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

Mazda’s perennial roadster has to make its customary appearance on this list, simply because it’s always going to set the benchmark. 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 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.

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. There’s even an electric version, too, and something called a 'ZR1'...

Pony up the cash and you can still pick up America’s longest running muscle car. V8-powered rear-drive fastback coupes with a manual gearbox are ever so rare these days, making Ford’s workhorse a holdout of a dying breed. Fortunate then that it doesn’t suck. The classic GT is saddled with Ford’s dutiful 5.0-liter powerplant churning out 480hp directly to the rear wheels. Though clinging to a traditional configuration, the Mustang hasn’t eschewed modernity, packed with loads of contemporary tech, but critically has ditched the live rear axle. 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, though that 10-speed auto box is a true burr under the saddle.

Perhaps the buzz has died down since the Supra’s glorious return a few years ago, but the sports coupe still stands as a performance car that means business. Powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter engine, the Supra has 382hp to play with and certainly knows how to use it. An eight-speed automatic gearbox is available but a six-speed manual is also on the table for those who prefer to row their own gears. Neither options are going to disappoint when it comes to wheeling around a backroad bend or at the track. The Supra is planted enough to confidently corner but can still rotate its rear without too much pushback.

Modern supercars are in a peculiar crossroads in terms of blending electrification into their very exacting formulas. Some conveniently have the world’s oldest and most prestigious racing team on hand to help figure things out. Ferrari’s SF90 is one such beneficiary of the Scuderia’s Formula 1 performance testing. The turbocharged 4.0-liter is joined by three electric motors to give the car an even 1,000hp to play with, along with all the chassis and aero development to put that all to good use. If you slept on the Stradale coupe, the Spider remains the only standard version of the SF90 for sale. If you want a roof, you’ll need to upgrade to the winged-out SF90 XX version.

You don’t have to be pretty to get the job done… or so we’re told, we’ve never had to find out. Still, we suppose BMW’s M4 proves this to be true, given that its capabilities are in contrast to its looks. The base M4 retains its rear-drive-manual combo, though it feels more like a courtesy at this point. Bimmer’s focus is on higher-powered M4 offerings saddled with its eight-speed automatic, peaking with the M4 CS. This version squeezes 543hp out of its twin-turbo inline-six and sends it to all four wheels.

The GR 86 is arguably the platonic ideal of a sports coupe: light, rear drive, 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.

Would it be fair to say 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.

If American muscle is to go full electric, it might as well start with the car called “Charger”. Offering up between 630 to 670hp, the former champion of the Hemi V8 does its best to hold on to the things that make it muscle car, like a 3.3-second 0 to 60 sprint, a wide battleship-like body and a raucous soundtrack. The latter, incidentally, is more EDM than metal, which is something we’ll have to get used to. Has the transition away from combustion been a success? Feelings are mixed at best. From our first ride, we get the sense that it’s emulating more than iterating. You’ve gotta start somewhere, right?

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 sweetest manuals in use today.

The AMG GT is the Merc that brings the “sport” part of “luxury sports car” to the forefront, more so than any other vehicle in its prodigious lineup. Naturally, there are more versions to choose from than Mercedes has F1 championships, which is to say… more than eight. Two-doors, four doors, and between 367hp to 816hp, there’s an AMG GT for everyone. Everyone with many, many dollars to spend, anyway.

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 adjustable suspension 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’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 electric 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 tight, 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, 700lbs 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.

Lambo is embracing electrification by putting a couple AA batteries onto a missile. We’re exaggerating of course, but the marriage of V12 and a handful of electric motors isn’t exactly to turn the Aventador's successor into a climate-change champion. The extra oomph is like a hefty dollop of cream onto an exceedingly decadent dessert. With 1,001hp total, the Revuelto is the most powerful Lamborghini ever made. The spooky thing is, it can sneak up on you. Just a press of a button, and the naturally aspirated V12 can go from full-throat shouting to mute, running on all-electric power, if only for a few miles. You don’t need to charge it, either, you just have to make sure you drive it every week. That’s our kind of battery maintenance.

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.

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, though neither are anything to dismiss. Available with either a four or six 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.

In just a few short years we’ve watched McLaren grow from a somewhat niche brand banking on its motorsport cred and riding on the coattails of a one-off car that happened to be the holy grail of super cars. Now, the Woking-based manufacturer is flush with models across the board, from the entry-level GT to the W1, a successor to the melt-your-face P1. In the middle is the 750S, a follow-up to the phenomenal 720S, which is a very tough act to follow. Essentially, it is a better version of the outgoing car that’s lighter, more powerful and easier to live with. Taking the best and making it better? We won’t turn our nose up at that.

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 and yeah, we'll see ourselves out.