If there were ever a poll for the greatest sports car ever created, the Porsche 911 would likely receive the majority of the votes. As the longest sports car in production, the 911 owes its enduring popularity to over 60 years and eight generations of consistent quality coupled with a steadfast commitment to perfecting the everyday sports car formula. It has won countless automotive accolades over the years and even became the most successful sports car in the history of Le Mans, with 19 wins to its name.

But with consistent quality and performance upgrades, the price of the Porsche 911 has also gone through the roof. The base 379-horsepower flat-six-powered 2024 Porsche 911 Carrera retails for $116,050, and the 2025 model is set to up the starting price to over $120,000. Even pre-owned examples hold their value insanely well, with the KBB fair purchase price for a four-year-old 2020 base 911 Carrera still staggeringly worth over $100,000.

For most car enthusiasts, finding a more affordable luxury sports car alternative makes the most sense. And the good news is, some recent gems come close – if not outright outperform the 911 in many ways – all for less than half the price of a new one.

For this list, HotCars only considered two-door coupes with high-performance engines that fit the traditional sports car definition and offer the best balance of performance and luxury. All the sports cars on this list are 2020-year models or newer, offering the most modern technology and safety features along with competitive performance. Some of them are so recent they’re probably still under factory warranty. For pricing, we used KBB’s fair purchase price index and ranked all the models according to price, from most to least expensive.

9 Best Bang For The Buck: 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray

$58,318

Specs

Chevrolet

The C8 Corvette is not only the first mid-engined Corvette, but Chevrolet in general, and it benefits massively from this new setup. While impressive, the C8’s base 495 hp output isn’t a drastic increase over the C7’s 460 hp, but the new one launches a full second faster to 60 mph. In fact, if we only look at 0-60 mph times, the 2020 Stingray is as quick as a $200,000 2024 Porsche 911 Turbo. It seems to be extremely reliable too, with J.D. Power awarding it 87/100 for reliability in 2019.

Touted for its build quality, looks, and performance, the C8 has already earned numerous accolades, including 2020 North American Car of the Year. As a result, the car has faced very little depreciation from its $59,995 MSRP. In fact, with markups going rampant today, even 1-year-old Stingrays are still more expensive than their MSRP.

From its driver-focused “cockpit” leather interior with a digital instrument panel and advanced infotainment to its sheer speed and agility, the C8 Corvette’s value proposition is virtually unmatched in the sports car market today.

8 Ultimate Driving Machine: 2021 BMW M4

$57,515

Specs

BMW

The BMW M4 has become a staple among German performance cars in recent years due to its combination of good looks and crazy power. The S55 under its hood is famously tunable, yet even its stock 473-hp power output is enough to have some serious fun. If you want a factory performance upgrade, the M4 Competition trim bumps the power up to 503 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. Keep in mind, the 2021 M4 Comp trim exceeds our budget slightly at $60,981, according to KBB.

To prove that it’s an enthusiast-focused car, BMW equipped the M4 with a standard 6-speed manual transmission while the M4 Competition gets an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic. The standard M4 is also strictly RWD. Meanwhile, the 2021 M4 Competition is the first M4 ever to offer BMW’s xDrive AWD system, which further boosts its acceleration and grip in all weather conditions.

While the 2021 M4’s redesign may be polarizing, the interior remains sporty and opulent. It features a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and BMW’s iDrive 7 10.25-inch infotainment screen. BMW also offers optional M Carbon bucket seats.

7 AWD Juggernaut: 2022 Audi RS5 Coupe

$57,140

Specs

Audi

The RS5 is the most performance-oriented version of Audi’s A5 luxury coupe, with widened fenders and a brawny 444-hp 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 mated to Audi’s 8-speed Tiptronic automatic under the hood. Like all Audi RS models, the RS5 also sends its power to all four wheels, which allows it to rocket to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds (0.3 seconds quicker than a 911 Carrera).

The RS5 is a more spacious and practical alternative to the Audi TT RS, with a luxurious and technology-packed interior featuring Audi’s “Virtual Cockpit” 12.3-inch digital instrument panel alongside another separate touch screen infotainment display.

6 British Muscle: 2021 Jaguar F Type R

$56,372

Specs

Jaguar

Effectively a spiritual successor to the Jaguar E-Type and replacing the late XK-series sports car, the F-Type is Jaguar’s flagship sports car/grand tourer. In its beefiest “R” trim, it gets a supercharged 5-liter V8 sending 575 hp to all four wheels for a 3.5-second 0-60 mph launch. This is, in fact, the most powerful car on this list – but also one that took the hardest hit from depreciation.

Despite supercar-level performance and one of the most opulent interiors in its class, a mere 3-year-old F Type R will now set you back around $56,372 as per KBB, while convertibles tend to be a bit more expensive. Sadly, like its predecessors, the F-Type is now also relegated to Jaguar’s history books, with its successor allegedly being a full-on EV.

5 Japanese Muscle: 2022 Lexus RC F

$56,258

Specs

Lexus

If Japan had ever made a true muscle car, then the Lexus RC F must be it. This is a pure, refined, driver-focused full-sized coupe motivated by a vigorous 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 sending 472 hp to the rear wheels. What more needs to be said? Lexus is known for having some of the best interiors in its class, with high-end leather and aluminum accents wrapping all the touchpoints.

As far as tech is concerned, the RC F has everything from a sports-tuned suspension with adaptive dampers to intelligent safety and blind spot monitoring systems. It even gets that cool movable semi-digital instrument cluster as found in the Lexus LFA. The only thing really “missing” from an RC F is a 6-speed manual transmission. But, other than that, it’s the perfect luxury Japanese muscle car.

4 Baby R8: 2020 Audi TT RS

$54,982

Specs

Audi

While a standard 220-hp 2021 Audi TT will set you back around $40,000 according to KBB, the TT RS bumps that power up to 394 hp from the same unique 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine as an Audi RS3. Audi discontinued the TT completely in 2023, so the high-performance Audi TT RS variant could soon become a true future classic.

As opposed to the RS5, the Audi TT sits on its own dedicated sports car platform, and thanks to a combination of light weight (3296 lbs), high power output, and Audi’s Tiptronic transmission connected to the Quattro AWD system, Audi claims the TT RS launches to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. This makes it far quicker than the new 911 (4.0 seconds) and puts it on par with the 444-hp 2024 Porsche 911 S (3.5 seconds), which costs $132,950 new. Audi TT RS owners also get a sporty, high-end 100% driver-focused interior with a large gauge screen doubling as an infotainment system.

3 German Muscle: 2021 Mercedes-Benz C63 S AMG Coupe

$54,662

Specs

Mercedes-Benz

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz C63 S AMG is essentially a V8-powered RWD German muscle car that uses a big chunk of your budget to make the whole muscle car experience fancy. Goodies include AMG’s Ride Control Suspension with adaptive dampers and Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ modes, active exhaust system, and a Nappa-leather/carbon-fiber trim interior. It also offers a

A 2021 C63 S fetches about $10,000 more on the used market over the regular C63 but bumps the power up from 469 hp to a burnout-ready 503 hp, resulting in a 0.2 seconds quicker 0-60 mph run.

2 Baby 911: 2021 Porsche Cayman

$54,486

Specs

Porsche

Many buyers looking at a 911 end up buying a Cayman or a Boxster ($51,844). It offers the same boxer-powered thrills and experience as a 911, albeit in a smaller, less comfortable, and less expensive package and with two fewer cylinders. Considering the $100,000 used price of a similarly old 911, the $54,486 2021 Cayman seems like a steal.

Sure, it lost its flat-six, but the 2.0-liter flat-four sounds surprisingly good and is turbocharged to produce around 300 hp – enough to rocket the 3,200-lb coupe to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds and onto an impressive 171-mph top speed. It also gets an optional 6-speed stick shift alongside Porsche’s famed 7-speed PDK.

Another thing that makes the Cayman and Boxster siblings great is their unyielding reliability. While Porsche maintenance really is more expensive than other luxury cars, the Cayman (and its Boxster sibling) gets a stellar J.D. Power reliability score of 93/100 – unheard of in a luxury sports car.

1 Budget-Friendly Option: 2022 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400

$41,797

Specs

Infiniti

The Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 may be the most affordable option on this list, almost three times cheaper than a new Porsche 911, but we’d be remiss not to include it. Extremely underrated on today’s market, this large Japanese coupe produces 400 hp from its twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 – 20 more than the new 911. That’s enough power for a 4.5-second 0-60 mph run with its top speed limited to 155 mph with a sport-tuned exhaust and suspension with adaptive dampers and bigger brakes.

The Q60 Red Sport 400 combines its impressive performance with a premium leather-wrapped interior featuring electric heated and ventilated sports seats, a Bose audio system, and a dual-touchscreen infotainment system. It may not be the fastest or most exciting car on this list, but it’s great value.