Here are 20 of the best performance cars available in the US right now

It’s amazing that after so many consecutive years of production, the perennial pony car still manages to surprise us. Yes, it sticks to what works by continuing to offer itself as a V8-powered front-engined, rear-drive 2+2 coupe with a manual, but it’s evolved in interesting ways, too. At the top end is the Dark Horse, the meanest, tire-chewing iteration available, while the low end presents a more accessible 315hp 2.3-liter turbo-four. Half the engine, but still fun. Not enough horsepower for ya? Well you can (try to) nab a Mustang GTD, an 815hp special edition built to straighten out the Nordschleife in less time than it takes you to heat up last night’s Spätzle.

The Corvette has long been an icon of American performance, and that rings truer than ever with the current generation. Some lament the move from a front to mid-engine layout, but the rest are having too much fun zipping around corners to let it bother them. The driving characteristics may have changed but it remains a nimble, powerful driving machine that provides some serious bang for your buck. Starter prices deliver a base car that can keep up with exotics three times its price, and Z06 and ZL1 versions are here to up the ante. We’re particularly fond of the latter, as you might’ve noticed.

Might as well get this out of the way now: the MX-5 is a fantastic sports car, period. Is the MX-5 everyone’s cup of tea? No, and you can tell by how much stank detractors put on the word “Miata” when they spit it out, but the fact remains that the car’s simple, classic layout, agility and affordability make it a superb sports car for anyone looking for laughs. If you’re racing at a competitive level or just learning the ropes of dynamic driving, the easy answer remains Miata.

It's arguable that the GR 86 is the platonic ideal of a sports coupe: light, rear drive, a manual gearbox and a modest amount of power that doesn’t overshadow its agility. That and the affordability aspect make it similar to the Mazda Miata in the wide spectrum of drivers it can satisfy. The GR 86 is a great “starter car” for enthusiasts to learn their craft without an intimidating amount of power or sticker shock if it gets into a few bumps. Pros too will get a kick out of mastering it, squeezing out all the performance it offers without too much digital hand-holding. Perhaps what’s most important above all other aspects is that the GR 86 is just plain fun to drive.

At this point, the phenomenon that is Ferrari has grown to such a massive scale that the thing it’s always been - an automaker - almost gets lost in the proverbial sauce. Sure, inbetween questionable F1 decisions and pumping out super cars for superstars, Ferrari continues to make cars razor-focused on mastering performance. The current torch-bearer is the 296 Speciale, the version of the 296 GTB tuned-up for even more track action. Maybe the idea of a turbocharged V6 hybrid doesn’t get you warmed up, but its 868hp output is nothing to sneeze at. More to the point, the 296 Speciale is a reminder that Ferraris are meant to be the sharpest thing on the track, and this stellar mid-engined showstopper is a wake-up call for all of us who’ve recently taken the Scuderia for granted.

Bimmer’s smallest performance coupe has more than its fair share of burdens. For one, the M2 will forever live in the shadow of the phenomenal 1M, and we liked the older M2 more than the current M2 for a number of reasons. There’s also the fact that M-powered BMWs will be electrified from here on out, making this the end of an era, in a sense. Heavy stuff, but hey, it’s still got it where it counts, mainly in crisp handling and performance. What’s more, it’s easier to live with thanks to its roomier and quieter cabin.

Subaru had often repeated the disappointing refrain that this generation WRX would lack an STI version, but it seems enthusiasts have badgered it into finally making one, though in a severely limited capacity. That’s fine, the rest of the standard versions have what you need. While all models share the 2.4-liter boxer engine and its 271hp output, the WRX tS cherry-picks all the sportier components available across the catalogue and assembles them in a race-ready package. This one throws in the adjustable suspension in with the manual gearbox, new drive modes and a digital gauge cluster. Badging? Yes. Cladding? So much. In short, this is the fun one.

We miss the R8, but let’s be real, we were lucky to have it for as long as we did. While Audi’s figuring out what comes next and, indeed, its whole brand, we can take solace in the e-tron GT, which happens to be the quickest and most powerful Audi legally drivable by us mere mortals. How quick? 0 to 60 in 2.4 seconds quick. How powerful? 912 electric horses. Throw in active suspension, rear-wheel steering and around 300 miles of range, and you’ve got yourself something that’s ready to drive, ahem, rings around the competition.

The heyday of hot hatches may have come and gone, but like many things from the 90s, they’re making a comeback. Fighting the good fight is the GR Corolla, the all-wheel drive sports machine from Toyota that’s so much fun, they named one after the ex-boss’s gamer tag. Now available in automatic, the 300hp plaything is equipped to please just about everyone. The new gearbox isn’t an afterthought, by the way, it’s built for abuse. All of that, and you’ve got the inherent utility of a five-door.

Would it be fair to say at this point that the 911 is the ultimate driver’s car? It’s been around in some form for ages, iterating on itself over and over to further refine it into something better than before. Sure, it isn’t as flashy or sexy as the new offerings from its rivals, and most 911 fans are the type to say “portfolio” in a casual conversation far too often, but none of that matters in the end. First and foremost, its duty is peak performance. Porsche enthusiasts today are spoiled for choice when it comes to finding the 911 that suits them, be it the more “casual” entry level Carrera or the more stern-faced GT3 or any of the offerings in between. Entry to this club doesn’t come cheap, mind you, it’s $120,100 just to walk in the door. Hope you have a substantial portfolio. Ah, now we’re doing it, too.

Let’s try this one more time. Dodge’s new Charger hit the streets in the guise of an all-electric muscle car, the Charger Daytona. Despite all the stuff it did well, its reception was tepid at best. No worries, the Charger Sixpack is here to make things right, at least in the eyes of the Dodge devout. Now saddled with a 550hp twin-turbo inline-six, the Charger is a proper rear-drive muscle car when it wants to be, and an all-wheel drive family car when it needs to be. Big and heavy? Yes of course, but it knows how to carry itself. A hefty helping of attitude certainly doesn’t hurt. Heck, we liked it so much, we gave it an award.

Honda’s Type R has an almost mythic aura around it, mostly due to its unavailability here in the States until quite recently, and making quite an impact when it finally landed on our shores. The latest version tones down the aggressively angular styling of the previous generation, but loses nothing in terms of performance. The front-wheel drive hot hatch is wonderfully composed and balanced, proving the case of just why it was so coveted. Get behind the wheel, and you’ll also have the privilege of using one of the finest manuals in use today.

We’re starting to see the fruits of Aston Martin’s years-long course correction, most notably with the all new Vanquish. A 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 gives the elegant grand tourer upwards of 824hp and tops out beyond 200mph. It turns out it can corner, too, thanks to a very complimentary suspension setup and a disc drive’s worth of electronic assists. Only a thousand of these luxury rockets will be made per year, so if you have half a mil - the starting price - we’d say get your orders in soon.

Lotus has always had a tenuous grasp on the sports car market here in the US. Even before regulations boxed out the Exige and Elise from road legality, they weren’t mainstream blockbusters, they were indie hits. Today that hold is precariously maintained by the (BEV) Emeya and Eletre sedan and SUV, as well as the Emira, successor to the Evora and final (for now) gas-powered Lotus. This one’s as close to old-school Lotus as we’re going to get, fitted by engines borrowed from Mercedes and Toyota, offering up to 400hp in a sporty package. Agility is the name of the game and true to form, the Emira darts around corners like an agitated wasp. If you can find one, get one.

The all-electric stablemate of the traditional Mustang did a surprising thing in 2024: it outsold its combustion-powered sibling. How? Aside from the divisive branding, it’s a versatile EV crossover with some sporty chops. In particular, the Mach E Rally stands out as the most playful iteration. Building on the GT spec - 489hp, 700 lbs of torque - it adds integrated fog lights, raises the suspension an inch, and a few go-fast body bits. This variant feels a little more forgiving on chopped-up roads than the GT, and it also has a rally driving mode for some slip-slidey fun, within limits.

The V10 is gone, but fret not, a new era for the ‘baby’ Lambo is upon us, and it’s brought 900 horses with it. The Temerario is fitted with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 and a collection of electric motors to smooth things out like its powerlifting older sibling, the Revuelto. Sharp on the track yet easy to handle on the road, the Temerario is shaping up to be another solid all-rounder that made the Huracan and Gallardo huge hits in their respective heyday. What’s more, we have all the inevitable special editions to look forward to.

Just because the 911 is peak performance doesn’t mean it’s the only Porsche worth considering as a pure sport offering. The Boxster roadster and Cayman hard tops are more accessible in terms of power and price. Available with either a 4 or 6 cylinder engine mounted in the middle, the 718s are incredibly rewarding when it comes to track agility or just good times around town. If the desire for a more “hardcore” car remains, the Cayman GT4 RS and Spyder RS should scratch that particular itch.

We’re stretching the definition of “availability” with this one, but it is technically true, and if there’s going to be a $2.5 million EV on this list, let it be this one. 1,877hp is on tap, with the Nevera R somehow producing 2,107hp. We dare you to drive both and come back noticing a difference. Not that this challenge should take long, as the Rimac can do quarter-mile runs in eight seconds. That’s 1.85 seconds off the line. You can use all of the time saved zipping back and forth to figure out how it can top out at 258mph. There’s “Nevera” better time to be a hypercar fan than now. Sorry, couldn’t resist.

A ‘road-legal Formula One car’ is often used to offhandedly describe a car that has more in common with open-wheeled racers than the average commuter vehicle. You’ll hear it in the same breath as the BAC Mono or Ariel Atom, but it would be more accurate to call the AMG One this since it’s quite literally, uh, that. Fitted with the power unit of a 2016 race car, the AMG One is a 1,049hp hybrid hypercar that - inexplicably - does not require a racing license to drive. Given it's super-exclusive and costs nearly $3 million just to look at one, it might help to have a few championships under your belt if you’re looking to score one. The Stig is currently smashing all his piggy banks. We can only assume it’s related.

The realm of the hypercar is a nuanced one. When we’re in the territory of super-exclusive, 1,000+hp cars costing millions of bucks, what separates one from the other? It depends on who you ask, but Christian von Koenigsegg’s efforts seem to blend artistry and engineering together to make something remarkably unique. The Jesko, for example, whips up between 1,263 to 1,578hp depending on fuel, sent to the wheels by way of a seven-clutch, nine-speed gearbox. Why? So it can operate at speeds beyond the ‘average’ supercar. We’re not talkin’ 0 to 60, we’re talkin’ 0 to 250mph. 19.20 seconds, by the way.