The fifth generation Supra A90 is no longer aspiring to be a Porsche 911 slayer, but, given its price, you can pit it against some pretty brisk, fun-to-drive cars. Toyota designed the latest Supra to be fun to drive, its proving ground being the Nurburgring. Company CEO Akio Toyoda was heavily involved in the development process of the A90. He said that he gauged the experience of driving the new Supra, which is more compact than ever before, in comparison to the old model he used to drive around the 'Green Hell' to learn the track.

The production version hasn't been put to the test yet, but journalists were allowed to take turns driving some development prototypes around the Jarama track last year. Car & Driver wrote that "there is a smoothness to the Supra that we haven't felt in a BMW in years," and we know that it will joyfully slide, but what other cars you can look for if you've only got Supra money in your pocket? Well, We've decided to explore the diverse range of models that you could go for with that "Supra" money you're hanging on to.

2019 Ford Mustang GT Power Pack Level 2

The Mustang GT PP2 is basically the nemesis of the car down below, the Camaro SS 1LE. The original Performance Package, now known as 'Level 1', appeared in 2015 and cost $3,995. It offered stiffer suspension, bigger wheels, but power stayed put. Now, with the 'Level 2', Ford tries to get closer the 1LE. This new upgrade asks you to take some extra $2,500 out of your wallet on top of what you'd pay for the original Performance Package. Of course, that means that you can keep adding options on your GT and still end up cheaper than a bare bottom-of-the-range Supra.

The PP2 comes with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires (the PP1 had more the street-oriented Pilot Sport 4S) even stiffer springs than on the PP1, upgraded anti-roll bars, a bigger rear wing that works with the lip attached to the nose and even the MagneRide Damping System gets refined. However, the power stays at 460 horsepower with torque still at 420 pound-feet. With beefier tires, 305/30/R19 versus 275/35 ZR19 at the rear for the Supra, the Mustang GT PP2 goes from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds with the 6-speed manual in place (a normal GT equipped with the 10-speed automatic does it in 3.9 seconds). Also, the Coyote in the S550 'Stang revs all the way to 7,500 rpm which is delightful, but you'll probably feel that the Mustang is the bigger car.

2019 Ford Mustang GT Power Pack Level 2 Specifications

Read our full review on the 2018 Ford Mustang GT Power Pack Level 2

2019 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE

The 1LE package turns the Camaro SS into a track beast. I mean, it's already a beast to begin with given its 455 horsepower and 455 pound-feet of torque from the glorious 6.2-liter V-8, but the 1LE package gives the SS bigger tires and wheels to host sizeable Brembo brakes and a host of other performance-enhancing upgrades as well as some tidbits that aid the aero. As you know, the Supra 3.0 Premium is $53,990 and you get the Driver Assist Package.

The SS 1LE is quicker to 60 than a Mustang PP2 by 0.3 seconds although it too is equipped with a car guy-approved 6-speed manual transmission. The tires that wrap those 20-inch wheels are Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3, 285/30/R20 in the front and 305/30/R20 in the rear. These, along with more lower-end torque, help you do a quarter-mile run in just 12.4 seconds at 114.2 mph. Motor Trend noted that the Camaro "feels a bit big and slightly ponderous, but it turns in crisply, brakes very hard, is real predictable, and its shifter is remarkably good."

2019 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE Specifications

Read our full review on the 2019 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE

2019 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

Yes, you can have the base Corvette Singray Coupe for roughly as much cash as a Supra 3.0 Premium with $3,500-worth of options on it. The Corvette is only 100 pounds lighter than the Supra at 3,298 pounds compared to 3,397 pounds. You also get 455 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque which is over 100 ponies and almost 100 pound-feet over what the Supra has to offer.

Also, let's not kid ourselves: the Corvette is one of the most practical GT cars out there while the Supra is a much tighter sports car that, while comfortable, can't rival the 'Vette for practicality. However, this is a list of exciting cars and the Corvette is nothing short of that. The C7 Corvette with its aluminum chassis handles better than any other Corvette before it and, with a top speed of 190 mph, it's in a different league by all means.

2019 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray specifications

Read our full review on the 2018 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

2019 Infiniti Q60 Redsport 400S

The Infiniti Q60 is a stylish 2-door coupe that, in my eyes, could easily pass for a Mazda coupe. It's the first turbocharged car on this list and, as you'd expect, the Redsport 400S is a sportier version that really makes you feel that there's blood pumping in the 'veins' of this car that's otherwise sedated car in its base trim.

Under the hood, there's a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 that's good enough for 400 horsepower mated to a seven-speed automatic which translates to a 0 to 60 mph time of 4 seconds flat. Torque is rated at 360 pound-feet from just 1,600 rpm. It has anti-roll bars at all four corners, a brake-actuated limited-slip differential and double-wishbone front suspension with gas-pressurized shock absorbers. In spite of all these, the Q60 is more of a cruiser than a spirited corner crusher, a car focused on offering a relaxed, luxurious ride even while wearing its tracksuit.

2019 Infiniti Q60 Redsport 400S specifications

Read our full review on the 2018 Infiniti Q60 Redsport 400S

2019 Audi RS3

Here's a sedan for a change, a subcompact one but you still get four doors and, because it sports that RS badge in many places on the body and inside the cabin, it's a very potent car. For starters, power comes via a 5-cylinder 2.5-liter turbocharged engine that develops 400 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque for a 0 to 60 mph time of just 3.5 seconds. Remember when the R8 showed up in showrooms 11 years ago with only 420 horsepower? Times sure have changed!

However, you'll forget that when the dual-clutch 7-speed automatic transmission shifts up at 7,000 rpm, where the RS3 redlines, or when you outrun some lesser Porsches to 60 from a standstill thanks to the Quattro system and added launch control. It's faster than its main class rivals, the CLA45 AMG and the BMW M2 as well although the Toyota might still be better at communicating with you than the Audi.

2019 Audi RS3 specifications

Read our full review on the 2018 Audi RS3

2019 Kia Stinger GT

The Stinger is Kia's first sporty sedan and, by and large, the South-Korean manufacturer nailed it. There are three GT variants with prices ranging between $40,095 and $50,985. If the basic stinger sports a turbocharged four-pot, you'll find a twin-turbocharged V-6 nestled under the hood that's capable of 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque.

Car and Driver applauds the GT's "tremendous grip and great brakes" adding that these sedans are "fun to fling around" and the 8-speed automatic transmission is more than capable of keeping up during a fast-paced drive. The Stinger is in the same class as the Infiniti above and, while the Infiniti has more oomph, the Kia still beats the Audi S5, BMW 340i xDrive, and the Lexus GS350 F Sport in both power and torque departments. It's deffenitely worth a second and third look if you want to haul more people and do it in style, too, as the Stinger is as far from bland as you'll get in this segment.

2019 Kia Stinger GT specifications

Read our full review on the Kia Stinger GT

2019 BMW M240i

The M240i is the fastest 2 Series Coupe available from BMW if you can't afford an M2. It has 13 horsepower more than the M235i for a total of 335 horsepower. It has an M Performance limited-slip diff, 18-inch wheels, chunkier tires that fit them, and bigger brakes behind the spokes. Torque is rated at 369 pound-feet which is in M territory already.

It goes from 0 to 62 mph in 4.6 seconds according to BMW - so about 4.4 to 60 mph - and, according to Autocar, "from 80-130 mph it matched the figures set by a Porsche Cayman 2.7 to the tenth, despite stronger wind and a near 441-pound weight penalty." Autocar also praises the engine that "gives the M240i a feeling of unburstable, ever-ready performance," or, in other words, endless excitement coupled with the 6-speed manual

2019 BMW M240i specifications

Read our full review on the 2018 BMW M240i

2019 Caterham Seven 360

Well, you can hardly get more excitement out of driving a four-wheeled contraption than when you're pedaling a Caterham. Yes, it's not practical, yes, you can't drive it every day, yes, you can only take your favorite friend along for the ride but who cares? I mean, this is the kind of car where you've got to pay to have a full-sized windscreen and a car that, according to Caterham, "will be shipped as a factory-built rolling chassis. The engine and gearbox are not included in the base price and are available as a separate package."

So, in some ways, it's like building your own car almost from scratch, only that you know it will work when everything's ready. The 360 has a 2.0-liter Ford Duratec engine that develops 180 horsepower and 143 pound-feet of torque. It's enough for a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.8 seconds since the Caterham barely weighs 1,180 pounds. Autocar says that "with the 360's five speeds, you find yourself changing gear less and relying more on the torque, Autocar's conclusion being that the 360 gives you " a touch more long-distance comfort, but still with the ability to stay with a 911." It depends what you understand by "comfort" but driving a car that's based on a 60-year-old concept is nothing short of exhilarating anyway you look at it!

2019 Caterham Seven 360 specifications

Read our full review on the 2018 Caterham Seven 360

2019 Nissan 370Z

The Nissan 370Z is lucky we have the Caterham in this list because, otherwise, the Japanese coupe would be bestowed with the honor of being the archaic one of the bunch. The 370Z replaced the 350Z a decade ago. While it's still a sleek-looking coupe, the years are showing but Nissan stubbornly keeps it in production and we don't even know if it will get a replacement at all. Still, because it's an older girl, it offers a rather unadulterated driving experience and it costs well under $50,000 even with most of the optional extras on board. Oh, and by unadalturated I also mean unsophisticated, just like its drivetrain...

With that being said, the Z isn't really selling anymore but if you want to get one, keep in mind that the 6-speed manual is now only available on the fixed-head version while the roadster goes with the 7-speed automatic with a manual shift mode.

2019 Nissan 370Z specifications

Read our full review on the 2019 Nissan 370Z

2019 Honda Civic Type R

The Mark 5 FK8 Civic Type R is without a shadow of a doubt the most exciting-looking hot hatch out there. If you line up all the hot hatches you can buy in the U.S. today and then pick the one that most resembles the kind of car a 7-year-old would draw, it would be the Civic Type R. It has everything: winglets up front, a huge diffuser at the rear below a massive wing, generous triple exhaust outlets, big wheels, and aggressive side skirts.

"Honda has seemingly perfected front-wheel-drive performance on the Type R by all but eliminating unpleasant torque steer and prioritizing balance through celestial chassis tuning," is how Car & Driver puts it and, with a turbocharged 306 horsepower four-pot up front (sans VTEC) and a stick between the shifts that operates a 6-speed manual box, the Civic is a fun car to drive down a winding road - within the speed limit, of course. In short, it's better than the Golf R or the Focus RS, but if you want a subtle ride you'll never like the Type R although this is a hot hatch that can easily punch above its weight.

2019 Honda Civic Type R specifications

Read our full review on the 2018 Honda Civic Type R

Further Reading

Read our review of the 2020 Toyota Supra