Can you afford a sports car?

For most people the answer to this question is an automatic and unenthusiastic “no”. The usual assumption is that they cost tens of thousands of pounds and are way out of the average person’s price range, and that may well be the case if you’re looking to buy a brand new car.

However, there are many options available and some great sports cars aren’t as pricey as you might expect. Take the Audi TT for example, it’s fairly economical and has all everything you’d want from a sports car, yet contract hire Audi TT roadster models start from around £300 a month.

Similarly, Toyota GT86 leasing deals are available for a little over £260 a month. Taking out a lease deal may mean you have to curb your spending each month, but it’s certainly more affordable than paying thirty or forty thousand pounds up front! Alternatively you could save money by looking at used Toyota GT86 cars.

One of the GT86’s rivals is the 350z, and used Nissan 350z’s are available for under £7,000 – that’s not to say that £7,000 isn’t a lot of money, but it’s undoubtedly a figure within many people’s price range who wouldn’t have thought they could afford a sports coupe.

The Lotus Elise is probably the most iconic British sports car in history, yet used Lotus Elise cars are also fairly affordable if you’re willing to look at older models. To get one for under £10,000 you will probably have to look at cars which are over a decade old, but with such a prestigious classic that shouldn’t be an issue in my opinion. If this is still stretching your budget, you could look at alternatives such as the Alfa Romeo Spider. Again, to get the best value you’ll have to look at previous generations, but you can find a used Alfa Romeo Spider for under £5,000 if you search hard enough online.

Up there with my favourite sports cars in the world is the Porsche Cayman. It can accelerate from 0 – 60mph in just over 5 seconds, and has an executive feel to it too. A used Porsche Cayman will cost a little more than most of the cars mentioned above, but you can still find plenty of models with low mileage which are available for less than a new Ford Fiesta – now that puts things into perspective.