Before Ford officially releases the next-generation Mustang, most probably called the S650, we have to analyze the current S550 Mustang; what makes it so special, as well as where it lies in comparison with other modern sports cars. So, let’s talk about what the current Mustang offers: The base model Mustang costs $28,600, is powered by a turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four Ecoboost engine similar to that found in the last Ford Focus RS, and it’s actually quite impressive with 310 hp, but we’re all true fans of the Mustang GT, the true modern muscle car. The GT that costs $39,000 has a ghastly naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 under its hood good for 450 hp and is available with a manual transmission to increase its appeal to car guys worldwide. Of course, if you had the extra cash you could always upgrade to a Shelby Mustang too.
But let’s say you feel like the Mustang is almost too cliché, and you want to get behind the wheel of some other sports car, one that’s a bit more unique than the average American pony car. There are endless options to choose from ranging from sports cars built in Italy, Germany, and some American alternatives too. Let’s have a look at some 2022 sports cars we’d choose over the Mustang and a few that the GT reigns supreme over.
10 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat (We Would Not)
The Dodge Demon was a huge leap in terms of what road-legal production cars can accomplish in terms of straight-line speed, but nowadays, Demons are selling for way beyond their MSRP, so if we had to choose a direct rival to the Mustang GT, there is no other choice than the Challenger Hellcat.
It’s certainly more powerful than the Mustang with its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine spitting out 717 hp and 656 lb-ft of torque to only the rear wheels, but that comes at a price of course – $67,000 to be exact. For those who enjoy the search for traction and have a death wish, we’d recommend paying the extra dough for a Hellcat, but speaking from a purely objective point of view, the Hellcat isn’t worth the extra cash.
9 Mercedes-AMG SL 43 (We Would Not)
After quite some waiting period, Mercedes finally revealed they will bring the new SL 43 on sale late in 2022. It won’t be coming with a V8 Biturbo engine, nor will it have six cylinders; the SL 43 will make use of a turbocharged four-banger good for 376 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, but an electric motor will assist alongside the ICE to give some extra punch. So, it’ll be quite mighty, and it looks much more extravagant than a Mustang, but why would we buy a Mustang over the SL 43 then?
You see, apart from lacking the perfect sound a V8 makes, buying a sports car from a prestigious brand such as Mercedes comes at a price. For the time being, we have no confirmation from Mercedes themselves about what an SL 43 will cost, but the SL 55 will cost around $135,000, so we can only imagine it’ll cost twice as much as the Mustang.
8 BMW Z4 M40i (We Would Not)
Let’s just address the elephant in the room straight on, the BMW Z4 M40i and the MK5 Toyota Supra are two completely different cars that happen to make use of the same engine and suspension setup, no jokes or name-calling will be made. The BMW Supra has a robust 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six under its hood that produces 382 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, and it has a 0-60 time of fewer than 4 seconds, so it is decently fast.
But once again, the Z4 and the SL 43 is much alike, and both costs more than $50,000. With that huge price gap between it and the Mustang, we can’t quite justify spending all that extra cash just for a bit more luxury.
7 Jaguar F-Type (We Would Not)
If we were to compare the current Mustang GT with the previous-generation Jaguar F-Type, this entry might have looked a bit different, but the new F-Type has lost some of its passion through evolution and heavily raised its MSRP. A new P450 F-Type will set you back more than $70,000, and in return, you’ll also be getting a 5.0-liter V8 engine, but only the British cat has a supercharger too.
But even with the supercharger, the Jag only produces 444 hp, which is 6 ponies short of the Mustang. If you ask us, not only is the Mustang more powerful and more affordable, but it’s better looking too. Credit has to be given where credit is due, and between the two, the F-Type’s growl is certainly more intoxicating than the Mustang’s groan.
6 Lexus RC-F (We Would Not)
Some cars just stay on the market for way too long with only minor updates like the Nissan GT-R, but Lexus’ RC-F is growing too old now, and in 2022 the hardcore Lexus fanboys are craving a successor.
The latest RC-F comes fitted with a 5.0-liter V8 engine that pumps out 472 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque, and judging by how things look on paper, it seems like a worthy Japanese rival to the Mustang, but as all good things are, there are some flaws. The RC-F costs a whopping $68,000, and that’s not even mentioning the Fuji Speedway Edition that costs north of six figures, but worst of all, the RC-F isn’t offered with a standard transmission at all.
5 Nissan Z (We Would)
Now we’re approaching the second half of our list, the cars we would choose over a Mustang GT. First up, we have probably the most talked-about sports car of the year, and the sole reason behind the 6-speed manual Toyota Supra’s existence, Nissan’s new Z.
It’s called the Z, just that, and it encapsulates a gorgeous twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that produces 400 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque which is all sent to the rear wheels. The Z’s main features are its respectable retro design, and of course its optional 6-speed stickshift, but most importantly, it only costs $41,000, and we think it’s worth every single penny.
4 BMW M240i (We Would)
We get it, we were busy bashing overpriced sports cars earlier in this list, but the newest M240i from BMW is actually well worth its money.
The new M240i comes fitted with BMW’s rear-biased xDrive system which will handle the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six’s 382 hp to ensure a 0-60 time in as little as 3.6 seconds without prohibiting you from sliding the tail around corners if you please to do so. This BMW costs $50,000, but in spite of its price, we still would recommend saving up and buying one of these instead of a Mustang GT.
3 Chevrolet Corvette C8 (We Would)
When Chevy unveiled that their new Corvette would have its engine placed in the middle of its frame instead of under its hood, like all previous iterations, gearheads were dumbfounded, but as time showed, the risk was well worth it. The new C8 Corvette has a listed MSRP of around $63,000, but dealers are marking these baby supercars up, so when looking for one, make sure you’re not getting scammed.
Why do we call this a baby supercar you might ask? Let’s throw out some statistics. The 2022 Corvette has a mid-mounted 6.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8 engine that shoots out 495 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels only. Consequently, the C8 has a sub-3-second 0-60 time, and a top speed of almost 185 mph. Just imagine how ludicrous the Z06 is going to be.
2 Porsche 911 (We Would)
The 911 is by far the most expensive entry on our list coming in at just over $100,000 for a base model Carrera, but even then, it’s a phenomenal car worth all the money spent. A base model Carrera comes with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six engine that jolts out 379 hp and 371 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels, and if you pay a little extra for the Carrera S, a 7-speed stickshift is available too.
Despite being the cheapest 911, it can still reach 60 mph from a standstill in 4 seconds dead, and will forever be more special than any brutal American car like a Shelby GT500. And of course, if you happen to have more than $200,000 lying around, we’d recommend the 911 Turbo S without an inch of hesitation.
1 Alpine A110S (We Would)
And finally, we have something French to round off our list built by Alpine, the A110S. This little beauty is the reincarnation of the classic rally car built by Renault and its personality is similar to that of a Porsche Cayman, but it has a little extra zing to it.
The A110S weighs less than 2,500 lbs, and because it is so light, not only does it take corners like a sharp knife would a stick of butter, but it needs no more power than a lawnmower to excel performance-wise. Yet, the A110’s 1.8-liter turbo-four squeezes out an overwhelming amount of power for such a teeny car – 288 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. It might not have the battle cry of a 5.0 Mustang, but it definitely has more than enough charisma to give drivers an endless amount of fun.