Top 10 best affordable sports cars 2022

However, in one of the most unexpected industry U-turns in recent memory, in 2019 Porsche reintroduced a naturally aspirated flat-six engine. It's a superb engine by any standards - based on the 3.0-litre unit in the '992' 911, only enlarged to 4.0 litres and shorn of the turbos - although the long-geared manual 'box it's partnered with doesn't flatter it nearly as well as it should.

Practical, ever-engaging to drive and plenty fast even in four-cylinder form, the 718 has it all - and it takes a car of once-in-a-generation dynamic brilliance to beat it.

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3. Morgan Super 3

The first Morgan 3 Wheeler (as in the 2012 reinvention, rather than the 1909 original) proved to be a surprise hit for the Malvern maker. Around 2500 left the factory over a 10-year production run, which for the nichest of niche manufacturers is as close to mass production as you get.

With its all-new car, the brand can expect even greater success as it oozes the same spirit and charm of its predecessor, yet comes in a far more versatile and modern package. The unique three-wheel layout remains the same, as do the upturned bathtub looks, but under the skin there's a stronger monocoque construction, more sophisticated suspension and turbocharged three-cylinder Ford Fiesta engine in place of the throbbing Harley-Davidson V-Twin.

Tipping the scales at just 635kg, the 118bhp Morgan is brisk, its performance aided by a snickity five-speed manual sourced from the Mazda MX-5. Yet it's the way the skinny-tyred machine tackles corners that delivers the real delight, the modest grip levels and well-balanced handling making it huge fun at any speed.

Yes, the lack of weather protection means you need to be committed on longer journeys, while a price the wrong side of £40,000 stretches the definition of 'affordable', but when all you want to do is drive on the sort of roads that most of us use every day, then few cars will have your heart singing more loudly.

4. Toyota GR86

How do you improve on perfection? If you're Toyota and you need to replace the already excellent GT86, then you add a bit more power, give the looks and interior a much-needed refresh and, well, that's it.

Okay, so there's rather more to the GR86 than that, but not much. For starters, the newcomer is built on a strengthened version of the old car's chassis and shell, while under the bonnet there's now a more muscular flat-floor motor that's been stretched to 2.5-litres and 231bhp. The suspension and steering are essentially the same, while the GT86's Teflon Michelin Primacys have been swapped for gummier Pilot Sport 4s.

The result is that the car drives in much the same way, with the same beautifully balanced and gloriously adjustable rear-wheel-drive attitude that can be exploited at any speed on road or track. Yes, the engorged engine delivers more pace, but not much more and it's still a little characterless when worked hard.

Elsewhere, the GR86 looks smarter than before, while the interior is classier without sacrificing its predecessor's surprising practicality. Oh, and with prices starting at £29,995, it's cracking value too.

There is, however, a snag - and a big one at that. Forthcoming emissions regulations mean that the Toyota will only be on sale in Europe for two years. Moreover, the Japanese firm has already sold out its UK allocation for these final 24 months. In fact, it did so within an hour and a half of order books opening.

5. Mazda MX-5

There isn't a single area in which this fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 fails to surpass its predecessor. It's shorter, lighter, more spacious and better laid out. It's sharper looking but still disarming and not at all ostentatious. It's also faster, more frugal and even more vibrant and engaging to drive.

In 2018, Mazda facelifted its iconic roadster, with the headline change being a 23bhp power hike for its feisty 2.0-litre engine. A steering column that also now adjusts for reach was also introduced, addressing one of the Mazda's only ergonomic drawbacks.

All that and yet the MX-5 is still every inch the same zesty and inimitable car that it was. Its character hasn't really changed at all in three decades, and nothing on this list offers a better pounds-per-smile rating.

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6. Caterham Seven 170

For over 70 years, the Seven in all its forms (Lotus and Caterham) has been setting the standard for pure driver thrills. If you ignore NVH, knock Euro NCAP on the head and concentrate solely on the biggest smiles per mile, then this diminutive British sports car is hard to beat.

The most affordable way into a new Seven is the 170, which starts at £24,995 if you're willing to wield the spanners and build it yourself. With its 84bhp turbocharged 660cc Suzuki engine, the Caterham looks a little weedy on paper, but a kerb weight of as little as 440kg means the 0-60mph can be done and dusted in under seven seconds, the gargling three-pot engine encouraging you all the way.

Yet as ever with a Seven, it's the bits between the straights that are the most fun. This car gets a live rear axle and so lacks the ride sophistication of the De Dion-equipped cars, but with its skinny tyres and wrist-flick steering, the 170 dances this way and that through corners, the line between grip and slip clearly telegraphed and always happening at speeds that are far from anti-social.

The most innocent and exhilarating fun on four wheels? Quite possibly.

7. Toyota GR Supra

Was the Toyota Supra the most hotly anticipated new car of 2019? Quite possibly. After an absence lasting some two decades, Toyota's iconic sports car finally returned to the UK. But were it not for a collaboration with BMW - out of which the new BMW Z4 was also spawned - it's likely this icon would never have been reborn. As such, beneath the Supra's striking exterior, you'll find an engine, platform, transmission, slippy diff, electrics and plenty of switchgear all distinctly Bavarian in origin.

And yet, when it comes to driving, the Supra succeeds in carving out its own distinct dynamic identity. The suspension, steering and diff calibration are all unique to the Supra, so much so that Toyota sees the Porsche 718 Cayman - rather than the Z4 - as its key rival.

Toyota certainly isn't pulling its punches, then. And in many ways, it's the Supra that makes for the superior sports car. It might not be able to quite match the handling purity and balance of the Porsche, but it isn't far off. Its ride is impressively supple, its engine is smooth and far more characterful and it'd be far easier to live with on a daily basis.

For those for whom a £50,000-plus price tag is a little too rich, meanwhile, Toyota has lately released the GR Supra, a slightly cheaper, four-cylinder 2.0-litre version of the car whose handling might even benefit from the relative lightness of the smaller engine. What's more, the hairy-chested straight six can now be had with a manual gearbox, making it one of the most compelling old-school sportsters out there.

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8. BMW Z4 M40i

In a recent group test, the range-topping BMW Z4 M40i came out victorious against a lower-order Porsche 718 Boxster T. Although we concluded that it ultimately wasn't as composed, incisive or keen-handling as the daintier Boxster, its refinement, powerful and responsive straight-six engine and bruising straight-line pace won it a great deal of affection from our testers. That it also has a distinct sense of street-fighter character also weighs heavily in the BMW's favour.

That said, the higher-order strains of the 718 still provide a purer, more enticing take on an affordable sports car. And while there's undoubtedly plenty of scope for excitement on offer in the BMW, as a precision tool it's still not quite as sharp as some of the lighter, smaller contenders in this class.