Top 10 Lightest Modern Sports Cars

The Lightest Sports Cars of 2025: A Celebration of Driving Purity

In a world where some compact cars flirt with 4,000 lbs, it's good to know there are still some featherweight options out there for drivers who still value the driving experience. It's not as easy as it used to be to keep the pounds off, as today the added safety, technology, and performance enhancements have seen cars gain weight in literally every area. However, there are some sports cars out there that have stuck to their diets, and today they're some of the most rewarding vehicles you can buy.

To create the ultimate lightweight list, we've scoured the web to find the 10 lightest sports cars on sale in 2025. The caveats were that we wanted only sports cars (no super or hypercars), all the vehicles had to have four wheels, they had to be street legal, and all of them had to still be in production at the time of writing. The following list includes cars from all around the world, so unfortunately, you won't be able to purchase all of them in the US, but at least you can take solace in the fact that there are still a light few out there fighting the good fight.

The following lightweight sports cars have been ordered from heaviest to lightest.

Porsche 718 Cayman (Manual)

• Weight: 3,040 lbs (curb)
• 

We'll be the first to admit the Cayman made it on this list by the skin of its teeth. If you weren't aware, the 718 has been discontinued, with production ending this month. However, we still haven't received the final word that production has ultimately ended yet, which hopefully still means a few more of these great cars are rolling off the assembly line and on their way to dealers all around the world.

The 718 is one of the greatest driving cars on sale today, whether you opt for a base four-cylinder version or the blistering GT4 RS. Mid-engine, manual transmission, and power to the rear wheels will always be a fantastic combination, and there's good news for its survival. Like most companies, Porsche has recently pivoted its long-term strategy, and combustion is back in a big way. Whether this means the current 718 will survive a bit longer or the future 718 will include combustion is yet to be seen, but it's good news for enthusiasts.

Alpine A110 R 70

• Weight: 2,389 lbs (with fluids, requires Akrapovič exhaust)
• 

The Alpine A110 R 70 is a farewell to one of the coolest forbidden fruits in recent memory. We've already mentioned our love for mid-engined sports cars, so it's been difficult having to watch this one from afar. However, this is its last year, and the company is doing a victory lap with this special edition R that celebrates 70 years of Alpine sports car history.

This is the most powerful version of the A110 ever made, with 300 horsepower coming from less than two liters, and on top of that, you have a whole host of racing goodies that lower the weight and increase the on-track action. Hopefully, the company sees the light and decides not to kill combustion like others.

Mazda MX-5 Miata

• Weight: 2,366 lbs (curb)
• 

Of course, you can't have a list of the lightest sports cars on sale without including one of the all-time greats: the Mazda MX-5 Miata. This car is pure driving pleasure; no more, no less. It's a symbol of affordable fun that's been bringing smiles to its occupants' faces for decades, and it's constantly rewarded skill over brute force. There's nothing quite like driving a slow car fast.

However, the car isn't as slow as it used to be, as the 2.0-liter engine offers ample power all along the rev range, and it's a joy rowing it through its gears. While the ND generation has gotten up there in years, it's still a mighty fine companion even in 2025, and more than worth your attention if you're in the market.

Morgan Plus Four

• Weight: 2,234 lbs
• 

The Morgan Plus Four is one of those cars we've been lusting over for decades. It's not the embodiment of a classic British roadster; it is a classic British roadster, and its general silhouette hasn't changed since its inception in the 1930s. The good thing is that the performance has, and the newest Plus Four is more elegant, refined, and approachable than ever before.

It's also available in the US for the very first time, albeit in very low numbers. This is thanks to a legal loophole and the fact that it's sporting a BMW B48 engine under its bonnet that will push the featherweight roadster to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds. This kind of charm is worth the price.

Dallara Stradale

• Weight: 1,885 lbs (dry weight)
• 

Dallara is a legend in motorsport, but the company is more than just about racing pedigree. This is why the company decided to create the Stradale sports car: a lightweight track warrior with one of the most powerful EcoBoost engines ever made under the hood.

Its carbon fiber monocoque has been perfectly honed, and it sports a stripped-down interior to keep the focus on the road. Weighing a mere 1,885 lbs, it can easily be piloted up to its 172 mph top speed, and the adjustable suspension and sticky tires will ensure it stays planted on the asphalt.

Toyota Copen GR Sport

• Weight: 1,874 lbs (with fluids)
• 

You had to expect there would be a Kei car on this list, right? The only real sports car option available in this class in 2025 is the Toyota (Daihatsu) Copen GR Sport, and don't let the name fool you, because this car isn't getting you anywhere fast. However, it is tiny — it weighs a mere 1,874 lbs — and will send all of its 64 horsepower to the rear wheels through a slick 5-speed transmission.

Remember how we said it's fun driving a slow car fast? It's never been truer than here, as its low weight and tiny dimensions make it more nimble than anything else you'll likely ever drive. If you like what you hear, there's only about 15 years left until you can import one, and then only a few more decades until we can bring home the new one.

Ariel Nomad 2

• Weight: 1,576 lbs (curb)
• 

There has been a wonderful renaissance of off-road-focused performance cars popping up in recent years, but few, if any, are as extreme as the Ariel Nomad 2. It's chaos perfectly engineered, a lightweight tubular steel chassis lined with polyethylene body panels for improved aero, over a multi-link suspension with bespoke dampers and dual-rate Eibach springs.

Approach, departure, and breakover angles are all fantastic, and the turbocharged Honda engine has a specially designed air-filtration system that has been tested thoroughly to allow you to get down and dirty without having to worry about going too hard. If you want something that can slide, jump, and drift over almost any terrain, this is the vehicle for you.

Ariel Atom 4

• Weight: 1,312 lbs (curb)
• 

Coming in third place is the Ariel Atom 4, one of the most extreme sports cars on sale today. If the Nomad is meant for the trails, the Atom is meant 100% for the streets, and it isn't going to hold your hand. At your disposal is 320 horsepower courtesy of the same unit found in the Honda Civic Type R, and if you're really insane, the company will push it to 350 horsepower.

This may honestly be too much in a car that weighs a mere 1,312 lbs, but at least the pushrod suspension system is there to keep you planted. The car is a no-frills, all-thrills machine that connects you directly to the road with minimal protections, and it's all the better for it.

BAC Mono R

• Weight: 1,224 lbs (curb)
• 

However, if the Ariel Atom somehow isn't enough, you can always put your cold, hard cash down for the electrifying single-seater BAC Mono R. The company starts with a carbon-fiber and magnesium monocoque, then it fits it with more carbon fiber for the panels and the floor. This is a big reason it weighs a mere 1,224 lbs, with most of the weight coming from the insane, 343-horsepower Mountune engine.

To handle that power, the car utilizes carbon ceramic brakes and a cutting-edge suspension with Ohlins dampers that have been specially tuned to cancel pitch and dive. This car can reach 170 mph if you're brave enough, but you won't catch us trying that anytime soon.

Caterham Seven 170

• Weight: 970 lbs (measurement type unknown)
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And finally, the lightest production car one can buy new today (if you're in the right market) is the Caterham Seven 170. This car, the direct descendant of Colin Chaplin's iconic Seven, is the purest driving experience on sale today because it only weighs a mere 970 lbs. We don't care what the exact weight measurement is; it is unbelievably light, helping its 84-horsepower motorcycle engine feel like a V8.

The steering is unassisted, the throttle is cable-driven, and the chassis is about as old-school as they come. It's just you, the Seven, and the road, and you'd better know what you're doing, because there's no traction control, ABS, or stability control to keep you out of the weeds. Sign us up.