7 Cheap Alternatives To The Porsche 911

Porsche is known for precise German engineering, wins at the racetrack and fast cars built for discerning automotive enthusiasts. And arguably, their most well-known car is the 911. The 911 is a two-door sports car that dates back to the early 1960s. It offers thrilling performance along with a practical four-seat layout (even if the rear seats are mostly meant for children or luggage) and it's often considered a standard bearer for the luxury sports-car class. But, it's expensive. The base 911 Carrera for example, starts at over $120,000 – with ultra-high-performance models like the Turbo S and GT3 RS starting well above $200,000.

So how do you access 911 levels of fun and performance without spending so much? Typically, other high-end sports cars are in the same price range so that's a tall order, but if you're willing to make some compromises, you could have a very enjoyable driving experience for significantly less money. Before we drill further down, though, let's clarify that most of these vehicles are not meant as direct replacements for the 911 experience. But if you adjust your expectations to match your budget, you can still have a good time behind the wheel — whether you go with something new, or used, to satisfy your desire for a 911 — even if the alternative car isn't quite as fast or refined.

If you want inexpensive motoring that's also engaging, it's hard to find a car better suited to the task than the Mazda Miata. Sure, it has a fraction of the 911's power, but it has a lot of overlap when it comes to appeal. The Miata has always been (and continues to be) an engaging sports car in cheap convertible clothes. It uses rear-wheel drive, it comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission, it has nimble handling characteristics and impressive value to draw buyers in, no matter what the budget.

The 2024 Miata comes in three trims: Sport, Club, and Grand Touring. The Sport starts at $28,985 (plus $1,185 destination fee) which is a bargain considering the Miata's performance, but even the Grand Touring model which starts at $34,285 undercuts the 911 by about $85,000. The luxury, prestige, and razor-sharp performance that you get with the Porsche are all absent in the Miata, but it does have a peppy 181-hp four-cylinder engine and an impressive driving experience for the price. What's more, despite its low price, it feels pretty premium on the inside. Top models come with added performance features like a limited-slip differential. Vehicles like the Miata that are significantly less expensive and less powerful than the 911 won't be able to keep up on any race track, but they can still put a big smile on your face.

The two-door, lightweight, rear-wheel drive configuration of the Miata is great, but the Miata isn't very spacious. If you're carrying a bit more luggage or you need to put a child seat in the back, the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ are excellent alternatives. The Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ share a platform (and most their parts), offering rear-wheel drive, a manual transmission as standard, and 2.4-liter four cylinder engine that makes 228 hp — not quite Porsche 911 levels, but enough to be entertaining, especially when you consider their relatively low curb weight. The GR86 weighs just over 2,800 pounds depending on which trim level you go with – which is light by today's sports car standards.

Like the Miata, the GR86 and BRZ have engaging driving dynamics. And, like the Miata, they both have reasonable prices. The newest 2025 Subaru BRZ starts at $32,265 (including destination) while topped-up sporty tS models are priced at $37,415. The tS comes with uniquely tuned suspension, high-performance Brembo brakes, and special exterior touches to set it all off. Meanwhile, the Toyota GR86 starts at a similarly-low $31,085 (including destination), and moves up to $37,505 on the limited edition Trueno model which also offers Brembo brakes, sport tuned suspension, and special exterior treatments. They're nowhere near as powerful as a 911, but the GR86 and BRZ are certainly geared towards enthusiasts and the price tags are much more appealing.

The Corvette has offered affordable performance for decades and with the eighth-generation Corvette switching to a mid-engine layout, it's a closer match for 911 performance than ever before. We're stretching the definition of the word "cheap" to its breaking point here, but when it comes to as-new sports cars, the Corvette provides a lot of performance for the money.

Base 2025 Corvette models come equipped with Chevy's 6.2-liter 495-horsepower V8 start at around $70,000, with upper trims inching closer to a $90,000 starting price. According to Car and Driver, the C8 with its standard 6.2-liter V8 will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in just 3.0 seconds. The base 911 has 388 hp and does the same sprint to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. Sure, the 911 has an extra pair of seats (the Corvette only seats two) and it's significantly more luxurious, but the 911 starts at over $120,000. That's enough cash to get you into the significantly-quicker Corvette Z06 which puts out 670 hp and can dash from a dead stop to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds. Prices and zero-to-60 performance numbers aren't out for Chevy's new 1,064-horsepower ZR1, but if other Corvettes are any indication, it'll be significantly cheaper than even the priciest 911 Turbo S. The Porsche 911, across the range, is more refined and luxurious than the Corvette, but the Chevy provides a massive dose of driving fun for a discounted price.

If you refuse to settle for anything less than a Porsche, then maybe you'll settle for a Porsche that slides in below the 911. The Porsche 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman offer the prestige of the Stuttgart badge, with similarly impressive driving dynamics, but they cost less than a comparable 911. In case you're unfamiliar with the parlance, the Porsche Cayman is a hardtop and the Boxster — two different versions of the 718. Both the Boxster and the Cayman start at under $80,000 for base versions, with excellent driving dynamics and much of the same cache you get when stepping into a 911.

Performance with a Boxster or Cayman doesn't match that of the 911 (or less-expensive 911 competitors like the Corvette) but the Boxster/Cayman twins certainly aren't slow. Porsche estimates that both the Cayman and Boxster can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds. For drivers who think the Porsche 911 has gotten too big and heavy over the years, the Cayman and Boxster also present the opportunity to drive a smaller and more nimbler Porsche with the added benefit of saving a bit of cash. Then, there are the more expensive versions of the entry-level Cayman and Boxster, like the excellent GTS 4.0, that also undercut the top performing versions of the 911 significantly. They aren't cheap, but the Boxster and Cayman will keep most drivers thoroughly entertained.

Much like the Corvette and the Boxster/Cayman, the Lotus Emira offers a high performance level and driving engagement, as well as marginal price savings compared to the 911. It's necessarily cheap, but cheap-er. A supercharged 3.5-liter V6 that's carried over from the now-defunct Exige and Evora models is available, priced slightly below the base 911 — checking in at around $100,000 before options are added. It represents a small savings compared to the 911 as does the base-level four-cylinder engine.

The turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that powers the base version of the Emira produces 360 horsepower, which is an all-time high for four-cylinder-powered Lotus vehicles. Pricing is a bit lower for the four-cylinder, starting just below $100k. It's also not far from the V6's power rating of 400 horses. Going from zero to 60 mph with the supercharged V6 Emira will take about 4.2 seconds, but the four-cylinder engine can get there in just 4.3 seconds, so you don't sacrifice much performance. Regardless of which engine you go with, the Emira looks and feels special. Along with its praiseworthy driving characteristics, the Emira looks pretty special too, offering supercar styling and immediate curb appeal – it'll certainly stand out if you ever find yourself in a crowded parking lot full of 911s.

For this recommendation specifically, you'll want to go with something used. Current Jaguar F-Types are similarly priced to the 911, at least on a few trims, but a used F-Type can save you a bundle while still providing epic performance. The F-Type was launched in the U.S. in 2013 (it first went on sale as a 2014 model) and it was an immediate hit. It was excellent to drive, had an amazing exhaust note, and it came standard with A number of powerful engines were available, including a supercharged V6, and a supercharged V8. The V6 put out between 340 and 380 hp depending on the trim level, but the V8 made a monstrous 495 horses.

Whether you go with the V6 or the V8, you still get the F-Type's sleek exterior styling and a European sports-car experience that rivals that of the 911. Early used models (built between 2014 and 2018) have sold recently on the auction site Cars and Bids in the $25,000 to $40,000 range, with several low-mileage examples selling for less than $35,000. Rare versions of the F-Type, like the high-performance F-Type R and SVR, move up closer to the $60,000 – $70,000 range, which still feels relatively inexpensive next to a standard 911 — especially when you consider the speed and sound they provide.