The eight best sportscars to buy in 2023

Toyota GR86 – the one you can't have

Okay, can't have is strong given that cars are for sale and you can indeed buy them. You can't order one new, though, because they're all sold out. Very shortly after its reveal it was confirmed the GR86 would only be coming to the UK for two short years, meaning allocations quickly dried up. As such, this is a sportscar in high demand and if you want one, you'll need to pay over the odds. Happily, it's purported to be worth it. 

The new 2.4-litre engine has a far-superior power band to the GT86, the looks have been refined, as has the cabin. This is a handsome, gutsy-enough, delectably-balanced car designed to deliver thrills at any speed. We bloody love it and so should you.

Lotus Emira – the one under pressure

Goodbye Elise, so long Exige, aurevoir Evora. All three of the stallwarts of the Lotus range have now departed for the home for ageing sportscars. In their place comes one single car, trying to span the range from sportscar to supercar. There's just a little pressure. Thankfully its debut at the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard in 2021 was a storm, and it looks absolutely fantastic. We've not driven the Emira yet, but first impressions seem to be universally positive, so it may well be time to get a deposit down – espeically considering they sold over four figures worth in the week after it was revealed. 

Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS – maybe the best car in the world?

The standard Cayman is pretty much a benchmark on which all other sportscars could be judged. The GT4 RS just elevates everything to another level. Now with the proper 4.0-litre flat-six derived from the 911 GT3 Cup car, tweaked suspension, more aero and less weight, the GT4 RS can match the performance of the 911 GT3 to 60mph. But it isn't a stripped back track star, this is a more forgiving and enjoyable machine for the road, all soundtracked by that astonishing engine fed by a brand new intake rasp. It's impossible to ignore, if you have £108,000... you might even prefer it to the GT3.

Alpine A110 – the one to worry Porsche owners

Alpine’s real trick has been to offer a viable alternative to the all-conquering Cayman while defiantly refusing to engage Porsche on its own terms. So, it doesn’t obsess over power output or performance stats and nor does it equate stiffer suspension or fatter tyres with improved performance, even if the new A110S takes subtle steps in that direction. Instead the A110 combines a Lotus-like obsession with weight saving and the benefits in handling and ride comfort that brings without the pervading whiff of kit car build quality Elises and Exiges have never quite shaken. Sure, there’s not much luggage space but it’s commendably quiet and refined for such a hardcore car, it’s amazingly supple and it doesn’t use much fuel. But it also looks sexy as anything and shows its best on twisty backroads at socially responsible speeds.

Toyota GR Supra – the Japanese bruiser

About as different to the Alpine as it’s possible to get, despite being similarly priced and actually aimed at a comparable target audience. With its old-school front-engined coupe proportions you could confuse the Supra for a junior GT car but Toyota insists this is a proper sporting machine set up to satisfy the keenest of drivers. It’s certainly a very different driving experience from the stodgy BMW Z4 with which it shares engine and architecture, the grunty power delivery of the turbocharged six, sharp chassis and unapologetically rear-biased handling more than living up to the wild styling. A blunter tool than a Cayman, Lotus or Alpine. But, true to the billing, a proper old-school sportscar.

Caterham Seven – the one all about the driving

The Seven makes absolutely no attempt to pander to everyday needs like most of the other cars here – this car is all about delivering an all-consuming driving experience so intense you won’t even miss the lack of Bluetooth, touchscreen navigation or… doors. Hardcore bikers may scoff at the comparison but there’s a similar sense of total immersion in the experience of driving a Caterham and a focus on the process of driving you simply don’t get in any modern car. The slipstream will threaten tear your hair out, your forehead will get peppered with stones and the exhaust will likely deafen you after a few miles but any drive in a Caterham is memorable simply for stripping things back to the thrilling basics.

Mazda MX-5 1.5 – the proof that less can be more

On paper there’s very little to impress anyone with an MX-5, especially the basic 1.5-litre version. Sure, it’s light. But with the base model the power to weight ratio hasn’t improved significantly in the 30 years and four generations it’s been on sale. The suspension is pretty soft out of the box too and macho types still (mistakenly) write it off as too girly, whatever that means. But in driving terms the latest MX-5 is as close to the Caterham as you can get in a car you’d conceivably drive every day. Mazda didn’t chase the numbers with this car. It sweated the details, like a thin steering wheel rim to encourage neat steering inputs and a close-ratio gearbox so sweet you can shift with your fingertips. You can get more powerful ones but that basic 1.5 is a revvy, naturally aspirated delight too. All you really need.

Jaguar F-Type – the true-Brit anti-hero

Like the Evora, the F-Type is constantly battling reviewers’ benchmarking efforts against rival Porsche products but goes its own way, sitting on the right side of the line dividing sportscars and more cruisy GTs. Ostensibly a new model, the recent updates are more a nip and tuck to the timeless proportions and it’s got more tech than before. But the core appeal of rear-biased handling, lovely steering and greater agility than the size or kerb weight would suggest remains strong. The four-cylinder lacks a little gravitas but is arguably the sweetest in handling terms while the supercharged V8 R combines a more muscular vibe with real poise. The fact it’s more grown-up than a Cayman while more fun than a 911 is arguably the only Porsche comparison you really need consider.