Those who like a fun car need to shell out a lot of money on a brand new sports car, for R$ 100 thousand less than a Pulse Abarth have these options
The Brazilian market lacks fun, affordable cars with manual transmission. The cheapest national sports car is the Fiat Pulse Abarth, which starts at R$ 160.990 and comes only with an automatic gearbox.
Those who prefer a manual car will have to settle for common models, such as the Renault Kardian Evolution, the Volkswagen Tera TSI or the Chevrolet Onix LT MT Turbo, because when it comes to sports cars, the gateway is the Toyota GR Yaris from R$ 354.990. Therefore, the solution is to go to the used market.
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With the figure of R$ 60 thousand, it is possible to find a legal variety of used sports cars with manual transmission. We’ve selected five that are fun to drive and even have potential for improvement.
Renault do Brasil surprised when it presented the Sandero R. S. It was the first car in the Renault Sport division made outside France and used components available on the factory shelf to transform the low-cost compact into a fun car.
It combines the 2.0 16v F4R engine that was used in the Duster with the lightweight body of the Sandero. The six-speed gearbox also came from the SUV, but here the ratios are shorter. The icing on the cake is the suspension that was adjusted by the French, very firm and with a lower ride height.
The Sandero R. S. weighs only 1.161 kg, so the 150 hp of the 2.0 makes it go from zero to 100 km/h in 8 seconds. This F4R engine was not only used by quiet cars like the Duster and Megane, it has aspirated versions with up to 200 hp that were used in the Clio R. S. and a turbocharged one that was close to 300 hp.
At the same time that the Renault Sandero R. S. appeared, Suzuki came with the Swift Sport. This hot hatch is traditional in Japan and Europe for being an affordable sports car.
Its secret is to have a low weight, in the generation sold here it was only 1.065 kg. This is the same as a VW Polo Track. In this way, the 1.6 aspirated 142 hp that likes to work at high revs make the hatch accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 8,7 seconds.
But it’s not just acceleration that a car is made of, the small Suzuki shines in curves and has a 6-speed manual transmission with precise engagements. The Swift Sport differs from the Sandero by having a more neat interior and by being more equipped: it had six airbags, xenon headlights, cruise control and presence key.
Today Citroën’s DS line has become a luxury brand in Europe, but in Brazil it is best known for the fun DS3. It was a hot hatch derived from the C3, with a sophisticated interior, modern design and only two doors.
In Brazil it was sold only with the 1.6 THP engine of 165 hp, which was a joint project between PSA and BMW. In a way, it was a more affordable Mini Cooper. Performance was good, with zero to 100 km/h done in 7.6 seconds.
There are workshops specializing in preparing cars with this engine, with various “recipes” to gain power reliably. An option with the same mechanics and manual transmission is the Peugeot 208 GT, but it is rare and is usually sold above R$ 60 thousand.
You may have noticed that we only list compact cars here. If you want something bigger and more practical, there is the Fiat Bravo T-Jet medium hatch. It features the 1.4 turbo that the Italian brand already used in the Punto, but here the gearbox is the six-speed manual imported from Italy.
This means that the couplings are better than those of Fiat’s infamous five-speed gearbox. With more ratios, it also had gains in performance, it does zero to 100 km/h in 8.7 seconds.
The 1.4 T-Jet engine used in the Bravo yields 152 hp and has an overboost, which puts more pressure on the turbo for a few seconds. The critical point in it is the cracks in the original turbine manifold. Fortunately, there is already a solution on the market for this that makes the engine more reliable.
The Ford Ka Sport is the bargain on this list of used sports cars up to R$ 60 thousand. In the Fipe table, its price is R$ 30 thousand, but well-maintained units are around R$ 40 thousand.
He is the heir to the Ka XR, one of the most fun cars ever made in Brazil. The Sport is made on the second generation, which gained more interior space, comfort and the front suspension with subframe of the Fiesta.
The 1.6 Zetec Rocam engine delivers 107 hp, which is left in the 968 kg cart. The Ka Sport is less skittish than the old XR, an advantage for less experienced drivers. Just don’t forget to change the plastic thermostat housing for an aluminum one, to avoid overheating the engine.
