want a coupe that can do daily life and still feel like a weapon when the road clears. It’s brutally quick, planted, and more capable than most people will ever fully use. If you’ve got a heavy right foot, it’ll keep up without flinching.
9. Porsche 718 Cayman
The 718 Cayman is the kind of car that makes you realize handling can be its own form of horsepower. It feels tight, eager, and ridiculously composed when you start linking corners together. If you care about balance more than bragging rights, this one hits the sweet spot.
10. Porsche 718 Boxster
Drop the top, and the Boxster turns every drive into a little celebration. It’s lively without being exhausting, and it feels special even when you’re just cruising. You’ll start inventing reasons to be outside.
11. Porsche 911
The 911 is the rare legend that keeps evolving without losing its identity. It’s quick, confidence-inspiring, and polished in a way that makes you trust it instantly. If you want a sports car that feels like it could do anything, it’s hard to top this.
12. Porsche 911 GT3
The GT3 doesn’t mess around, and you can feel that seriousness in everything it does. It’s razor-sharp, loud, and built for people who think “precision” is a love language. Even at sane speeds, it has a sense of occasion that’s hard to fake.
13. Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
The Stingray gives you exotic proportions and real speed without requiring billionaire behavior. It feels planted, quick, and surprisingly approachable for how wild it looks. If you want a sports car that turns heads while still feeling livable, it’s an easy yes.
14. Chevrolet Corvette Z06
The Z06 steps things up with sharper focus and a more intense personality. It’s the kind of car that makes you pay attention because it’s clearly built for serious driving. If you’ve ever wanted a Corvette that feels like it can compete for pole position.
15. Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
This is where Corvette stops being “great for the money” and starts being “great, full stop.” Road & Track’s performance testing crowned it for a reason, and the numbers are the kind that make you laugh out loud. It’s absurd, it’s real, and it’s one of the wildest things wearing a Chevrolet badge right now.
16. Lotus Emira
The Emira has that rare feeling that it’s talking to you through the steering wheel. It’s engaging, stylish, and built for someone who cares about sensation as much as speed. You buy this because you want every mile to feel like an event.
17. Aston Martin Vantage
The Vantage is what you pick when you want your sports car to feel a little theatrical. It’s powerful, dramatic, and doesn’t try to blend in with anything else on the road. If you like your performance served with personality, you’ll get it here.
18. Mercedes-AMG GT
The AMG GT brings that long-hood confidence and the kind of thrust that makes passing feel effortless. It’s a bit more grand tourer than featherweight toy, but it still knows how to hustle when you ask it to. For the driver who wants speed tied with comfort and luxury, it’s a strong combo.
19. McLaren 750S
The 750S is fast in a way that changes your definition of fast, especially once the road opens up. It feels precise, alive, and almost unreal in how quickly it responds to inputs. If you want that hyper-focused supercar feel, McLaren is still very good at this.
20. Ferrari 296 GTB
Ferrari’s 296 GTB blends a high-revving vibe with hybrid punch, and the result is ridiculously exciting. It’s the kind of car that makes you laugh, then immediately double-check how fast you were going. If “fun to drive” had a luxury edition, it would look a lot like this.
