Rear-wheel drive is one of the main defining characteristics of a proper traditional sports car. And while brands have experimented with AWD and FWD over the years, the most driver-oriented cars will always be rear-wheel-driven. Designed as precision tools with the sole purpose of bringing maximum enjoyment on the roads, bona fide RWD sports cars like these are usually rather expensive. Usually – but not always. If you know what to look for, the used car market is now a treasure trove of depreciated RWD sports cars that are both cheap to buy and relatively hassle-free to maintain. This includes everything from '80s and '90s classics to more modern cars that are already selling for a fraction of their original MSRPs.That's why we've done our best to identify and bring to light ten of the absolute cheapest true rear-wheel-drive sports coupes money can buy. Despite their varying levels of performance and features, these are all proper driver's cars you can take out on the track or enjoy on the backroads.For this list, HotCars looked at rear-wheel drive sports cars that are currently available on the used market, focusing only on two-door coupes built with optimal handling and performance in mind. We used classic.com to find the average used price of all the cars. 1994 Pontiac Firebird Average Used Value: $9,346 Specs Source: PontiacThe cheapest car on this list is something that you perhaps wouldn't have expected. But, the 1990s Pontiac Firebird is one of the best value-for-money rear-wheel drive sports cars around! The 1994 model year of this car was powered by either a 3.4-liter V6 or a 5.7-liter V8, depending on what version you went for. While the 275-hp 5.7-liter V8 is the engine most people want, the 3.4-liter V6 still has an acceptable amount of power, and it's known to be very reliable.According to Classic.com, a 1994 Pontiac Firebird will only cost you an average of $9,346 on the used market. For a proper rear-wheel drive sports car, that's incredibly cheap! It's not likely to stay that cheap for long, either. These cars will eventually become more desirable, and the V8 ones will become especially expensive. 1996 Ford Mustang GT Average Used Value: $10,131 Specs Source: FordThe SN95 generation Ford Mustang is often overlooked these days. It's understandable why that's the case. The V8 models got the somewhat unpopular 4.6-liter V8 after the earliest model years, and later generations are generally thought to be a lot better in every way. But, the Mustang GT of this era is still a great used buy. The 1996 model has the generally unloved 4.6-liter V8, producing 215 hp and 285 lb-ft of torque. Those power figures aren't the best by today's standards, but they aren't that bad either.A 1996 Ford Mustang GT can be yours for only $10,131. That easily makes this the best bang for your buck V8 Mustang on the used market. Like many sports cars from the '90s, they won't stay this cheap forever. Much like the Pontiac Firebird mentioned earlier, if you want one of these, you might have to be quick before the prices go up. 2004 Mazda RX-8 Average Used Value: $10,739 Mecum Specs Source: MazdaThe RX-8 is often considered to be the ugly duckling of the Mazda rotary family. It's nowhere near as loved as the RX-7 that came before it, and it has a reputation for being a bit problematic. But, it's easily the cheapest way into owning a rotary-engined car, and it's also (surprisingly) one of the most practical rotary-powered cars you can buy! Pre-facelift models can have up to 238 hp from their 1.3-liter twin-rotor unit, and thanks to their slightly secret rear suicide doors, you can get up to 4 adults in one fairly comfortably.A 2004 RX-8 will set you back around $10,739. While that makes it more expensive than the more conventionally-engined cars mentioned earlier, those cars can't match the unique quality of a rotary. They also can't match the quirkiness the RX-8 provides. 1997 BMW Z3 Average Used Value: $11,125 Via: Bring a trailer Specs Source: BMWThe BMW Z3 is another one of those sports cars that goes underappreciated. It's not as liked as the Z4 that came after it. That's due to it not having the sportiest drive in the world, and the smaller-engined versions seriously lacking in performance. But, it does have that cred from being a featured car in a Bond movie, and people have been kinder to them as time has passed.The Z3 being a generally underappreciated BMW means that it's stayed really cheap. A 1997 Z3 will cost you around $11,125 on the used market. With this car well on the way to being a future classic, it won't stay cheap for long! 1999 Mazda MX-5 Miata Average Used Value: $12,074 Bring a Trailer Specs Source: MazdaThe Mazda MX-5 Miata absolutely has to be included in any conversation about proper rear-wheel drive sports cars that are cheap to buy. In this case, we've chosen the 1999 model year of the NB generation. While this isn't the super-celebrated NA generation that's now hit classic status, the NB still follows the same philosophy to the letter. That means it's got an old-school front-engined, rear-wheel drive setup like a proper old-school sports car and that it's as light as possible.A 1999 NB Miata can be yours for $12,074, making it an absolute sports car bargain even for Miata standards. The ultimate Miata snobs will always want the original NA with the original 1.6-liter engine. But, for those of us who aren't so fussy, the NB is pretty much as good, but in a slightly more modern package. 2000 Toyota MR2 Spyder Average Used Value: $12,137 Specs Source: ToyotaThe third generation of the Toyota MR2 is one of the most forgotten versions of this legendary mid-engined sports car. Known as the MR2 Spyder, it follows the MR2 philosophy of a lightweight mid-engined sports car that's supposed to be as affordable as possible. It may only have 138 hp from its 1.8-liter engine, but its performance is great thanks to how light it is.An example of the Toyota MR2 Spyder from 2000 will cost you around $12,137 if you want to get one off the used market. That makes it more expensive than a Mazda MX-5 Miata from a similar time. But, the MR2 Spyder is a quirkier and more interesting alternative, and some drivers actually prefer the near-perfect weight distribution of the mid-engined setup. 1985 Chevrolet Corvette Average Used Value: $12,208 corvette c4 1 Specs Source: ChevroletThe C4 Chevrolet Corvette is the oldest car on this list. It hasn't been the most loved of the Corvette generations, except for the monstrously fast ZR1 and Callaway versions. But, the standard car is still pretty good. The 1985 model year cars produce 230 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque from their 5.7-liter V8, so they're decently powerful. There's also a big community around these cars, including plenty of aftermarket tuning.The 1985 model year of the C4 Chevrolet Corvette is easily one of the biggest bargains in the world of classic sports cars. One of these can be yours for around $12,208. That makes it one of the cheapest classic '80s sports cars around, and their values aren't really going to go down anytime soon. 2003 BMW Z4 Average Used Value: $12,493 Bring a Trailer Specs Source: BMWThe BMW Z4 was the successor to the Z3 mentioned earlier, and it was generally much better received than its predecessor. The Z4 had a more sporting drive and the more powerful engines that most of the Z3 models really needed. Its Chris Bangle styling was divisive at the time, but people have been kinder to it since.The early Z4s are still one of the most affordable routes into owning a proper sports car. A 2003 one will cost you around $12,493. For a proper BMW sports car with an old-school front-engined, rear-wheel drive format, that's a real bargain! 2008 Pontiac Solstice Average Used Value: $14,090 Solstice front Specs Source: PontiacThe Pontiac Solstice has always been a bit of an oddity. A tiny, lightweight sports car powered by relatively small engines, it's the total opposite of what you'd expect from one of America's classic sports car manufacturers. It also flopped pretty hard when it was originally on sale. But, the Solstice is a very good car, and it's proven to be a proper bargain on the used market! It's one of the closest cars you can get to an old-school, lightweight sports car, and the turbocharged version actually has very good power for its size and weight.A 2008 Pontiac Solstice will only set you back around $14,090. While that may not make it as cheap as the other cars on this list, it is a really great price to pay for a proper sports car with an old-school front-engined, rear-wheel drive setup. Now that plenty of time has passed since it was an unloved flop of a sports car, it's the right time to go out and buy one and make sure it doesn't stay forgotten. 2005 Nissan 350Z Average Used Value: $14,510 Nissan Specs Source: NissanA list about proper rear-wheel-drive sports cars that are cheap to buy wouldn't be complete without mentioning the Nissan 350Z. This car is the first sports car many people buy, and for good reason. There are plenty of them around on the used market; they tend to be really cheap, they're very reliable, and they have an almost endless amount of tuning potential. The VQ35 V6 engine is widely considered to be one of Nissan's best, and journalists and owners alike have always raved about how well it drives.The 350Z may be the most expensive car on this list, with 2005 model year examples typically costing around $14,510. That still makes it one of the cheapest proper rear-wheel-drive sports cars on the market, though, and one that's well worth the bargain price you pay for it.