6 Sports Cars Collectors Are Quietly Buying

Sports cars have always been bought with the heart, not the head — but every so often, passion and profit align. Right now, a handful of modern performance cars are quietly slipping into collector hands, their values climbing while most owners still think of them as used cars rather than future classics. The proof is hiding in plain sight: even a near-1,000-horsepower hypercar like the Ferrari SF90 — from a brand legendary for holding its value — has seen many used examples selling for close to $300,000 below their original MSRPs. Depreciation can be brutal, even at the top.

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That said, predicting which sports cars will become classics and which ones will continue to depreciate in value can be very frustrating. According to Doug DeMuro, the best predictor for future value for enthusiast cars is whether they were disliked or polarizing among gearheads when new. The idea is that these cars are already unique and enthusiast-focused, so they can only go up in value as collectors warm up to them and they become rare. It doesn’t always work that way, but it’s a solid approach. Examples include cars like the originally underwhelming Lexus LFA supercar, the “clownshoe” BMW M Coupe, and even the Ferrari F50, which struggled to escape the F40’s shadow. Apart from that, it’s easy to predict that a very limited-edition, high-end supercar will appreciate in the future.However, what about the more everyday sports cars that enthusiasts buy and collect? One way to tell if these cars will become classics is by looking at which models collectors are already buying en masse and, more specifically, what features they’re willing to pay a premium for. It’s already clear that collectors are passionate about truly analog, naturally aspirated sports cars with manual transmissions. In many cases, research shows that coupes tend to carry higher values than convertibles, likely due to their superior structural rigidity and — usually — lighter weight and more timeless styling. A car’s reputation for reliability also plays a role in its desirability, as illustrated by at least one model on this list.

BMW Z4 M Coupe

Average Price: $36,402

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The notoriously polarizing BMW Z3 M Coupe has recently experienced a surge in value, with the final 2002 models now averaging over $86,000 on the used market. Now, it looks like it’s the Z4 M’s turn. One important factor driving the Z4 M’s value is rarity — only 4,581 units ever left the factory, and just 1,815 were sold in North America. It’s also a genuinely special analog sports car, powered by BMW’s last naturally aspirated straight-six before the brand’s turbo era — the same high-revving S54 that featured in the E46 M3 — paired exclusively with a proper 6-speed manual transmission. Add its distinctive looks to that recipe, and you have a guaranteed future classic. Interestingly, the closest spiritual successor to the Z4 M Coupe isn’t a BMW at all, but a Toyota — the MKV Supra — which is also doing a solid job of holding its value.

A decade ago, Z4 M Coupes were trading hands in the mid-$20,000s; today, the average price enthusiasts are paying is over $36,000, and it’s rising by the year. Truly clean examples command considerably more. A black 2007 example recently fetched a staggering 80,000 Euros (over $93,000 US) with just 16,000 miles on the clock.

Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

Average Price: $64,580

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Imagine a mid-engined ND Miata with a carbon-fiber tub and about 60 more horsepower going to the rear wheels, and you’re in the ballpark of what the Alfa 4C Spider brings to the table. Essentially an Italian take on a Lotus Exige but built in Modena alongside Maseratis, this 2,487-lb baby Ferrari has all the substance to back up its exotic design. Sure, there’s no gated manual transmission and only four cylinders fire behind the driver, but the car’s immense power-to-weight ratio delivers a 4.2-second 0–60 mph time and a 12.9-second quarter mile. That’s from a 237-horsepower car. Straight-line performance isn’t the 4C’s real calling card, though — this is a machine built to thrill on a back road or a racetrack.

Production ended in 2020, and 4C Spider values have been slowly climbing as the model advances toward classic status. Interestingly, 4C Coupes have continued to stagnate and drop in value over the last few years, now trading at $46,937 on average. Meanwhile, Spiders have appreciated from about $50,000 in 2020 to almost $80,000, putting the five-year average at right around $65,000.

That’s likely tied to rarity — Alfa only began offering Spider versions in 2015, two years after the 4C first went on sale, and fewer buyers opted for them overall. Looking at recent sales, many 4C Spiders have eclipsed the six-figure mark. A special 33-unit Stradale Tributo version fetched a staggering $197,000 in 2025 via Bring a Trailer. Even setting those special editions aside, the 4C Spider shows a significant average jump in value over the last five years compared to other convertibles — and especially compared to the 4C Coupe, which appears to be getting cheaper.

Porsche Boxster 987 Spyder

Average Price: $66,675

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Tipping the scales at just 2,810 lbs, the Porsche 987.2 Boxster Spyder is the lightest and among the purest Porsche sports cars money can buy, including subsequent Boxster Spyders. It’s a direct homage to Porsche’s iconic 1953 “Giant Killer” 550 Spyder, which was famously owned by James Dean.

But unlike that classic icon — and the newer 981 and 718 Spyders — the 987 Boxster Spyder remains well within enthusiasts’ reach. It currently trades for around $65,000–$80,000, with PDK-equipped models at the more accessible end of that range. All variants carry a sonorous 3.4-liter flat-six producing 320 horsepower, which, combined with the featherlight curb weight, allows the first-gen Boxster Spyder to reach 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. Only 1,944 Porsche 987 Spyders were sold globally, which explains why average values have risen from about $60,000 in 2020 to nearly $75,000 in 2026, according to auction trends tracked by The Classic Valuer.

Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1

Average Price: $88,000

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Nicknamed the “Blue Devil” during its production, the C6 ZR1 became the fastest and most powerful American mass-market production car when it left the factory in 2009. A carbon fiber roof, wing, and that iconic polycarbonate window in the hood — showcasing the 638-horsepower supercharged LS9 V8 underneath — put the C6 ZR1 squarely in supercar territory, but at a price that made Ferrari engineers weep into their cappuccinos. A new C6 ZR1 started at $103,300 in 2009 and came exclusively with a 6-speed manual transmission — a recurring theme among many modern classics now rocketing in value. Production ended in 2013 with fewer than 4,700 examples built, so supply is limited and values are steadily climbing.

Interestingly, the C6 Corvette ZR1 wasn’t an instant classic. Past auction data from The Classic Valuer shows values drifted lower until around 2020, after which they surged. Collectors are now scrambling to secure these cars, and many recent auction results are well into six-figure territory. Not all, though — a good number of early C6 ZR1s still change hands in the $70,000–$80,000 range or even less, like one 2009 example that sold in 2026 for just $73,700 with 20,900 miles on the clock.

Ferrari F355 Berlinetta (Manual)

Average Price: $140,000

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It’s been nearly three decades since the last Ferrari F355 left Maranello, and used market values are now reflecting this supercar’s firmly established classic status. That’s no surprise — the F355 combines virtually every attribute collectors are looking for. It’s a proper mid-engined classic supercar with an optional gated manual transmission, a gorgeous Italian leather cabin, pop-up headlights, and barely over 3,000 lbs of dry weight. The centerpiece, however, is the notoriously characterful 3.5-liter flat-plane V8 with titanium connecting rods and an 8,500-rpm redline.

Values have risen from around $80,000 in 2020 to roughly $100,000 across all F355 variants, including the GTS, Spider, and Berlinetta. However, manual-transmission models — especially Berlinettas and GTSs — are showing by far the steepest appreciation curves. Automatics currently trade at a meaningful discount.

Over the last five years, the average price collectors have paid for a manual Berlinetta works out to around $140,000. For comparison, F1-style hydraulic paddle-shift models sit at around $100,000. Automatic GTS and Spider models are cheaper still, at roughly $90,000. The most sought-after F355 is the manual GTS with its removable hardtop, currently selling for around $160,000. Manual Spider prices are also on a steep appreciation curve, though their average sale price of $93,188 still makes them look like relative bargains among manual Ferraris — for now.

Honda S2000 (AP1/AP2)

Average Price: $32,000–$45,000 (clean examples)

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If there’s one car that perfectly fits the “future classic” formula enthusiasts keep chasing, it’s the Honda S2000. When it launched, it wasn’t universally loved. Some critics called it too peaky, too lacking in low-end torque, and too focused on high-rev driving to be truly usable. That’s exactly why it’s now one of the most desirable modern analog sports cars on the market.

The magic lies in the engine. The AP1’s F20C remains one of the highest specific-output naturally aspirated engines ever made, revving to a screaming 9,000 rpm. Later AP2 models traded a bit of that madness for more usable midrange torque, but both versions deliver a driving experience that feels completely extinct today.

Beyond the engine, the S2000 checks every box collectors care about:

• Rear-wheel drive + perfect 50:50 balance
• Standard 6-speed manual transmission only
• No forced induction or artificial driving aids
• Legendary Honda reliability despite high-revving nature

For years, S2000s were cheap, sitting comfortably under $20,000. That era is over. Clean, unmodified examples have doubled in value over the past decade, with low-mile cars pushing well beyond $50,000. Like many cars on this list, the best examples are disappearing into collections, and supply is tightening fast.

It may not carry an exotic badge like a Ferrari or the brute force of a Corvette ZR1, but the S2000 represents something increasingly rare: a lightweight, high-revving, fully analog sports car that rewards skill over outright power. That’s exactly the kind of formula that tends to age extremely well.

Sources: The Classic Valuer, Classic.com, Car and Driver, Elferspot.