Cheapest sports cars to insure 2022
Sports cars are among the most thrilling vehicles to drive. They are driver-focused machines with plenty of performance and handling sharp enough to scythe through corners.
But this can come at a cost – yes, sports cars are often among the most expensive cars to insure. Being faster than regular cars increases the perceived risk, and because they are precision-built machines, they are often pricier to repair.
This is particularly so for specialist sports cars, which demand skills more akin to building a Formula 1 car.
Naturally, sports cars are also desirable to thieves as well as their owners, adding further risk and cost to annual premiums.
However, while you’ll pay more to insure a sports car, the excess doesn’t have to be excessive. Here, we reveal 10 of the cheapest sports cars to insure. They still deliver thrills, but won’t deliver a fright when it comes to your car insurance bill.
Cheapest sports cars to insure
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Mazda MX-5
The Mazda MX-5 is the world’s best-selling sports car, and for good reason. It is fantastic to drive, with divine handling and revvy, effervescent engines. The two-seater roadster looks great, has a low and lithe driving position, and enjoys one of the greatest manual gearboxes in the business. It is also relatively affordable to buy – and, in 1.5-litre form, affordable to insure. It starts from group 25 insurance, which is impressively affordable for a sports car. The 1.5-litre engine is also excellent on fuel, saving further running costs, while still delivering more than enough performance to have fun.
MINI Cooper S
The MINI Hatch isn’t a traditional sports car, but the three-door model has rear legroom scant enough to effectively make it a two-seater. Besides, in Cooper S guise, it has a thrilling 2.0-litre turbocharged engine donated by parent company BMW, which serves up really exciting performance. The oversized motor is muscular and free-revving, and shoots the MINI to 62mph from rest in just 6.9 seconds. Given this performance, we think a group 26 insurance rating is very reasonable. The Cooper S can run rings around many more expensive sports cars, as well as undercutting them when it comes to ownership costs.
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BMW Z4
The latest BMW Z4 two-seater has reverted to a soft-top, replacing the previous model’s folding hard-top roof. This theoretically makes it a little less theft-proof, but modern car security has come on leaps and bounds, so there isn’t too much penalty in terms of insurance. A sensible group 30 rating for the sDrive20i model makes it one of the cheapest sports cars to insure of all. This version doesn’t short-change you on performance either, while BMW’s rear-wheel-drive chassis serves up plenty of authentic sports car purity and dynamism. We like the traditional roadster profile of a long nose and set-back cockpit, too.
Toyota GR Supra
The Toyota GR Supra is actually derived from the BMW Z4 in a neat German-Japanese partnership. It uses a potent 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo engine, delivering a throaty 258hp for fun acceleration and plentiful pulling power. Although the interior features systems familiar from BMWs, that’s no bad thing as they’re among the best in the business – and the dramatic exterior is totally unique. We love the references to classic Supras of old, but also appreciate how this sprightly sports car still has an affordable group 34 insurance rating. The fact it is a fixed-roof coupe, in contrast to the soft-top BMW, will also be reassuring for some.
Audi TT
The TT is Audi’s long-running coupe and soft-top sports car, which is now into its third generation. A design classic, it set the brand on its current upwards trajectory and has many loyal owners who buy model after model. It’s always been a relatively affordable sports car to run, though, as evidenced by the TT 40 TFSI Sport Edition’s decent group 36 insurance rating. That’s for a proper sports car built from lightweight aluminium, with a lively turbocharged engine, plus an upmarket cabin that offers more than a passing nod to Audi’s thrilling R8 supercar. The coupe TT will, it’s worth noting, cost a bit less to insure than the roadster soft-top, but the difference shouldn’t be huge.
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Jaguar F-Type
The F-Type is Jaguar’s modern-day tribute to the legendary E-type. Available as a coupe and roadster, it was launched with V6 and V8 engines, but in recent years the firm has concentrated on a more economical model: the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo. With 300hp, it doesn’t lack performance, and it’s a whole lot more fuel-efficient than the 5.0-litre V8. It’s also significantly cheaper to insure, courtesy of a group 41 rating. Most of its siblings fall into the priciest group 50 insurance band, meaning 2.0-litre P300 F-Type owners are likely to save a small fortune.
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Porsche 718 Cayman
The Porsche 718 Cayman is the mid-engined little brother to the famous 911 sports car. The entry-level model uses a 2.0-litre horizontally-opposed ‘flat-four’ turbo engine, which produces 300hp for 0-62mph in just over 5.0 seconds and a 170mph top speed. It’s more fuel-efficient than six-cylinder alternatives, and also cheaper to insure. A group 42 insurance band is good value for a fully authentic Porsche, helping to keep running costs in check. The throbby engine makes a charismatically offbeat noise, for an exciting drive that’s a bit different to the norm.
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Lotus Elise
The final examples of the Lotus Elise are now reaching dealers, as the firm readies a bang up-to-date replacement: the Emira. There’s still life in the lovely Elise, though, as it serves up a pure and perfect driving experience that cannot be matched by any other car on the road. It feels like a racing car to sit in, and the feedback you get through the aluminium chassis and unassisted steering is incredible. Impressively, despite its bonded aluminium construction, the Elise shouldn’t cost a fortune to insure, thanks to a group 43 rating for the entry-level model. Even better, its ultra-lightweight construction should deliver acceptable fuel economy.
Alpine A110
The Alpine A110 is a two-seater sports car beloved by enthusiasts. The specialist division of Renault, Alpine has created something quite unique with the A110, a precision-built, lightweight aluminium car that offers six-figure supercar thrills for half that price. It has won tremendous plaudits from specialists, and definitely stands out from the crowd. It shouldn’t break the bank to run, however. Because it’s so light, the fuel-efficient turbocharged engine serves up decent MPG, while a group 44 car insurance band means annual premiums shouldn’t be too frightening.
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Porsche 718 Boxster
The Porsche 718 Boxster is the soft-top alternative to the 718 Cayman. It’s identical in almost every way, save for the folding roof that opens above the two-seat cabin. It uses the same 300hp 2.0-litre turbo engine as the Cayman, for identical performance and a very exciting 170mph top speed. The Boxster does cost a few thousand pounds more to buy, though – and car insurance companies are likely to charge more for annual premiums due to it falling into group 48, compared with the 718 Cayman’s group 42. Even so, it’s still among the cheaper sports cars to insure, given how many of its rivals have a top group 50 rating.
Are old sports cars expensive to insure?
Old sports cars can prove more expensive to insure than brand new ones. They won’t have the same level of car security, and won’t feature the latest safety assistance tech to help drivers avoid an accident in the first place. However, for sports cars aged 25 years and older, it’s worth looking out for classic car insurance, which is often cheaper than regular insurance – particularly if you opt for an annual mileage limit.
How much higher is insurance on sports cars?
As you can see from our guide, sports car insurance is more expensive than for regular cars. Even the cheapest sports car to insure here, the Mazda MX-5, is rated from group 25; many regular cars fall into single-digit car insurance bands. It’s the price you pay for driving a more focused, more specialised machine. However, as our guide shows, it is still possible to keep premiums in check by carefully choosing a more affordable sports car to insure.
Which sports car is the cheapest?
Sports cars do cost more to buy than regular cars. You’ll pay a bit more on a monthly PCP finance or lease deal, too – although good retained values mean the difference shouldn’t be too excessive. Plus there are a couple of great-value sports cars on sale, despite their driver-focused nature. The amazing Mazda MX-5 costs from less than £25,000, for example, so is cheaper than a hot hatchback such as the Volkswagen Golf GTI. The MINI Cooper S starts from less than £24,000 – great value for a car capable of 0-62mph in a sports-car-like 6.9 seconds.
