The Ford Mustang is an incredible North American muscle car that has become an icon for enthusiasts and is one of the most well-known cars around the world. Indeed, it has been great in terms of performance, styling, and historical influence on future Ford cars, and muscle cars in general. As such, it is often great fun to take on to a track and with Ford continuing to make models of the Mustang, like with the new Ford Mustang Mach-E, it is a fantastic EV.
However, classic lightweight sports cars are also incredible to take around a track due to their easy driving, light weight, and excellent steering. Plenty of drivers love to take these cars around a track because they are just so brilliant, and they are popular classics for a reason. While they do not have the same power and size as a Mustang, these featherlight cars are way more fun to throw around corners and their power is so easy to exploit. The results are not just better lap times but a better time on the track (or any curvy road) overall. These small sports cars may look cheap and underpowered, but never underestimate their performance.
10 Toyota MR2 W10 Turbo
The Toyota MR2 W10 Turbo is an incredibly fast car and it is so lightweight too, making it perfect for driving around a track. Launched in 1984, the car is a great reflection of 1980s styling and design and was the first production mid-engined Toyota. The vehicle was small, lightweight, and economical, perfect for many who couldn't afford more expensive cars.
Coming with a 2.0-liter 3S GTE engine, the car produced 200 hp while being able to go 135 mph at top speed. It was a fantastic car to drive at high speeds too, being great to control thanks to excellent weight distribution and intuitive handling. As such, the lightweight appeal combined with the great performance makes the MR2 W10 Turbo a great option for drivers to drive around a track, being so easy to throw around corners and to get high levels of speed.
9 Mazda Miata NA
The Mazda Miata NA is a car that needs no introduction, being a favorite among enthusiasts who love lightweight sports cars that pack a punch on the road. Launched in 1989, the Miata NA has been one of the best-selling cars in the world, and it is so easy to see why when looking at the handling and speed of the car. Going 135 mph at top speed and reflecting the design style of a British sports car, the Miata NA is the perfect lightweight motor to drive around a track.
The Miata has gone on to exist through the generations, and the NA model is still popular amount enthusiasts today because of how beautifully Mazda made the car to drive. Indeed, it is a brilliant car and in comparison to a Mustang, it is so easy to take around a track and pretty much do whatever you want with one in terms of drivability and agile handling.
8 Austin Healey Sprite
It might not be the fastest car on this list, but it is still a great sports car. The Austin Healey Sprite is a tiny sports car that was very simple while being very affordable at the same time. Weighing under 1,500 lb and having 43 hp, the car was powered enough for the driver to have some great fun.
Its slow speed isn't really a problem when one looks at the handling characteristics of the car as they make the car so dynamic and it didn't need to go 100 mph for it to be enjoyed. As such, it is a genuinely fun car to drive around a racetrack and it doesn't need to come with the size or speed of the Mustang as the Austin Healey Sprite does a perfect job.
7 Fiat 124 Spider
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The Fiat 124 Spider is a very attractive car and it has been loved by many around the world because of its sleek design and Italian feel. It is a very nice, simple sports car that doesn't come with all the frills, but it is a perfect lightweight car to take around a track. Its nimble design allows for fantastic driving and it can go 115 mph in the Spider model. Indeed, this car is perfect for taking around tight corners and looking good while doing it.
There was even a rally model available, offering a little bit more speed too, showing how great the Fiat 124 was. The best part nowadays is that the Fiat 124 Spider is cheap, with good parts availability too. Certainly, it's one of the easiest ways to get a cheap Italian roadster.
6 Lotus Europa
The Lotus Europa launched in 1966, being one of the first-ever production mid-engined sports cars. The car was incredibly lightweight too, weighing 1,570 lb at its maximum. The Renault engine produced 83 hp, which was a suitable amount considering how light the car was. It was definitely a reflection of Lotus' lightweight, good handling, and sleek design values.
It is incredibly fun to drive around a track, with Lotus having a history of making great cars to take around a track too. Power was boosted in the '70s models of the Europa, but the original models are perfect to drive around a track. They may not be a Mustang, but the Lotus Europa cars are brilliant fun and really reflect the British sports car's ability to pack a punch with little weight and power.
5 Honda S800
The Honda S800 is an awesome little sports car. It was Honda's first-ever car to go 100 mph and it was a very impressive little car. Honda decided to take on the British sports car, bringing more reliability than many of the popular models at the time. In terms of handling, the S800 was outstanding and it was a perfectly nimble car able to take on tight corners while still managing to bring the nice levels of speed with it too.
It is one very dynamic car, and enthusiasts love it still. While this car couldn't take on a Mustang, it is much more fun to drive around a racetrack because of how agile and nimble it is, bringing together the best elements of a small sports car with some stylish characteristics.
4 Triumph TR5
The Triumph TR5 was a successful car despite not having a high level of power or speed. The TR5 was slower for the US market, whereas the European market got a faster car. The standard engine received by most markets outside of the US was the 2.5-liter engine that came with fuel injection and 150 hp. The US model offered around 104 hp but this model was still successful in North America.
The 120 mph top speed of the 150 hp model was the best model to buy and it is great fun around a racetrack. The succeeding TR6 was a letdown in comparison, but the TR5 is great especially through the noise of the engine that definitely adds a racing feel to the vehicle. Indeed, the TR5 would definitely provide drivers with more fun than a Mustang if it's that lightweight feel with relaxed driving that they are after.
3 Alfa Romeo Spider S4
The Alfa Romeo Spider S4 isn't the Spider that most Alfa Romeo fans take to as they often focus on the preceding cars as being more 'pure' to what the Spider series was. However, it was a fantastic little Italian sports car that was very attractive, but not expensive. Coming without the expensive price tag is a surprise considering how luxurious the Alfa Romeo cars can be, but the Spider S4 offered a nice level of luxury with the cheap price while keeping fantastic performance levels.
Weighing just 2,447 lb and going 118 mph meant the car was incredibly nippy for its size. Alongside this, the engineering of the car was fantastic, and many still survive today. As such, the Alfa Romeo Spider S4 is a worthwhile track car because of its agility and ease of driving. It brings luxury and performance, which is great fun on the track.
2 Datsun 2000 Roadster
Also known as the Nissan Fairlady, the Datsun 2000 Roadster rivaled British sports cars incredibly well. Rivaling the MGA and the TR3, the vehicle was aimed at the North American market to try and take over these cars there. Weighing 2000 lb, the car was lightweight and its design reflected this too. Indeed, the design looked very similar to British roadsters at the time alongside a great amount of power, coming with 135 hp in the top-of-the-line model in 1967.
Various improvements were made to the car to get it to the high power level that it was at, but this level of power makes the car so much fun to drive around a racetrack. It may not be as comfortable to drive as a British sports car, but it is definitely just as fun - if not more. As such, the car is great to take on the track and it doesn't come with the same maintenance that Mustang would need either.
1 MG MGA
The most noticeable thing about the MG MGA is that it is so stylish. It looks very sleek and it looks very refined too. Launched in 1955, the MGA is not exactly wrapped in the newest technologies, but it is a fantastic simple sports car. Originally launched with 1.5-liter or 1.6-liter engines that let the car go to around 100 mph, but after some time many consumers demanded more power and MG provided this. Coming with a Twin Cam engine, the speed was boosted to over 110 mph, which was incredible for its release.
With its historical place as a great MG car and being capable of using the MGB engine to boost power, even more, the MGA is a fantastic car to take onto a track and enjoy. Despite the overall build quality not being the most outstanding, and with few left on the roads, it is a brilliant car to drive and is genuinely a fun sports car that should be taken for what it is.