2021 Sports Cars

SEE ALSO: Top 10 Best American Sports Cars of the 2000s

Pros and Cons of Sports Cars

Pros

• Driving fun is top priority
• Dramatic looks
• Come in many sizes and prices
• The bleeding edge of tech
• Light weight means better fuel efficiency
• Hold their value well

Cons

• Less practical than sedans/SUVs
• Higher operating costs (fuel, insurance)
• Not always four-season appropriate
• Can attract the wrong kind of attention

Manual Transmission Sports Cars

What’s New in Sports Cars for 2022?

Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ

Toyota and Subaru continued their sports car partnership for another generation with the release of the 2022 GR86 and BRZ. The chassis is stronger, there's more modern tech, and weight is up by about a Thanksgiving turkey's worth, but the important elements remain. These little coupes are some of the most fun you can have under $50,000.

SEE ALSO: 2022 Toyota GR86 First Drive Review: Old-School, Evolved

Early rumors of a turbocharged engine turned out to be for naught. No matter which brand you go with, you'll find a larger, 2.4-liter Boxer engine mounted low under the hood. Outputs of 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet don't sound like much, but with the light curb weight and improved six-speed manual, the Toyobaru twins scoot. Prices start under $30,000 (roughly $33,000 CAD).

Chevrolet Corvette Z06

America's favorite sports car is celebrating 70 years this year. To mark the occasion, Chevrolet will be offering a 70th Anniversary Package on all C8 Corvettes. That's all well and good, but what we're really interested in is the new Z06, a badge that has long represented the ideal track-ready road 'Vette.

SEE ALSO: Chevrolet Corvette vs Porsche 718 Boxster vs Toyota Supra: Sports Car Shootout

For the first time in modern Corvette history, the Z06 will carry a smaller-displacement engine than the regular car. The LT6 V8 is a dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) design, producing a huge 670 horsepower from just 5.5 liters. Did we mention the 8,600-rpm redline? Of course, Chevy didn't just drop in a hot engine and leave the Z06 be. It's lower, wider, and stiffer, with larger brakes, a shorter final drive ratio for even quicker acceleration, more downforce and less drag, and a reconfigured Magnetic Ride Control system. No hyperbole here: the Z06 should be one of the absolute quickest road cars around a track when it touches down. We can't wait.

Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS

It's a car that's been rumored pretty much since the first Cayman GT4 arrived seven years ago. But finally, at the 2021 Los Angeles auto show, Porsche pulled the sheet back on the most extreme 718 variant yet, the 718 Cayman GT4 RS. With the next generation of the little two-seater likely going electric, consider this a final, 9,000-rpm salute to the glorious internal combustion engine.

SEE ALSO: 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Review: You Get What You Give

Essentially, what you're looking at is a 911 GT3 crammed into the body of the lighter (and better-balanced) Cayman. Sitting behind the driver is the GT3's 4.0-liter flat-six, spitting 493 horsepower straight to a pair of huge, sticky rear tires. This one's PDK-only, too. With race-inspired aero addenda and a curb weight of just 3,2227 lb, the GT4 RS should be utterly scintillating. This sort of specialized performance will cost you: the GT4 RS starts from $143,050.

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