There are plenty of British performance cars available, but not all of them are worth your time and money.

Sports cars you should buy, versus ones that are better off avoided. There are dozens of candidates for both sides of the argument, but what if you narrow the field down to British sports cars? Surprisingly, a few popular names come up for both the good and bad.

Great cars come along all the time. Bigger, better-established brands seemingly can do no wrong. McLaren, except for the oddly styled Speedtail, manages to go one better with each new model. However, it's not just the big names that upset the status quo for the good, bad, and downright disappointing. Retro-modern sports cars, or anything with a connection to the past, has a rather too frequent habit of missing the mark.

Of course, every gearhead is different, deciding who is better, faster, or more exciting is sure to ruffle a few egos.

The original Mini was an icon, small, spacious, and deceptively quick in the right hands, claiming wins against machinery packing more powerful engines. In 2001, under the watchful eye of new owners, BMW, a new generation of Mini's emerged, except they were much bigger. Mini has become maxi.

Bigger means more weight prompting the arrival of more powerful engines, in recent JCW format 2-liter turbocharged motors kick out 228 hp adding some much-needed thrills, but we think BMW/Mini missed the point of what made the original so popular.

After decades of small, track-focused sports cars where weight and size took priority, Lotus did the unthinkable and produced a spiritual successor to the Esprit. It had been a long time coming, but the wait was worth it. The Emira is a mid-engined two-seater set to fill the void left by the demise of both the Elise and Exige.

Under the hood, it's a revelation compared to the previous Lotuses. Two very different engine options, four or six cylinders with either a turbocharger or supercharger, producing 360-400 hp courtesy of partners AMG and Toyota. Set to be the UK-carmaker's last gasoline-powered sports car, the Emira aims to go out with an impressive display of performance.

RELATED: Here's Why We Love The Lotus Esprit

Noble's latest most insane creation, the M600 promises Ferrari, Lamborghini, and even Bugatti-worrying levels of performance, scorching to 60 mph in 3-seconds, before hitting a maximum of 225 mph. Fearsome performance in any gearheads books, with power coming from Yamaha's 4.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 producing up to 650 hp.

The list price is also surprising, Noble will sell brave gearheads the M600 for just $350,000 — surely the supercar bargain of the decade. However, headline-grabbing performance for so little cash comes with its compromises. Poor ergonomics, low-rent interiors both serve as reminders of Noble's low-volume production, mechanical gremlins also raise their heads when you least expect.

We love the Ariel Atom in all its different forms, bike engines to Honda VTEC engines with pretty much everything in between crammed into what on first appearances seems to be some scaffold tubing, two seats, and four wheels. However, this isn't some garden shed project, the Atom is one of the greatest sports cars ever made.

Low weight and big power numbers, the latest Atom 4 boasts 320 hp promising an internal organ-shifting sprint to 60 mph in 2.8-seconds. Those brave enough to explore its upper limits will see a top speed of 162 mph — all while being exposed to wind buffeting and the elements.

Less is more, like the retro-themed Morgan three-wheeler, Grinnall's Scorpion utilized a reverse-trike layout, a single-wheel rear wheel, with a pair upfront handling the steering, critics and owners alike praised its agility. Still in production today, Scorpions have evolved and not in a good way, adding a fourth wheel is great for stability at the cost of excitement.

Slightly larger overall with bigger engines, the Scorpion IV has been transformed into a track car. Audi sourced 1.8-lote engines kick out 225 hp, more for the clinically insane. It's at this point Grinnall has overshot the mark, its chassis couldn't cope with the increased power.

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Proclaimed as the usable daily driver you always wanted, McLaren's GT is aimed at buyers who want 99% percent of the thrills with more in the way of comfort and refinement. To put things into perspective, $215,000 bags you a two-seater, 612 hp twin-turbocharged V8 capable of over 200 mph.

There are some compromises in the quest for comfort, a softer suspension set-up and user-adjustable driving modes make daily driving a real-world possibility. As for the luxury GT additions? Well, you might have to look hard to find them, a clever electro-chromatic roof panel, lashings of Napa leather, and a more generous trunk space.

A new era of performance and refinement the Plux Six might be, its chassis comprising a modern bonded aluminum structure designed to boost structural rigidity. Morgan has even adopted modern power trains, BMWs B58 straight-six punching out 335 hp, the same as Toyota's Supra.

The problems arise from Morgan's reluctance to let go of the past completely and update the styling, still stuck in the '50s with an asking price of $85,000. Sure, it's handcrafted, every aluminum panel carefully shaped and in some cases still placed over wooden frames. Adding a hint of modern engineering is where Morgan missed the mark, it's time the old roadster underwent a proper makeover.

Racecar or road car? The Akula is both. Launched in 2019, Ginetta's most bonkers creation to date, sculpted from carbon fiber adorned with masses of vents and tunnels made possible by its front-mid-engine layout.

Under the hood, or rather nestling between its two-seater cabin, Ginetta's single-cam naturally aspirated V8 produces over 600 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque in a body weighing just 2500 lbs. Unsurprisingly the Akula is quick, 60 mph takes 3-seconds, flat out capable of 200 mph, Ginetta promising the supercar GT will be usable on public roads.

RELATED: 8 British Sports Cars Most Gearheads Have Never Heard Of

Hot of the press literally, new sports car manufacturer Wells made a dramatic appearance earlier this year with the Vertige sports car. The original concept dates back to 2014 with plans to design and build a small mid-engine sports car with space for two.

Fast-forward seven years and the Vertige has become a reality, the first batch of seven production cars going to the founder Robin Wells' family and friends. With plans for limited production runs of 25 cars per year, with prices kicking off at $60k. Size might be an issue, this thing is tiny inside and out, pity it looks cool.

Taking the honors in terms of drop-dead gorgeous styling and being one of the few remaining production cars with a V12, the DBS for us is the best model in Aston's current line-up

Luxury sports cars don't get much better than this, it might be slightly softer than its rivals, but a glorious turbocharged V12 motor up front, pumping out 715 hp more than makes up for any deficits in handling prowess. Leave the 8-speed transmission in auto mode, mash the throttle, and the DBS launches to 60 mph in 3.2-seconds.

Raised in a car-obsessed environment from an early age ensured a keen interest in anything car-related. first and foremost an F1 fan, but also an avid follower of other motorsports. Professional background working closely with a well established UK based Supercar manufacturer in recent years.