THE 10 LAST TRULY ANALOG DRIVER'S CARS
Picture a scene where you find yourself at the base of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb course. There are no other people or cars around. There are two cars parked at the start of the climb, and you have to choose one. A Kia K900 sits there with a sumptuous, luxurious interior and more than 300 hp under the hood. A professional driver is ready to take you up the famous course while you are in the luxury rear space of the big sedan. The other vehicle is a Mazda Miata with 181 hp. The key is in the ignition, and the car is ready for you to drive. Which option would you choose?
For many car enthusiasts, the Mazda Miata is the clear choice. It may only have half the power of the Kia, but driving it up Pikes Peak would be something you could one day tell your grandchildren about. This feeling is the attraction and allure of the analog driving experience, when the driver and the car connect at a direct, bare-bones level. One where you are one with a car, and not disconnected and aloof, with electronic systems dictating your journey.
Here are 10 of the last great analog cars you can buy today.
A list of analog driving cars, ranging from driving machines without even the most basic electronic safety features like ABS brakes, to ones with all the safety kit... that can be switched off completely, so you can hang the tail out.
Subaru BRZ tS
Power: 228 hp
Subaru's BRZ tS, which shares its platform and drivetrain with the Toyota GR86, is powered by a 228-hp four-cylinder boxer engine that produces 228 hp. It comes with a six-speed manual gearbox, a sports suspension tuned by Subaru's famed STI division, and a Torsen limited-slip rear differential in the game. It also has Brembo brakes and 18-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires.
Yes, it has traction and stability control, but a driver can switch off the system, and then the tS can hang its tail out. In short, it offers a real and outstanding driving experience as a Scooby with some STi lineage should.
Toyota GR Corolla
Power: 300 hp
If you had told Toyota's top engine engineers 15 years ago that the company would one day produce a 1.6-liter engine with three cylinders that produced 300 hp, they would have called the folks from the loony bin to transport you to a place of safety. Yet, here we are. A 1.6-liter three-pot with a turbocharger, producing 300 hp. The GR Corolla also gets Toyota's GR-Four AWD with three torque split settings between the front and rear wheels. This setup includes a 30:70 front-rear torque split for hanging the tail out on a racing track. Torsen limited-slip differentials at both ends further bolster traction.
The GR Corolla is also available with a six-speed intelligent manual transmission with rev-matching. To cut a long story short, find a racetrack, switch the electronic nannies off, tell your passenger to hold on tight and have an old-fashioned blast, smoking the tires at will.
Mazda Miata
Power: 181 hp
Christian von Koenigsegg, the creator of some of the world's fastest cars, has said that, if he had just one tank of petrol left to use in any vehicle on the planet, he'd have a Mazda Miata. It may only have 181 hp in its current form, courtesy of a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-pot engine, but it's the sum of all the parts that make the vehicle such a legendary driver's car.
It's the balance, the brilliant feedback from the steering wheel, and the way the short-shift manual gear lever clicks into the next gear, almost instinctively. The way the Mazda sticks in a corner is intoxicating. For the money, the Miata is still, even after 36 years, one of the best sports cars available.
Acura Integra Type S
Power: 320 hp
What is better than a performance car with a VTEC engine that revs past 7,000 rpm? A performance car with a VTEC engine and a turbocharger that revs to more than 7,000 rpm! These attributes describe the latest Acura Integra Type S, the only front-wheel-drive vehicle on this list. It's possibly one of the best front-wheel-drive performance cars you may ever get to drive. With 320 hp, it can blitz from 0-60 mph in just over five seconds.
But how the Type S gets there is so exciting, with all the feels and sounds and the manual gearbox with rev matching playing its part. A helical limited-slip differential is another party trick, and powerful Brembo brakes help rein in the speedy Acura. Switch off the nanny systems, and this is as good as a front-wheel-drive car gets.
Nissan Z
Power: 400 hp
The seventh-generation Nissan Z sticks to the original Datsun 240Z recipe with rear-wheel drive and great handling. The latest version is powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine delivering a tasty 400 hp. A six-speed manual gearbox sends the power to those rear wheels via a carbon-fiber driveshaft, and there is also a performance clutch and rev-matching system in the game. It also has an independent suspension setup at all four corners and a high-end Akebono brake system.
The Z can sprint from 0-60 mph in less than five seconds. That's fast enough. But when you disable the traction and stability control, the Z comes alive on a deserted mountain pass or racetrack. The sound, the handling, the steering feel, and the gearshifts are all quite outstanding, and it is arguably one of the most underrated cars on this list.
Lotus Emira V6 SE
Power: 400 hp
The Lotus Emira V6 SE weighs just 3,158 pounds. Lotus founder Colin Chapman is famous for saying that to make a car go faster, one needs to add lightness. The Emira is no exception to the rule. But it also has a 400-hp Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6 engine with a supercharger. And a six-speed manual gearbox, sending the power to the rear wheels via a limited-slip differential. The result? Pure, unadulterated motoring nirvana.
It is not only about the noise and speed, but also about the feel. It is superb in the corners, too. The suspension has two settings: Tour is for street use, and the Sports setting stiffens the suspension and is tailor-made for track use. Hydraulically assisted power steering provides excellent feedback. Colin Chapman would approve, we're sure.
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS
Power: 500 hp
The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS seems to tick all the analog boxes. The flat-six engine revs to 9,000 rpm and produces 500 hp. A manual gearbox (or a seven-speed PDK) sends the power to the rear wheels. The aerodynamic package has roots in motorsport. Plus, there's lightweight construction. For example, the GT4 RS weighs less than the Lotus Emira. A motorsport-derived intake provides the engine with more air and ensures more visceral sound effects inside the cabin.
The chassis and suspension setup, also with a racing lineage, features Porsche's Active Suspension Management and a lower ride height. A limited slip differential and Porsche's torque vectoring system. The result is one of the most rewarding driving experiences your money can buy.
Dallara Stradale
Power: 395 hp
Dallara is a famed Italian racing car builder, with a history in virtually all premier circuit-based racing. The company's work includes vehicles racing in IndyCar, Formula Three, Formula One, the World Endurance Championship, and many more. The company was also closely involved in developing on-road performance cars like KTM's X-Bow. So when Dallara decided to build its own street car, performance car enthusiasts rejoiced. The Dallara Stradale was bound to be great. And it is. The car weighed just 1,885 pounds, almost half the weight of the already lightweight Lotus Emira.
It also has a Ford 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, developing 395 hp, rear-wheel drive, and a six-speed manual gearbox (or auto), all set in a chassis that is really just a racing car with some road-legal touches like lights and indicators and so on. The result is, by all accounts, a brilliant driving experience.
Noble M500
Power: 505 hp
The British Noble company has created some mad cars. The M400 was a lightweight supercar with no traction control and a Ford V6 engine with two massive Garrett turbochargers. Later, it made the M600 with a twin-turbocharged V8 from Volvo that produced 650 hp. More recently, Noble gave us the M500, which slots slap bang in the middle of the aforementioned models.
Power comes from a Ford Ranger Raptor truck's 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine producing 505 hp, and the power goes to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. In a stunning move, the lightweight M500 now has traction control, the only safety feature in the entire car, besides the safety belts and braking system. Thankfully, drivers can switch off this driving assist.
Caterham 620R
Power: 310 hp
The recipe for our ultimate analog driving machine is simple: 1,200 pounds, a supercharged 310-hp engine, rear-wheel drive, a six-speed sequential gearbox, adjustable racing dampers, ventilated discs, and racing tires. Oh, and there are no electronic driving aids, meaning a lack of traction control, stability control, anti-lock brakes, or even airbags.
The Caterham 620R is the fastest road-going model ever from the company. It is all about the experience behind the Momo steering wheel, the sequential gear changes, the sound effects from the highly modified engine revving to almost 8,000 rpm, and the excellent handling and braking. There's no roof, so wear a helmet, especially if you aim for the 150 mph top speed.
2025-06-16T08:31:50ZSources:Lotus, Dallara, Caterham, Noble, Porsche, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, Acura.
