Best used sports cars to buy 2026
Looking for a fun but sensibly-priced set of wheels? These are the best used sports cars to buy right now
We all like to have fun, especially on the weekends, and few kinds of motor can give quite the same thrills as a proper sports car. Unfortunately, the most exciting models often carry the biggest prices, but opting for one of our best used sports cars can bring the same levels of four-wheeled happiness, but without the wallet-related woes.
Pick a used sports car with a proper service history and there's no reason to think it'll be less reliable than a new sports car, especially as owners of these desirable models tend to look after their cars carefully. Just be on the look out for examples that have been pushed hard on track.
Best used sports cars
Our expert road testers have had the pleasure of testing every sports car on the market, and we think the Alpine A110 is the best used sports car you can buy right now.
If you want some top-down thrills, then the Porsche Boxster is a great option.
If you want your used sports car to be accompanied by a V8 soundtrack, nothing quite beats the Jaguar XK.
| Rank | Make and model |
| 1. | Alpine A110 |
| 2. | Toyota GR-86 |
| 3. | Porsche Boxster |
| 4. | Jaguar XK |
| 5. | Audi TT |
| 6. | Porsche 911 |
| 7. | Audi R8 |
| 8. | Mercedes-AMG GT |
| 9. | BMW i8 |
Keep scrolling to discover the best used sports cars, or click the links in the table above to jump to a specific make and model...
1. Alpine A110
- 1.8 Legende (2021), 30,000 miles - £39,995
Why buy? Perhaps the best marque revival ever, and a guaranteed future classic.
Having failed to win over buyers when it arrived in the UK in the eighties before departing soon after, Alpine had its work cut out getting customers into its showrooms when the brand relaunched here in 2018.
But absolutely everybody raved about this lightweight coupé, including us, and gradually the A110 started to sell. Now that this revived sixties sportster has gone out of production, the cat is well and truly out of the bag about just what a brilliant driver’s car it is, and with a finite number of examples registered in the UK, values are likely to hold steady for a while yet.
The A110 can be reserved for track days, enjoying the odd sunny drive out, or used every day – it really is that versatile. Its turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine chucks out 248bhp in regular form (A110 Pure and Legende), and the A110 S initially had 288bhp, but that was later bumped to 296bhp, alongside the A110 GT. Even the slowest A110 can do 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and tops out at 155mph, while the in-gear performance is scintillating.
Buy a good one that’s been cherished and you can’t really go wrong – all are glorious to drive. The Pure is a bit basic, so we’d go for the Legende; this has a rear parking camera plus front and rear parking sensors, to ensure you don’t rearrange the Alpine’s lovely bodywork.
2. Toyota GR-86
- GR86 D-4S (2022), 55k miles - £24,995
Why buy? You won’t find a sports car that’s easier to live with than this.
Toyota’s replacement for the GT86, the Toyota GR86 is just starting to dip below £25,000. It was launched in 2022 at £30k-£32k and axed here in spring last year, meaning supply has always been tight, so don’t expect values to drop any time soon.
We gave the car a full five stars when we first drove it, on account of its fabulous handling, decent performance and keen pricing. Practical, reliable and well made, the GR86 is perhaps the most painless sports car that you can own.
Latest used Toyota GR-86 deals
3. Porsche Boxster
- S 3.4 (2008), 49k miles - £14,995
Why buy? One of the all-time great performance-car bargains.
It seems a bit of a cliché to feature the Porsche Boxster here, but anyone who has driven or owned one knows exactly why any ‘best driver’s car’ feature always has to include one. The blend of fabulous dynamics, easily accessible performance and impressive build quality means that nothing else can touch it, especially when you also take into account how affordable these base-spec Porsches are. Buy one and you’ll soon see that the term ‘entry level’ is a complete misnomer.
Latest used Porsche Boxster deals
4. Jaguar XK
- 4.2 convertible (2006), 62,000 miles - £9,995
Why buy? You won't find a more muscular or pretty car for £10k.
The Jaguar XK8 was a brilliant replacement for the XJS, but the aluminium-bodied XK that came next was even better thanks to its greater agility, much less cramped and more inviting cabin, updated design and newer technology. There were coupé or convertible options and all came with an automatic transmission. The naturally aspirated XK should do the job, but if not, a budget of £10,000 will be enough to buy a supercharged XKR.
5. Audi TT Mk2
- 2.0 TFSI S tronic (2008), 105,000 miles - £2,695
Why buy? More usable than its predecessor, and just as distinctive.
The Audi TT is no longer in production, but you can buy a Mk1 or a Mk2 for less than £3,000.
The older car is the classic, but the newer version is more usable and the model range was wider, with petrol or diesel engines, front or four-wheel drive, coupé and roadster bodystyles and manual or automatic transmissions available. Stylish, solidly built, usable every day and cheap to run, whichever version you buy, there are no lemons where the sleek TT is concerned.
6. Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a great used sports car thanks to rock-solid residuals, strong reliability and an incredibly engaging driving experience.
For a car that is renowned more for slow and considered evolution over its six-decade existence, the jump from the 997 to the 991 generation brought with it big upgrades to the interior, design and technology – making this model a particular sweet spot as a second-hand buy.
The 991 arrived in 2011 and was in production until 2019. Over that time, the range of Porsche 911s was vast, from entry-level Carreras, through to the track-focused GT3 and hyperspeed Turbo. Any one of these would be worthy winners, and each shares an ability to engage on a twisting road like few others, without compromising on its day-to-day usability.
All 911s feature a flat-six petrol engine, but the performance and power delivery vary, depending on the model. Turbo models hit the hardest, with clever variable-vane turbos generating huge performance that’s put to the road with all-wheel- drive ease. GT models, by contrast, do without turbos entirely, and have a sharper response. Carreras were naturally aspirated at first, but switched to turbos for the mid-cycle 991.2 update.
The 991-generation 911 comes in three bodies, with the usual Coupe and Cabriolet joined by a totally redesigned Targa model that reintroduced the iconic silver hoop and wraparound rear glass configuration. Carreras can be specified in base, S and GTS specifications, with two or all-wheel drive; Targa models are only available with all-wheel drive and are surprisingly sought-after. Turbo and Turbo S models are limited to the Coupé and Cabriolet, with GT models restricted to just the coupé.
Most 911 models are built to specific customer orders, so models on the second-hand market can vary in terms of standard equipment, but certain models – like the GT3 or Carrera GTS – generally stay close to their base specification. In fact, it’s the GTS which we think is the sweet spot in the range.
A quick look through the Auto Express Buy a Car service shows a couple of 2019 991.2 GTS models for around £80,000. This is still a lot of money for an almost seven-year-old car, but the stubbornly slow depreciation doesn’t tail off – there are some variants of older 997-generation 911s that are appreciating in value even now.
7. Audi R8
The Audi R8 supercar is primed to be a future classic, but until that happens we feel it makes a brilliant second-hand buy that offers supercar drama and performance, without many of the risks. The second-generation car – on sale from 2014 with a V10 and dual-clutch transmission – offers all the R8’s usability and relative practicality, and can be yours from around £70,000.
8. Mercedes-AMG GT
Front-engined, V8 and rear-wheel drive. These three aspects define the Mercedes-AMG GT to its very core, and deliver a brilliant second-hand sports car experience that could only come from one German manufacturer. In contrast to the SLS it replaced, the GT offers its performance more easily, with lower prices and smaller dimensions. You can now buy one from around £60k.
Latest used Mercedes-AMG GT deals
9. BMW i8
BMW’s relationship with bespoke sports cars is a varied one, but the BMW i8 wasn’t just a trailblazer for the brand, but for the idea of a sports car. Hybridisation in modern performance cars has become the mainstream, but the i8 got in early with a three-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors. Now, i8s can be picked up for under £30k, and won’t cost the earth to run.
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