5 Sports Cars Deliver Impressive Power and Efficiency
Can sports cars provide decent fuel mileage figures? If you lower your expectations away from the Toyota Prius territory, they can. Most sports cars deliver fun, speed, performance, power, and impressive track times. That’s all well and good, but these five gems also boast a combined EPA fuel efficiency rating of over 20 mpg.
Toyota GR86 – 25 MPG combined
The Toyota GR86 is a fun, active, and exciting little sports car with the drive you want and an impressive fuel mileage rating. Although it’s not powered by a big stonkin’ V8 engine, the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine delivers enough juice to quickly rocket this little beauty down the road. Toyota builds the GR86 with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission, allowing owners to choose their engagement level with this car.
Ford Mustang 26 MPG combined
The base Mustang has plenty of power-producing fuel-saving tricks up its proverbial sleeve. The EcoBoost model utilizes a 2.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that delivers the oomph with 315 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. This power is sent to the rear wheels thanks to a 10-speed automatic transmission. While there are more powerful Mustang powertrains, this one delivers 22 city/33 hwy mpg, making it the most efficient of the Ford pony cars.
BMW Z4 – 28 MPG combined
The most efficient setup for this BMW sports car is with a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that returns 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. This is ample power to rocket this car to high speeds and finish a sprint to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. If that’s not fast enough for you, a 3.0-liter turbocharged 6-cylinder engine is available to deliver more power and improve this sprint time to 3.9 seconds, and it returns 26 mpg combined. That’s pretty good for a step up to a more powerful sports car engine.
Lexus LC 500h – 29 MPG combined
The only hybrid sports car on our list comes from Lexus. The LC 500h takes a turn from its non-hybrid variants by utilizing a 3.5-liter V6 engine and high-output electric drive motors. This translates to 354 horsepower, less than other LC models that boast 471 horsepower from a 5.0-liter V8 engine. Still the hybrid model sprints to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. Which is pretty impressive, especially considering its 29 mpg combined fuel mileage rating.
Mazda MX-5 Miata – 30 MPG combined
Any list of fuel-efficient sports cars must have the Mazda MX-5 Miata in the mix. This tiny two-seat roadster brings affordable fun to the road, making it a joy to drive and somewhat of a guilty pleasure for many owners. Every Miata utilizes a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that returns 181 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. This Mazda has a standard six-speed manual transmission, but an automatic is also available. The automatic reaches the best fuel mileage numbers at 25 city/35 hwy mpg.
Honorable Mention: Ferrari SF90 Stradale – 51 MPGe
Yes, Ferrari makes an efficient supercar. The SF90 Stradale brings a plug-in hybrid powertrain to the mix. This system uses a hybrid V8 engine and a tech-laden interior. The gas-electric powertrain delivers 986 horsepower and springs to 60 mph in only 2.5 seconds. Because of the PHEV nature, it has an equivalency rating, which gives it an honorable mention among these sports cars. Still, this beautiful car is a joy to drive around any track.
Source: Slash Gear
