Top 10 best sports cars 2020 edition
If you dream of driving thrills but can’t stretch to the price of a true supercar, a sports car could be the ideal middle ground. The term sports car covers a wide range of vehicles across a wide range of prices. You can stop dreaming and start driving with our list of the best sports cars of 2020.
Acura NSX
The Acura NSX is a reliable sports car with room for two people. Its appearance is aggressively striking with its sharp corners and angular designs. Originally built to contend with its pricier counterparts like the Lamborghini Huracan, the Ferrari 488 and the Ford GT, the NSX combines beautiful styling with an advanced engineered suspension.
The power for this beautiful car is derived from a gas-electric hybrid drivetrain that features two electric motors driving the front wheels. A twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine and an additional electric motor powers the rear wheels. System output is 573 horsepower.
Acura just hit a big milestone in its motorsports division by claiming the Daytona Prototype International Manufacturers’ Championship title with the Team Penske Acura DPi car.
Toyota Supra
Toyota loves bringing back classic cars that have long since left the production line, the Toyota GR Supra is the third car Toyota are reprising. The new Toyota Supra is probably one of the most anticipated new cars of the last decade or more. Not unlike when the NSX returned a few years ago, there’s been a huge uproar from die-hard Supra fans about this latest incarnation.
But because profit margins on sports cars are so thin, Toyota shared the development costs of the Supra with BMW. Comparing the spec sheet for the BMW Z4 M40i and you’ll notice some similarities. Both sports cars share the 3.0-litre turbocharged straight six, gearbox, differential and basic suspension setup.
Both Supra and Z4 share some components, but after the basic specifications were decided, Toyota made sure the platform was that of a sports car, rather than BMW’s preferred choice of a more profitable cruiser.
Polestar 1
With the ban of the manufacture of petrol and diesel cars, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing more electric and hybrid cars cropping up. The Polestar 1 is the first model to emerge from Volvo’s premium electrified car brand. Removing any of those complicated, lengthy names opting for a straightforward and memorable name: The 1. The 1 is likely to be the most expensive car the firm will ever build, and the only hybrid. Inevitably, the cars which follow will be fully electric.
The car is a limited run, hand-built special and a sample of what Volvo’s future models will be like. There’s quite a lot to talk about with the Polestar 1, which is packed with advanced technology and, apart from the elements of its scalable platform architecture (SPA) and it’s interior, has little in common with Volvo’s existing models. For starters, the exotic exterior is formed from hand layered carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP). We can’t wait to see what else Volvo have up their sleeves!
Tesla Roadster
Obviously we had to include a Tesla! Elon Musk has stated on many occasions that he wants to make the fastest car in the world. With a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, 0-100 mph in 4.2 seconds, a quarter-mile time of 8.8 seconds and a top speed of over 250 mph, the all-electric Tesla Roadster is going to be that car.
The Roadster sports the iconic eye-catching bodywork of a Telsa, on an aerodynamically styled body. The American car will match record performance with record efficiency – Musk is aiming for a range of 620 miles. The car will also boast seating for four and feature a removable glass roof that stores in the trunk.
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Since its introduction in 1989, the Mazda MX-5 Miata has been loved by drivers all over the world, and for 2020 this automotive icon continues to be the focused sports car we love. In 2020, Mazda has updated its compact sports car, with a range of small efficiency tweaks and a new flagship GT Sport Tech trim-level
The MX-5’s styling hasn’t changed since 2019 when it underwent a full facelift, but Mazda has fitted some extra equipment including a start-stop function and an energy recovery system called i-ELOOP. This latter item recovers kinetic energy during braking, turning it into electricity that would otherwise be generated by the engine burning fuel. Following its 2019 facelift, the MX-5 also now comes as standard with a telescopic steering wheel.
Alpine A110
Similarly to the Toyota Supra, The Alpine cars ceased production back in 1995 due to falling sales. In 2017 parent company Renault decided to bring back the brand with a modern interpretation of the A110. This car is as it appears, perfectly straightforward, a compact two seat coupe in the mould of the Porsche Cayman and Audi TT. But underneath the new A110 is perhaps the world’s best example of the virtuous circle approach to automotive engineering.
It’s also incredibly light. Lotus light, yet with the creature comforts you need to make it a pleasing daily driver. It still drives the rear-wheels, though, and the focus is still very much on pure driver enjoyment, rather than out-and-out lap times.
Like the Porsche Cayman, the A110 is powered by a four-cylinder engine, but while the turbocharged 1.8-litre in-line unit’s 247bhp might not seem much on paper, in a car weighing just 1103kg and with sprint gearing it makes for a scintillating turn of speed. It’s so rapid that you’ll even forgive it a lack of a manual gearbox and the fact the seven-speed twin-clutch unit isn’t the snappiest shifter.
Porsche 911 Carrera
It’s the classic sports car and one of the most iconic vehicles in history. The Porsche 911 has been virtually unchanged since its creation 56 years ago, as the proverb goes “If it aint broke, don’t fix it”. However, it’s finally ready for the next-generation, code-named 992. The 2020 Porsche 911 shares the same platform with its 991-gen predecessor, but not without changes.
A largely modified platform was expected to help the new car lose some weight, but the opposite happened. The new models are some 160 pounds heavier than their predecessors. The 2020 Porsche 911 also sports a uni-light LED taillight borrowed from the new Cayenne and a similarly revised interior with a number of new tech features.
The initial 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera models feature an uptuned version of the current 3.0L twin-turbo flat-six engine that’s now making 443 horses and 390 pound-feet of torque.
The coveted 911 Turbo models are still a mystery in that regard as it’s still uncertain whether their current 3.8L twin-turbo flat-six will also make the next-gen transition. Regardless of what happens, the 911 Turbos should also pack more punch than they do at this particular moment. The much-celebrated, world-renowned Porsche 911, now 56 years and eight full model generations old, remains a shining beacon to the rest of the car business.
Aston Martin Vantage
There’s an elite group of sports cars that deliver driving thrills and looks to kill, and the 2020 Aston Martin Vantage is one of them. With sculpted bodywork that is both aggressive and beautiful, this Aston Martin lives up to its predecessors.
The rear-drive coupe is powered by a thunderous twin-turbo V-8, but only the track-ready AMR model offers a manual transmission. Although alternatives from Porsche and Mercedes-AMG offer more approachable performance heights, the Aston provides a longer leash for sideways and smoky antics.
The 2020 Vantage may not be the most sophisticated sports car available today, but it’s one of the feistiest and flashiest. For 2020, Aston Martin only makes some small changes to the Vantage. It’s now available with carbon-ceramic brakes that are made to withstand very high temperatures and resist fade. In addition to saving 53 pounds versus the standard cast-iron rotors, the newly optional discs also bring a revised master cylinder and brake booster that Aston Martin says reduce brake-pedal travel.
Other changes include new packages for interior and exterior personalization. The limited-edition 2020 Vantage AMR is also all new and includes an exclusive seven-speed manual transmission, in addition to other unique styling and equipment.
BMW Z4
Completely redesigned just last year, the BMW Z4 is back after a four-year hiatus, and it’s better than ever. The rear-wheel-drive two-seat roadster offers extremely strong performance in a refined package that’s enjoyable to drive every day.
This time around, the Z4 is offered only as a convertible and it’s BMW’s least expensive two-seater. This latest generation has also shed its heavy and complex retractable hard top for a more traditional folding soft top, but its interior seals tightly and remains quiet on the highway.
Last year BMW offered only the Z4 sDrive30i, and that model is unchanged for 2020. Even its price remains the same. However, this year the significantly more powerful 2020 BMW Z4 M40i, which has been tuned by BMW’s legendary high-performance M Division, has been added to the lineup. Both models are turbocharged, but the Z4 M40i has a six-cylinder engine, while the 2020 Z4 sDrive30i is powered by a four-cylinder.
Jaguar F-Type
The iconic F-Type is arguably one of Jaguar’s biggest success stories of recent decades and the British brand will no doubt be hoping its second-generation model will continue this trend. After 7 years on the market, the F-Type has had its biggest update yet.
This is an outrageously-beautiful car in both coupe and convertible, the styling of the car has largely been left well alone.
As expected, the biggest change to happen was under the bonnet – its V6 engine has gone – in the UK market at least – replaced by a new tune of supercharged V8. The update also includes some tweaks to the interior of the vehicle, with an updated media system and new, fully digital instrument display.
