Subaru BRZ ZC6

After decades of turbocharged all-wheel-drive, Subaru did something completely against type and built a lightweight, rear-drive coupe with no turbo at all. The first-generation BRZ, developed jointly with Toyota and sold in near-identical form as the 86 and Scion FR-S, put a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter FA20 boxer up front, 200 horsepower under your right foot, and a Torsen limited-slip diff out back, all wrapped in a body that weighs around 2,760 pounds.

The numbers were never the point. With a low center of gravity from the flat-four and steering that talks to you constantly, the BRZ is a car built for corners and cheap tires rather than stoplight drag races. Basically, it's the Miata's stiffest competition with a similar philosophy, style, and price.

Look for a 2017-or-later manual, which nudged output to 205 horsepower and added a few chassis tweaks, or the STI-fettled tS if you can find one. It's the purest driver's car Subaru has built in the modern era, and a used-car bargain that won't stay cheap forever.