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Putting a sports car in the garage is the dream for a lot of car enthusiasts. Sports cars offer the kind of styling and driving experience you simply can’t get from most other cars, and while not everyone has the room to store a car purely for fun, most modern sport cars are usable enough that you could run them every day in lieu of something more sensible.
Cost is a barrier to a lot of buyers, but that’s where buying used comes in. You might be surprised how affordable it is to get behind the wheel, and while fuel, insurance, and maintenance bills might be higher than those of a hatchback, they don’t need to be too severe either if you buy wisely. Could now be the perfect time to treat yourself to a sports car?
A sports car is essentially any car designed primarily for fun rather than the more mundane requirements of driving. On the modern car market that definition covers everything from the mainstream Mazda MX-5 to small-volume British models from Caterham and Morgan, through high-performance cars like the Porsche 911 all the way to the most expensive supercars.
Most sports cars take the form of open-topped roadsters or closed-roof coupes, typically with a two-seat layout but two-plus-two arrangements like you’ll find in the 911 are also common. You’ll sometimes hear hot hatchbacks and sports saloons described as sports cars thanks to their performance and fun factor, but by and large sports cars are designed as such from the outset, rather than souped-up versions of regular family cars. Some real competition heritage doesn’t hurt either - MX-5s and 911s are among the most-raced cars on the planet.
The term ‘sports car’ almost goes hand-in-hand with expense. While companies have sold budget-friendly sports cars in the past, and cars like the Mazda MX-5 and Toyota GR86 are cheaper than a lot of hot hatchbacks these days, the design and engineering that goes into sports cars, plus the low volumes they tend to be built in, generally means high prices.
So buying a used sports car can take some of the sting out of that high pricing, benefitting from the relatively steep depreciation that almost all new cars suffer from over their first couple of years. We say almost, because the demand for some models means depreciation can be quite slow or even nonexistent. With the aforementioned GR86 for instance, buying used doesn’t actually save much money over buying new - but the benefit then is being able to beat the waiting list, which may be just as valuable for some buyers.
Perhaps more than most used car purchases, choosing the right sports car is a very personal thing. Style and driving experience will be towards the top of most buyers’ priorities, more so than pragmatic concerns like fuel economy, running costs, and practicality - though those may still play a part in choosing one car over another.
Because there’s some variation between different sports cars though there are still things to consider. Do you want to be able to put the roof down, and if so, do you want a folding soft top, folding hard top, a targa-style arrangement (with a removable centre panel, either automated or manual), or even no roof at all?
Are two seats fine, or will you need the occasional convenience of a pair of small rear seats too? How much luggage space do you need? How much driver interaction do you crave? And how much money do you have to spend? All these considerations and more will dictate the ideal used sports car, but narrow them down and you should be able to find something that’s just about perfect.
If you don’t already have a particular model in mind, the broad definition of a sports car means used car search websites don’t always make it easy to narrow down your search. There are ways to improve your odds though based on some of the criteria mentioned above - such as selecting only coupes and convertibles, and restricting your search to two-seat models or two-door layouts.
The popularity of certain models, such as the Mazda MX-5 or Porsche Boxster, means you should be able to find them just about anywhere, and at just about any budget given both have been on sale over several generations for decades. The appeal of sports cars means that it isn’t difficult to find used car dealerships that specialise in only sports cars, and maintaining and repairing them too, so the relationship doesn’t necessarily stop with the buying process.
We should offer a word of warning here, because while depreciation may bring something exotic temptingly within reach, sports car servicing and repair bills don’t magically decrease at the same rate. So before you track down your dream car at a dream price, make sure you have the budget in hand to ensure it won’t become a nightmare at its first service, or in the event something breaks. The same goes for insurance costs, tax, and other fees - ensure you can afford all of them before signing on the dotted line.
With that out of the way, it’s important also to note that due to their nature, sports cars are likely to have been driven a little harder than your average family hatchback, so you’ll need to take extra care when shopping for and inspecting a particular car. Evidence of regular servicing is even more vital than normal, and you’ll want to see that the previous keeper hasn’t scrimped on important things like tyres. A history check is also wise, to ensure there are no black marks in the car’s past, such as outstanding finance or accident damage.
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