Sports cars are not the biggest cars on the road. Most are coupes or roadsters (cars without a fixed roof), and two-seaters at that, because the very premise of a sports car is to be quick and nimble. Later, even the grand tourers (cars with a fixed roof) became a classification of the sports car only. Often lightweight with very modest dimensions, sports cars do not make for the most comfortable ride, but driving one is still something every car enthusiast needs to experience.
We still retain a fascination with size - probably the reason why the once-popular cat videos on social media have been replaced by micro-cooking ones. Having a tiny cake rise in a tiny oven and get decorated with tiny fondant sheets has become the next, umm, big thing, in social media.
And while we love including beefy muscle cars and trucks with massive engines in our lists, we're equally impressed by these 15 miniature sports cars that are bound to put a smile on your face.
15 1959-1961 Goggomobil Dart
The lovechild between Germany’s Goggomobil Glas and Australian fiberglass builder Bill Buckle, the Goggomobil Dart looked like a child’s pedal car and came with only 300 cc and 400 cc engines. And yet, it still managed top speeds of 62 mph, which was rather frightening in a doorless, pint-sized car. 700 of these were made, and around 50 still survive.
14 1991-1998 Suzuki Cappuccino
Designed as a Kei car to fall under the lower tax and insurance laws of Japan, the Cappucino came with a body length of less than 3.3 meters, a width of less than 1.4 meters, plus an engine size of less than 660 cc (657 cc for the Cappucino). The hardtop roof was completely removable, and this adorable car could go as fast as 93mph.
13 2014 Carice Mk1
The Netherlands-based Carice carmaker launched the Carice Mk1, a tiny electric sports car, on a limited edition run of just 10 cars. With a completely plastic body and strong design cues from the Porsche 365, it came in outputs of 40kW, 15kW and 4kW (for 16-year-old drivers). Of course, with no roof, this is only a fair-weather friend.
12 1958-1971 Austin Healy Sprite
A cheap sports car that a chap “could keep in his bike shed,” the Austin Healy Sprite was known as the Frogeye in the UK and the Bugeye in the US, all because of those pop-up headlights that were made non-retractable to save costs. With 0.9-liter engines, the Sprites could go around 90mph and were popular enough to be made under the MG brand once Austin Healy wrapped up.
11 1949-1952 Crosley Hotshot
Once, Crosley made radios. But when WWII wrapped up, they made the first American post-war sports car, the Crosley Hotshot that became the design inspiration for the Austin Healy Sprite. The 1951 Super Hotshot had a roof and red upholstery added in, and then was renamed the Super Sports later. The 26-horsepower, 0.7-liter engine took this little car to 80-mph top speeds.
10 1963-1970 Honda S500-S800
The Honda S500 was Honda’s second production car and successful enough to be replaced by the S600 and then the S800 as better innovations lined the production of sports cars. The S500 did top speeds of 80 mph, while the S600 went 90mph. The S800 went further at 97 mph and looked about as menacing as a poodle.
9 1992-1994 Mazda’s Autozam AZ-1
Another Kei car from Japan that managed low taxes and insurance rates because of its tiny size and engine displacement, the Mazda Autozam AZ-1 was known for its adorable gull-wing design. Since it was launched in Japan during the recession, sales weren’t all that enviable, sadly. It achieved top speeds of 87 mph as well.
8 2003-2006 Smart Roadster
The Smart Roadster was made by the same company that makes the Smart ForTwo, and initially, sales were double the company’s estimate. Sadly, despite housing a Mercedes-built engine, the Smart Roadster came with corrosion and leakage issues and proved to be an economical fiasco for the company, despite top speeds of 108mph.
7 1965-1969 Toyota Sports 800
The Toyota Sports 800 became Toyota’s first production sports car and probably a precursor to all the greatness the Supra and the 2000GT would later bring. Using an 800-cc engine built from a 700-cc engine of another car, the Toyota Sports 800 managed 44 horsepower and top speeds of 96 mph and looked cute as a button with its top-down.
6 1957-1973 Lotus Seven
The Lotus Seven was a simple, small, and lightweight sports car designed by Colin Chapman of the-then Lotus Engineering, which was race worthy but street legal as well, and ran on Ford engines. Top speeds of 90-127 mph were the norm, depending on street legal or race build-ups. After 1973, Lotus licensed Caterham to built these, and you can still order a kit car Caterham Seven today.
5 1991-1996 Honda Beat
The third of the ‘90s Japanese Kei cars that completed the A-B-C (the other two being the Suzuki Cappucino and the Mazda Autozam AZ-1), the Honda Beat was designed by Pininfarina. It sold well in the first year, post which recession took sales to an all-time low. Top speeds were in the 84 mph range, and it made about 60-63 horsepower.
4 Secma Fun Extra’M 500 Roadster
A convertible two-seater Roadster, the Secma Fun Extra’M 500 Roadster comes with a 505-cc engine that can take this little cutie to 68mph. Yes, while that is not fast, it will feel zippy enough in a car this size that comes pretty cheap and weighs less than 1000 lbs. Plus this is readily available, as long as you have French connections.
3 1948-1965 Porsche 356
Porsche’s very first production car that also entailed a company name change, the last models went as fast as 99 mph before being replaced by the Porsche 911 in the mid-'60s. More than 76,000 of these rear-engined rear-wheel-drive cars were made, and half of them can still be spotted around the world, very much alive and running.
2 2002-Present Daihatsu Copen/Kopen
With a 658-cc engine, the Diahatsu Copen, or Kopen as its sold internationally, is a Japanese Kei car that falls under small body dimensions as well as the small engine displacement. Top speeds range from 100 mph to 110 mph, and the little sports car comes in both coupe and roadster formats. Since 2014, Copen sells mostly in Japan.
1 2015 Honda S660 Roadster
Taking a leaf from the earlier Honda S- models, the 660 in Honda S660 stands for the engine displacement. Being yet another Japanese Kei car, the 87-mph top speed would feel more like 187 mph in this miniature vehicle. More of a Targa-top than an actual convertible, it comes in both manual and CVT transmissions and is not sold in the US.