Automotive history books are filled with great American sports cars – far too many for us to feature them all here. Instead, we’ve mixed affordable sports cars regular people can buy with some models that are pure unobtainium. Some models are from the past, and some are currently in production.
When creating this list, it became obvious that the American sports car industry is a lot more diverse than most gearheads give it credit for. There’s more to the American auto industry than the Big Three from Detroit, including boutique supercars that can rival Ferraris.
We have not included any muscle cars or pony cars, nor any sports sedans. This list is strictly for traditional sports cars and supercars.
Check out these 24 American sports cars we would love to own.
Chevrolet Corvette C8 Z06
Chevrolet introduced the C8 Corvette in 2020, and it’s a proper supercar you can buy for sports car money. The Corvette Z06 arrived in 2023, offering more power than you’ll realistically ever need for everyday use.
The C8′ Vette Z06 has a brand-new 5.5-liter V8 that happens to be the most powerful naturally aspirated production V8 engine ever. A whopping 670 horsepower is sure to put a smile on any driver’s face, and thanks to the flat-plane crank, the soundtrack is more like a Ferrari than American muscle.
Dodge Viper ACR
The Dodge Viper may not be in production anymore, but it will forever be remembered as one of the most iconic American sports cars ever. Over the years, its engine size grew from 8.0 liters to 8.3 and 8.4 liters – all in V10 form – and Lamborghini helped develop that engine.
The Viper ACR was a road-legal track version, and it was an absolute beast. It featured upgraded suspension, chassis, and engine. Dodge also fitted stickier tires and a massive wing on the back for maximum grip.
Shelby Cobra
We can’t make a list of desirable American sports cars without one of the most hairy-chested sports cars ever – the Shelby Cobra. Some will argue that it is, in fact, a British car since UK-based AC Cars originally built the Cobra. However, once Shelby did his thing, the legendary Cobra sports car was as American as apple pie.
The Shelby Cobra has curves in all the right places, and its massive Ford V8 engine makes its presence known long before bystanders can even see it. Getting our hands on an original car will cost a fortune, but there’s no shortage of cheaper replicas out there.
Rossion Q1
If you’ve never heard of the Rossion Q1, don’t worry, you’re not alone. This is another American sports car that can be traced back to Britain. British automaker Noble introduced the M400, but despite being praised by the automotive press, it never really took off.
Noble eventually sold the rights to the M400 to Rossion, who decided to combine the M400’s driving dynamics with more luxury. The Q1 was born and it’s better than the Noble M400 ever was. Powered by a mid-mounted, twin-turbocharged Ford V6, it sends 508 horses and 521 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels, resulting in a 0 to 60 mph time of 2.8 seconds.
Chevrolet Corvette C7 ZR1
The C7 Corvette was the last of the traditional front-engined models, and the ZR1 is the meanest of them all. The C7 ZR1 makes over 100 hp more than its predecessor, the C6 ZR1.
The reason for the C7 ZR1’s hike in power is the 6.2-liter V8 engine fitted with an Eaton supercharger. This combination sends 755 hp to the rear wheels and makes a majestic roar in the process. To help keep it on the road, the ZR1 received some substantial aero upgrades.
Cadillac XLR
Cadillac’s attempt to build a sports car didn’t end well. Not many people bought it, so production didn’t last long. Since it was based on the Corvette platform but was more expensive, heavier, and less powerful than the ‘Vette, it wasn’t a wise purchase when it was new.
However, these days, it’s a bargain. The base model uses the 4.6-liter Northstar V8 with 320 horses and 310 lb-ft of torque. There’s also the XLR-V with a supercharger. Don’t think of it as a slow Corvette; this is a Cadillac sports car and part of automotive history.
Czinger 21C
Czinger is another American sports car manufacturer most people haven’t heard of. The company was only established in 2019, so it is still young. However, they didn’t waste any time and immediately started working on the 21C supercar.
Czinger designed the 21C using AI, and advanced 3D printing technology is part of the production method. That’s not the only hi-tech aspect of the 21C, though – it uses a hybrid powertrain that generates a genuinely astonishing 1,350 horsepower.
SSC Ultimate Aero TT
SSC North America was founded in the late 1990s by Jerod Shelby – there’s no relation to the legend Carroll Shelby. Like the more famous Shelby, Jerod wanted to build a sports car that would beat the Europeans at their own game.
SSC’s first car was the Ultimate Aero, and its mission was to set a new speed record for production cars. It failed. SSC slapped a couple of turbochargers on it, and the Ultimate Aero TT was born – a car so fast, it beat the Bugatti Veyron’s record when it achieved a 256 mph top speed.
Pontiac Solstice
The Pontiac Solstice has been on the receiving end of some mean comments over the years, and a lot of that is deserved. However, it did get some crucial things right, so we’d like to own one.
It’s possible to pick up a Pontiac Solstice for reasonable money these days, so you can feel the wind in your hair without going bankrupt. While it’s no match for the Miata in the handling department, the base model Solstice has a reasonably potent 177-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine. There’s also the GXP with its much more powerful turbocharged 2.0-liter engine.
Saturn Sky Redline
The Saturn Sky is practically the same car as the Pontiac Solstice we mentioned above. It was a little monster in Redline trim, with its 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that produced 260 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque.
That kind of power, combined with its low price on the used market, means it’s finally worth buying a Saturn Sky Redline.
Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6
Chrysler gave the Crossfire one of the coolest names in the entire automotive world. Unfortunately, they messed up a bit when it came to the rest. However, some aspects still make the Crossfire SRT-6 a desirable sports car.
The Crossfire is built on the Mercedes-Benz SLK platform, and its 3.2-liter V6 engine is a tried and tested Mercedes unit that offers decent performance. One of the complaints when the Crossfire was new was that it used an old platform, but that’s not an issue now. The only problem is its design, which people either love or hate.
Bocar XP-5
Bocar built several sports cars while they were in business from 1957 to 1961, and the XP-5 was their most popular model. The Bocar CP-5 used a space-frame chassis, and the body was made from glass-reinforced polyester.
It looks like European cars of that era, but an American 290-horsepower Corvette engine was used to power it. However, some European parts were in the mix, such as the VW rear suspension and Jaguar wire wheels. Bocar’s workshop was destroyed in a fire in 1962, and the company went out of business. It’s believed that there are still 18 XP-5s in existence today.
Ford GT
The first-generation Ford GT was styled to resemble the original GT40. It was powered by a supercharged V8 and had an unhinged thirst for premium gas.
Its successor used a turbocharged V6 instead of a V8 but still produced 100 more horsepower than its V8-powered predecessor. Ford raced the GT at Le Mans in 2016 and won the LM GTE-Pro class 50 years after the GT40 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.
Saleen S7 Twin Turbo
The Saleen S7 Twin Turbo adorned many a teenager’s room in poster form back in the 2000s. Saleen initially rose to fame by making performance parts for Fords, and the Saleen S7 was their first attempt at building a car from scratch.
The S7 was right up there with Europe’s finest supercars. It looked stunning, drove great, and there was plenty of power. The S7 Twin Turbo had a top speed of 248 mph, making it one of the fastest cars of the 2000s.
SSC Tuatara
After the SSC Ultimate Aero TT was crowned the world’s fastest production car, Bugatti didn’t waste any time and soon regained the title. SSC knew they couldn’t squeeze more speed and power from the Ultimate Aero TT, so they came up with its successor, the SSC Tuatara.
SSC unveiled the Tuatara in 2020 with a 5.9-liter SSC Twin-Turbo flat-plane crank V8 engine. Power output is nothing short of ridiculous, with 1,350 horsepower on 91 octane, 1,750 horsepower with E85 flex fuel, and 2,200 horsepower on methanol. The Tuatara eventually managed to set a top speed of 295 mph.
Hennessey Venom F5
Hennessey is best known for its highly-tuned sports cars, muscle cars, and trucks that can produce over 1,000 horsepower while remaining reliable. The Texas-based tuner also built the Venom GT, which was essentially a stretched Lotus Exige with tons of power.
More recently, Hennessey built the Venom F5, and it’s nothing like its predecessor. The Venom F5 is built from scratch by Hennessey, and it has a 1,817-horsepower twin-turbo V8 engine.
Sector 111 Drakan Spyder
The Sector 111 Drakan Spyder is like an American take on the British track day specials, such as the Caterham 7, Ariel Atom, and BAC Mono. It’s road-legal but more at home on the racetrack.
The Drakan Spyder weighs just 2,000 lbs and has an LS3 V8 with 400 horsepower, which gives it practically the same power-to-weight ratio as the immensely powerful Bugatti Veyron.
Mosler Consulier GTP
The Mosler Consulier GTP certainly isn’t the best-looking American sports car, but it did put the competition to shame when it was time to set fast lap times.
The Consulier GTP didn’t even need a massive V8 to win. Weighing just over 2,000 lbs, it made do with a Chrysler-sourced turbocharged 2.2-liter 4-cylinder engine. IMSA eventually banned the Consulier GTP from racing because it was too dominant.
Panoz Esperante GTR-1
Panoz is a small sports carmaker based in Georgia, and its Esperante GTR-1 was built to race. It’s less pretty than an Italian or British supercar, but it’s undoubtedly as fast. Panoz only built two road-legal GTR-1s to meet homologation requirements.
Thanks to its 6.0-liter Ford V8 tuned by Roush Racing, the Esperante GTR-1 produced 600 horsepower. It saw some racing success in the late 90s and early 2000s before it was retired in 2004.
Lucra LC470
The Lucra LC470 is the brainchild of American entrepreneur Luke Richards. The car combines Euro-inspired retro styling with blue-collar American performance in the form of a V8 engine.
The Lucra LC470 is hand-built, and no matter which engine buyers opt for, the car will pack a severe punch. There’s a 6.3-liter LS3 with 430 horsepower – which should be enough for most – or a 7.0-liter LS7 V8 with 505 wild stallions. Luckily, its driving dynamics match the power.
Panoz Avezzano
The Esperante GTR-1 isn’t the only sports car Panoz has built. The Panoz Avezzano is a road-going model, and it looks like a typical sports car, unlike its racing-focused older sibling.
While the Avezzano may not have the aggressive in-your-face styling, it still packs a serious punch. Panoz gave it a lightweight aluminum and carbon-fiber body, along with a 430 horsepower 6.2-liter V8 engine.
Factory Five 818
Factory Five took a page from Caterham’s book with the 818, creating a sports car you can assemble at home. Its name, 818, comes from its weight in kilograms, which is 1,800 lbs.
It uses a mid-mounted Subaru boxer engine, so there’s certainly a lot of tuning potential. Unfortunately, it seems Factory Five is no longer producing the 818 kit, which is a shame because it was a bargain at roughly $10,000. However, they do have a waiting list for those who are interested.
Equus Throwback
Michigan-based Equus Automotive is perhaps best known for its retro-styled Bass muscle car, a model that seemed to combine the best parts of various classic muscle cars. The Equus Throwback may remind you of the Chevy Corvette, and there’s a reason for that.
Equus based the Throwback’s design on the ‘Vette, but it has more power than any Corvette we’ve ever seen. A massive V8 produces a whopping 1,000 horsepower and 822 lb-ft of torque.
Saleen S1
While we haven’t heard or seen much from Saleen since the S7 was retired roughly a decade ago, they are still around. In 2017, Saleen returned and proudly presented the S1.
The S1 looks nowhere near as wild as the S7, and that’s because it’s a much more sensible sports car. It has a 4-cylinder, 2.5-liter turbocharged engine that produces 450 horsepower. All of which are sent to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox.
