Sports cars are facing an existential crisis, with registrations falling across Europe and several beloved models recently disappearing from showrooms altogether.
The Alpine A110, Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman, and Toyota GR86 have all been discontinued, leaving a smaller but still compelling pool of options for driving enthusiasts.
Despite the shrinking market, a handful of brilliant sports cars remain on sale in 2026, offering everything from raw, stripped-back thrills to sophisticated hybrid performance.
The Caterham Seven, built in Dartford and rooted in the original Lotus Seven design dating back to 1973, remains one of Britain’s most driver-focused machines, with prices ranging from £29,500 to £80,000.
The featherweight Seven 170R tips the scales at just 440kg, a full tonne lighter than a Porsche 911, and sprints to 60mph in 6.9 seconds, while the supercharged Seven 620 manages 0-60mph in a staggering 2.79 seconds.
Motoring Research described driving the Seven 170R as feeling like “the Seven has downed a double espresso,” thanks to its disconcertingly direct steering and hyperactive responses.
For the first time in its 73-year history, the Chevrolet Corvette is now available in right-hand drive, with the C8 generation also marking the first time the engine has been mounted in the middle.
Three variants are sold across Chevrolet’s six UK dealerships: the 482hp Stingray from £97,760, the 644hp hybrid E-Ray at £158,720, and the 646hp Z06 at £182,920, all available as a coupe or convertible.
The E-Ray combines a 6.2-litre V8 with a front-axle electric motor, and reviewers noted that under full acceleration “a spaceship-style whine is channeled into the cabin,” combining with the V8’s rumble to mimic a WEC hypercar.
The Ford Mustang (NYSE: F), an enduring American icon available from £58,670, offers either a GT coupe, GT convertible, or the sharper Dark Horse variant, each powered by a cross-plane Detroit V8 that makes every journey feel theatrical.
Honda’s revived Prelude takes a gentler approach, pairing a 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for 184hp total, returning over 47mpg on a brisk cross-country run while offering a coupe body based on the Civic platform.
Reviewers praised the Prelude’s front-end precision, noting it “can be threaded through corners at speed with accuracy” and becomes “more impressive” the deeper you push it, despite its relaxed overall character.
The Lotus Emira has matured significantly since its troubled launch, with the flagship 420 Sport model now offering a genuine alternative to the discontinued Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, using race-bred Multimatic dampers for taut, composed handling.
The Emira 420 Sport uses hydraulic power steering, one of only a handful of new cars still to do so, delivering what reviewers called “wonderfully linear” feedback that helps drivers extract the most from its enhanced cornering ability.
Mazda’s MX-5 remains the benchmark affordable roadster after four generations and 37 years, with the current ND model still feeling vital despite being on sale for more than a decade, and reviewers urging buyers to act before tightening emissions rules force it off the road.
Morgan’s Plus Four, built around a bonded aluminium platform with a twin-turbocharged BMW engine, gained a significant boost from the optional £1,995 Dynamic Handling Pack, developed with suspension specialist Nitron, which transformed its poise and accuracy.
The Porsche 911, updated in 2025 and starting from around £100,000, remains what many consider the definitive sports car, with the Carrera’s 394hp 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six delivering poise and purity that no hot hatchback or electric rival can replicate.
One reviewer went as far as saying of the 911 Carrera: “The only sports car you need? Yes, something like that,” after noting they could have “happily carried on driving” it indefinitely.
At the extreme end of the spectrum, the Radical SR10 XXR uses a tuned 2.3-litre Ford Focus ST engine producing 425hp in a 725kg car, hitting 62mph in just 2.4 seconds with no electronic driver aids whatsoever.
One car that fails to impress despite its credentials is the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Coupe, whose 1,895kg kerb weight, brittle ride on UK roads, and screen-heavy cabin leave it unable to match the Porsche 911 as either a sports car or a luxury grand tourer.