Want to have the most driving fun? Buy a manual sports car while you can

When I was growing up, the cars that made my heart race weren’t necessarily the iconic poster cars. Plenty of young petrolheads were drawn to bright red Ferraris and shrieking Lamborghinis, but my passion was for more humble sports cars. They weren’t about lap times or top speed, but shape, noise, balance and feel instead. They made the thought of driving exciting long before I ever held a licence.

Yet along the way, involvement has been replaced by efficiency. Today, gearsticks and clutch pedals have given way to paddles and programming. I can admire these cars, but it’s harder to lust after them.

If, like me, you first fell in love with driving because of the sensations – the weight of a manual gear change, the timing of a downshift and the way a car’s chassis moves beneath you – then current new-car showrooms offer little comfort. Luckily, however, the second-hand market still does.

But of course, used sports cars are older, they often have fewer safety systems, and many have led more exciting lives than their adverts admit. They need proper tyres, proper servicing and a patient attitude. But if you’re chasing enjoyment rather than numbers, these are a small price to pay. 

And you don’t need supercar money to get something genuinely special. The sweet spot between £30,000 and £40,000 is where some of the last truly great manual sports cars can be found. These feel more involving and more soulful than many brand-new alternatives. Think Lotus Elise, Porsche Cayman or Boxster, and the manual version of Jaguar’s F-Type, if you can find one. 

True, none of these cars are perfect, but that is exactly their appeal. They come with compromises in everyday life because they were never designed to take your children to school or carry a weekly supermarket shop. They exist for one purpose, which is to put a smile on your face. They are raw, involving and occasionally awkward, yet they are fun. Modern cars isolate the driver and do everything for you. With these older sports cars, you’re part of the experience.

But they’re disappearing fast. Porsche has stopped taking orders for the current-generation Cayman and Boxster, which leaves only a handful of brand-new options available with a manual gearbox, such as the Mazda MX-5 and Lotus Emira. If you have always wanted a proper sports car with three pedals and a heartbeat, now is the time. Find a good used one, look after it, and take every excuse to drive it. Once the manual gearbox fades away, a large part of what made driving magic goes with it. 

Buy a car with Auto Express. Our nationwide dealer network has some fantastic cars on offer right now with new, used and leasing deals to choose from...