The Crittenden Automotive Library

How to Easily Find a Sports Car for Sale in the UK

How to Easily Find a Sports Car for Sale in the UK

Matt Hubbard
Speedmonkey
October 25, 2013

This is the ideal time to buy a sports car. Summer has ended and autumn is underway, with winter just around the corner.

Prices will start to fall and second hand sports car which flew off dealer’s forecourts over the past few months will now linger, until you and me, the savvy car buyers come along and snap up a used car bargain.

Let’s have a look at what’s out there. The website localmachine.co.uk has tens of thousands of cheap cars for sale, from new cars at dealers all the way to private sellers. I’ll use it to browse the market for some ideas.

The BMW 3-series coupe is an ideal place to start. Available with a wide range of engines, from the frugal 320d through to the ultimate BMW sports car, the M3. If you really want a hardcore go for the CSL with it’s carbon fibre roof, extra power and 0-60mph in under 5 seconds. 3-series coupes have been around since the E36 in 1991 and are priced from just a few thousand pounds to £50,000.

The Audi A5 is a sports coupe in a similar vein to the BMW 3-series coupe, although it’s not been around as long, having been launched in 2008. It comes with a massive engine range, from the 1.8T FSI, via the 2.0 TDI all the way through to the 444bhp, 4.2 litre V8 found in the RS5. The A5 comes as a coupe or cabriolet and prices range from £10,000 for a 2008 all the way to nearly £70,000 for a new example.

Let’s go upmarket and into Porsche territory. The 911 is an iconic machine that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. 911s have perhaps never been more appreciated than now and as such prices are holding up. Newer 991s and 997s are usually well cared for examples where prices only start to dip below market levels with above average mileage examples. 911s are pretty practical cars so are often used as daily drivers, so can rack up hefty mileages.

Step back to the 996 for the real bargains. The 996 was the first of the water-cooled 911s, and as such it’s not held in such reverence as other 911s. For £20,000 you can buy a 996 Carrera S in superb condition with low miles and full Porsche service history.

£20,000 is also the entry point for a decent condition 993. It is held in high esteem by enthusiasts as the last of the air-cooled 911s. It’s a simpler model but obviously older so care should be taken when looking at service history and condition.

One of the most talked about sports cars over the past year has been the Toyota GT86. It cost £25,000 new and is built like a tank, yet 12 month old examples can be found for £18,000. That is a bargain, and it’s still under warranty.

The Mazda MX5 has been around since 1989 and is still in production, although it has been revised once and facelifted twice. Prices range from just a few hundred pounds through to £23,000 for a brand new, ex-demonstrator example.

This is just a small sample of the availability of sports cars for sale right now, but the time is right. Buy one in the spring or summer and prices are at their highest. Buy one now and you could grab a bargain.

Article by Matt Hubbard
In association with www.localmachine.co.uk