British carmakers have arguably produced some of the most exciting sports cars to have graced the automobile car world. Classics such as the Jaguar E-Type, described by Enzo Ferrari himself as the most beautiful car ever made, or a supercar legend like the McLaren F1 that to date remains one of the fastest naturally aspirated cars ever made.
British sports cars continue to give a good account of themselves in the modern era. For instance, the McLaren P1 is shoulder-to-shoulder with insane cars like the LaFerrari. However, their reputation for unreliability has always been a niggling issue; a constant shadow even the best of the lot has not been able to completely shake off. However, there are a few of them that we would still buy used; either because their reliability is better than most or the performance offered is just so good to resist; reliability issues or not.
10 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
The Vantage name was previously used by Aston Martin for a line of flagship Grand Tourers. It was not until 2005 that the name plate was used to describe a sportier variation; an agile car that could compete with the likes of the Porsche 911.
In 2017, a completely redesigned Vantage was introduced but the earlier models still have plenty to offer. Renowned YouTuber, Doug DeMuro reviewed the 2007 model and heaped praise on the car for its solid dependability, even after several months of regular usage.
9 Lotus Elise
The Elise is a fun, rear-wheel-drive sports car that was first released in 1996 and has remained in production ever since though Lotus recently confirmed that the car, alongside the Exige and Evora, will be replaced by a new sports car series.
The Elise may not have the best record in terms of reliability but it does benefit from the fact that it shares important components such as the engine with mass-market manufacturers like Toyota. You can get an early model Elise, with sub-100,000km mileage for about $35,000.
8 2012 Jaguar XKR-S
According to Edmunds, the average price for a used jaguar XKR-S varies between $15,000 to $21,000. That's a great bargain for a car that packs a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine; one which generates 550 hp at 6,500 rpm and a thumping 475 pound-feet of torque.
The Jaguar XKR-S can accelerate to 60 mph in just over 4 seconds and continue on to an electronically limited top speed of 186 mph. The car also has generally positive reliability reviews on prominent used car websites and you can't help but have the impression that this is one of the best used British sports cars out there today.
7 Ariel Atom
This miniature road rocket may not exactly be like a Formula One car for the public roads but the experience does come close. The 2014 model has a curb weight of about 1,300 pounds and a 350 hp engine to propel the car to insane levels of speed and performance.
You will need to hang on for dear life as the car rockets to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and then 100 mph in just 6 seconds. There's quite a bit of downforce too, about 250 kg worth of it, so the car feels planted either on straights or around corners. It is an exhilarating road-legal toy and we will jump at the chance to buy a used example; you should too.
6 Jaguar F-Type
A used Jaguar F-Type is not exactly cheap and a decent 2015 model might set you back about $45,000. However, it is more within range for the budding gear head compared to new models that cost way north of $100,000.
The cars come with powerful engines and a decent equipment load-out that make driving an enjoyable experience. You are less likely to spend a fortune to keep the car running which is always a good thing when you are buying a used high-performance vehicle.
5 2013 Mini Cooper Roadster JCW
This car was once listed on the Autotrader website for less than $17,000; an amazing deal especially considering the fact that the car had less than 50,000miles on the odometer. The Mini Cooper, especially with the John Cooper Works (JCW) touch is a definite bargain sports car, with a turbocharged inline-4 engine that can deliver 211 bhp at 6,000 rpm.
That power is mated to a responsive 6-speed manual transmission and gets the car to 60 mph in about 6 seconds. We are willing to bet this one was not listed for long before someone snapped it up.
4 Vauxhall Insignia VXR
This car is little known outside of the United Kingdom even though it had an 8-year production run, from 2009 to 2017. That's quite unfortunate because the car is a hugely impressive performance sedan that can hit 60 mph in less than 6 seconds.
They are easy on the pocket too with average prices that hover around the $12,000 mark for decent examples. It is recommended you only go for one with a complete service history though quite a lot of the reported issues for the Vauxhall Insignia VXR are minor and easily fixed.
3 Lotus Espirit V8
The Espirit first arrived on the car scene in 1976 but it wasn't until 2 decades later that the car got the much more desirable V8 - and that would be the one to get if you are in the market for a used example. That V8 engine was a powerplant that generated 350 hp and 295 pound-feet of torque.
The Lotus is a proper sports car and does need a bit of care just like any high-performance vehicle. However, it is an investment that's well worth it. as the Espirit V8 is a hugely enjoyable piece of British automotive engineering.
2 Caterham Seven
Believe it or not, this super lightweight sports car is completely road legal and has been around for quite some time; since 1973 in fact. The engines are tiny, barely making 100 bhp; but then the car does not need a lot of power since they mostly weigh less than 600 kg.
The modern models are among the fastest British sports cars today, able to sprint to 60 mph in about 3 seconds. The car's lightweight also means that it's easy on consumable parts and maintenance costs should be well within acceptable limits in the long run.
1 Lotus Carlton
Less than 1,000 units of the Lotus Carlton were made and they do not often come up for sale today. However, they are worth considering should you ever find one. It was produced from 1990 to 1992; a time when Lotus was still under GM's ownership.
At first glance, the car looked like any regular 4-door family car but this sedan packed impressive sports car performance underneath. Power was supplied by a turbocharged V6 unit that cranked out 377 hp at 5,200 rpm and 419 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm. That power was mated to a 6-speed manual and you could work those gear shifts all the way up to a 176 mph top speed.