Who doesn’t love a good sports car? Especially if you can have it cheap? But mind you, everything that can be had for cheap and is good for some kicks isn’t the best thing for you, your garage, and especially your wallet.

Some of the cheap sports cars do give you all the kicks, and they are great fun to drive as well, plus will give you that added jolt of happiness that you got them at a steal. But many times, sports cars, if not maintained or driven well, can end up costing you a lot in maintenance. Others can be guzzlers, which provide a fun ride but at a steep gas price.

We’ve collated a list of sports cars that are cheap but can end up turning into money pits because their upkeep, repair, and more can become a drain over time. Not to say that these cars are bad, just sometimes, maintaining them can become a headache. Would you agree?

10 The Mazda RX-8’s Engine Chokes Itself

The Mazda RX-8 engine is a four-seater sports car that is pretty spacious and a riot to drove. With listings like this one at Car Gurus, for less than $13,000, the RX-8 makes for a cheap but fun sports car but there’s a catch.

To comply with emission norms, in essence, the Renesis engine of the Mazda RX-8 despite the very catchy name is slowly strangling itself. The housings tend to warp and the seals disintegrate, needing constant checks and repairs that over time, begin to hurt the wallet and the heart.

9 The First-Gen Boxster Can Bite

The first-gen Porsche Boxster can be had for less than $13,000, so clearly it's an affordable sports car, but also one that could be a bit of a problem if you do not know what lies under the Boxster, or Cayman hood.

If you know your DIY car and can do much of the replacement of parts that come after normal wear-and-tear yourself, you’re good to go with the Boxster/Cayman twins. But if you end up running to the mechanic for everything, the Porsche will be a drain, even if the drive perks you up.

Related: What You Should Know Before Buying Porsche's Cheapest Model, The Boxster

8 The Last Of The Pontiac GTO

The Pontiac GTO may have been a muscle car as a classic but by the time the 2004 variant had come around, the line between muscle and sports car had blurred big time. It did not do well for its time, mostly because of its non-GTO-like looks.

Buying one is easy and in the $10,000-15,000 ballpark, but with only 40,000 cars sold in the US, finding a problem-free one is an unlikely option. Plus, the problem with repairs is a lack of parts, especially body panels, and of course, this car was not so popular to have an aftermarket for it.

Related: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Pontiac GTO

7 The Chevrolet C4 Corvette ZR-1 “Lotus”

In the late 80s, Chevy decided to partner up with Lotus, UK to make a supercar version of the Corvette and came up with the 1990 ZR-1. This car boasted a very different engine, a Lotus-designed but Mercury Marine-made LT5 V8 that made 375 horses, 130 more than the normal ‘Vette of that year.

You can get one of these for under $30,000 but remember, this engine and its maintenance are a lot different from the GM-engined Corvettes. Service costs can be surprisingly high.

Related: C6 Corvette: The Best Model Years, Ranked

6 The Roofless Toyota MR2 Spyder

At under $11,000, the Toyota MR2 Spyder is a cheap enough sports car even if it remains largely forgotten. The frog-like headlamps and roof absence may have had something to do with its unpopularity but hey, it’s a sports car and fun to drive.

The car has some ceramic parts that disintegrate over time and jam up the catalytic converter when it comes to its upkeep. Some of these sports cars also tend to burn a lot of oil, so this car will need sooner-than-regular engine services.

5 A Shot Of The Suzuki Cappuccino

The Cappuccino was a rather cool sports car, only a little smaller in size than what you’d expect a sports car to be, considering it was a Japanese Kei car and could only carry a 657-cc engine, and make 65 horsepower. Does not sound very sporty but it is a ton of fun to drive around in.

The problem with it was that it was made in Japan, primarily for Japan. Since there is no salting of roads in Japan, the underbody of the car did not come rust protected, which turns into a big issue in the US. It does come cheap, under $10,000, but make sure to check for rust and dings lest repairs start piling up.

Related: 10 Sickest Japanese Kei Cars We Wish We Had In The US (5 That Are Just Too Ridiculous)

4 The Skyline, Sky-High Infiniti G35 Coupe

The Infiniti G35 is often mislabelled as fancy Altima, but it comes based on the Nissan Skyline, the JDM variety. Clearly, this is one powerful, capable, blow-your-wig-away kind of car and quite the steal for under $10,000.

That is still you start replacing brake pads the way you do tissues boxes in a houseful of kids. Plus there are plenty of recalls for this car, with it having issues with circuits, brake lights, fuel hoses, and much more. If you buy this used, make sure you go through it with a fine-toothed comb.

3 The Powerful But Mysterious Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 Spyder

The problem with the Mitsubishi 3000GT is that Mitsubishi tried so hard to show the world what grand tech it was capable of, they forgot to keep it simple. It’s a great car and runs beautifully unless there’s an issue, and that's when the problems start.

You can get it cheap, for less than $20,000 but if you have to haul it to a mechanic to fix it, it's going to cost you. And then some. Plus it was one very heavy car, so handling it right was also a learned art.

2 The Heroic Nissan 300ZX

The Nissan 300ZX still has an aura. There’s simply so much to love about its roomy interior, gorgeous looks, and even plenty of cargo space. And once you press the pedal, the car’s acceleration is surreal, enough to make it a dream classic of many.

You can get it cheap too, like this one for $11,000, but maintaining the car is a big pain unless you know your Nissans. You need a specialty mechanic to take care of this beauty and it will cost you big. Because this car was made fast, but not terribly reliable.

1 The Porsche 944 Is An Expensive Underdog

So if you decide to put down $25,000 for a 1990 Porsche 944, and think you got a great deal, make sure you have kept a stash of bills to get it serviced. This is not a car that comes cheap, maintenance wise and we’re talking generic services, not age-related replacements.

Of course, it’s a Porsche and despite being considered a bit of an underdog, it's still good for many kicks and a ton of fun on the road. But a word of caution, go for a well-kept slightly expensive option over a DIY beater. Not an easy car to maintain, this one.

Sources: CarGurus, Carbuyer, CollectingCars, BringaTrailer, Hemmings, Autotrader, TrueCar, Classic.com