Undoubtedly, most gearheads are in favor of sports cars with excellent performance, and this is obvious from the sheer popularity of Hollywood car movies and TV shows that flaunt them. Yet there is also a particular spot in many car enthusiasts' hearts for unique slower cars. They remind us that charm does not come from performance alone and that a fun drive doesn't necessarily have to be a fast one.
So when it comes to some of these cars, don't expect thrilling performance, aggressive exhaust notes, or sleek designs. Instead, what you can expect is pure driving pleasure and satisfaction as you cruise down the highway or carve tight canyon roads. So keep reading to learn about ten cool sports cars that are on the slower side yet are surprisingly fun to drive.
10 Matra Bagheera
The French company, Matra, is fascinating when it comes to the designs of their sports cars. This manufacturer delivered innovative solutions and new technologies for generations. In the case of the Bagheera, although it is lightweight and cramped, it provides three seats in the front.
The power comes from a 1.3 or 1.4-liter small engine that enables it to hit a top speed of 116 mph. It's a sleek hatchback coupe with pop-up headlights that make it look timeless and sporty despite its low performance.
9 Saab Sonett III
Manufactured between 1970 and 1974, the Saab Sonett III is incredibly sluggish, even though it appears like a race car. It was initially equipped with a 1.5-liter Ford V4 engine. While the engine was later upgraded to the 1.7-liter version, the output power remained at 65 hp to pass emission control requirements.
Although it was a partly enjoyable car to drive, the Sonnet III experienced failure in the sale at the time of the 1973 oil crisis, leading Saab to cease production in 1974 with a total of 8,368 Sonetts manufactured from 1970 to date.
8 Hyundai Tiburon
For the tuner party, the Hyundai Tiburon soon became a favorite, and it's easy to see why. Not only did the second-generation GT version look fantastic, but it also had a 2.7-liter V6 engine generating 172 stallions. The Tiburon GT would only manage a 0-60 time of over 8 seconds, despite the reasonable power output.
Today, it can still be regarded as a fun car, except for handling, which isn't particularly sporty, as well as its stiff ride. Besides what was mentioned as the downsides, the Tiburon is a fun car to drive and is still popular with street tuners.
7 Marcos GT
This automobile was first unveiled in 1964 as the Marcos 1800 GT, with a wooden frame, a fiberglass body shell, and a Volvo 1.8-liter powerplant, later versions being mounted with a steel body and a Ford engine. The GT series received a lot of market demand.
For proper support, the built-in seats have enough bolsters and sit very close to the bottom to keep the center of gravity close to the ground. Making it fun in corners (as if it weren't already cool due to its gorgeous looks).
6 Toyota Celica
Toyota managed to bring the Celica back to its modest sports car origins in the seventh generation when it offered a revolutionary redesign as the 2000-model year of its compact coupe. While it is marginally shorter than its ancestors, this Celica has a longer wheelbase. A 1.8-liter, four-cylinder (1ZZ-FE) engine generating 143 hp, was placed under the basic GT edition's hood, which was more than enough for a car weighing just 2,560 lbs.
It also has a thrifty fuel-consumption average of 27 mpg in town and 35 on the highway. So, it seems to be a low-cost-maintenance car that brings plenty of joy to your road trips as well.
5 Honda CRX Si
The Honda CRX Si is a savvy little vehicle blessed with low power but also a proportionally low curb weight. Available in the United States from 1985 to 1991, the CRX Si offers a 1.5-liter, fuel-injected four-cylinder engine paired with a smooth five-speed manual gearbox.
Due to being extremely lightweight (in most instances, just over 2000 pounds), the vehicle is sleek and buzzy. It soon became a top choice at local autocross competitions. Apart from its then-daring style, it marked the modest beginnings of the CRX Si, which made it such a coveted and captivating option for JDM and tuner geeks.
4 Porsche 914
The 914 was first unveiled in September 1969 at the Frankfurt Auto show. Despite its ultimate simplicity, the 914 had a few functionalities that were at the time believed to be cutting edge: electronic fuel infusion was available, while the market was filled by carburetors back in the day. It also had a mid-engined layout.
There were originally two engine options, a 1.7-liter flat-four estimated at 80 hp and a 2.0-liter flat-six out of the 911 T, which produced 110 bhp. The 914-6 had the proper left-hand ignition switch, instead of the 914-4 column-mounted VW component.
3 Mazda MX-5 NA
The NA Miata was the first generation of the Mazda-manufactured roadster, marketed from 1989 to 1994, and then accessible as a used car. This engine delivers peak energy of 115 hp at 6500 rpm and a maximum torque of 100 lb-ft at 5500 rpm. This rear-wheel-drive roadster routes that power to the rear wheels using a five-speed manual gearbox.
Thanks to the lightweight all-steel bodyshell, it could do 60 mph in 8.4 seconds and reach the maximum speed of 116 mph, which is not that much considerable but worth giving it a try and proves itself to be a cool car regarding the joy of driving. The good thing is, with every new iteration, the Miata became a bit faster and better-looking, and it's still one of the best entry-level sports cars in the world.
2 Honda Civic LX Coupe
With a new aggressive design and two new engines borrowed from the Civic Sedan, this Honda proved to be a reasonable entry-level sports car choice.
More significant, however, is the fact that the latest Civic Coupe gets the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-banger, rendering this model the only one to come right from the store with forced induction. There's the funky grille, multi-layered rear end, and sloping roofline. But that grille is unaffected from the Civic sedan.
1 Subaru BRZ
Many current sports cars have become needlessly complicated, but thanks to its authentic driving experience unburdened by forced inductions or large-displacement engines, the BRZ is a true remedy. Not only this lightweight RWD coupe appeals to your taste, but it is also relatively functional.
Each BRZ is equipped with a naturally-aspired 2.0-liter flat-four-cylinder engine that is paired with a regular six-speed manual or selectable six-speed automatic transmission. The BRZ produces 200 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque for the automatic version and 205 hp and 156 lb-ft of torque for the manual version. Still, that's plenty of power to move this 2800-lb sports car around corners at high speeds with ease.