10 Best Sports Car Interiors

2018 Spyker C8 interior IP ・ Photo by Spyker

Driving a sports car used to mean sacrificing comfort and convenience. Early sports cars were inspired by race cars, and indeed, many did double-duty as standard transportation on the weekdays and race vehicles on the weekend. In search of performance, racers would strip out everything that they considered inessential from their cars. Padding, headliners, door panels, and radios all went into the bin to reduce vehicle weight. The result was a faster car that was torturous to drive, but the racers were willing to make the sacrifice.

A modern sports car asks much less sacrifice from its driver. Craftsmanship and material selection are at premium luxury levels, and available infotainment options match some of the best systems found in an executive sedan.

Here, in alphabetical order by brand, are our choices for the 10 Best Sports Car Interiors.

2017 Aston Martin DB11

It’s impossible to discuss an Aston Martin DB model without mentioning James Bond, and for good reason. The brand and model have become intertwined with the movie franchise as the British spy’s vehicle of choice. Bond is known for his exquisite taste, and the 2017 Aston Martin DB11’s interior fulfills 007’s requirements. It is gorgeous, with supremely high-quality materials assembled with care and attention to detail. DB11 shines upon close examination. The stitching on the seats alone is worthy of hours of contemplation. Purists might exclude the 2+2 Grand Touring (GT) DB11 from the “sports car” category, but they’d be wrong. Zero to 60 in 3.6 seconds and a V12 from AMG under the hood definitely qualifies the DB11 as part of the class.

Photo by Aston Martin

2018 Audi R8 Spyder

When Audi debuted the first R8 as a 2008 model, it signaled that the brand was taking a serious step forward by building a sports car that would showcase its racing pedigree and engineering prowess. It also demonstrated Audi’s great design sense and the exquisite simplicity of its interiors. The 2018 Audi R8 Spyder continues the tradition with a comfortable, clean interior design that is the automotive equivalent of a perfectly tailored suit. Clean lines, perfect gaps, and smooth surfaces make the R8’s cabin a contemporary study. Add Audi’s latest MMI infotainment system, and the R8 delivers not only sporting behavior, but connected technology fit for an entrepreneur.

Photo by Audi

2017 Ferrari 488 Spider

If you’ve never driven a Ferrari (and most of us haven’t,) it can be difficult to understand why sports car enthusiasts are willing to part with six figures-plus for the privilege. Sure, the 2017 Ferrari 488 Spider is pretty and blisteringly fast, but the intangible value becomes concrete when you slip into the driver’s seat. Every point of contact is rich and luxurious. The steering wheel rim is wrapped in sumptuous leather, and has just the right weight and feel. Every switch and knob exudes precision. The seat envelopes you in support and comfort. Every gauge on the dashboard is angled for view at a quick glance and carries the authority of a fine watch. Driving a Ferrari doesn’t make you cool, but the 488 Spider’s interior makes you feel cool – which is even better.

Photo by Ferrari

2018 Jaguar F-Type SVR Coupe

Enzo Ferrari called the Jaguar E-Type “the most beautiful car ever made” back in the 1960s, and the F-Type, introduced in 2014, is the most beautiful Jaguar since the E-Type. The interior might be the best ever on a modern Jag. The 2018 Jaguar F-TYPE SVR Coupe is the top-of-the-line for the model, massaged by the brand’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division. Its seats are special performance models that feature elaborate quilting, which serves to enhance comfort and traction at the same time. The leather door panels are also quilted. The latest Incontrol Touch Pro infotainment system features a widescreen LCD interface and comes packed with an audiophile-level Meridian surround sound system. The combination of hand-crafted details and high-tech features makes the F-Type’s interior one of the best.

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

2018 Lamborghini Huracán RWD Spyder

Lamborghini chose the 2018 Huracán RWD Spyder as the showcase for a new material, Forged Composites. Forged Composites is made from carbon fiber and resin, and unlike the stranded carbon fiber, Forged Composites uses discontinuous pieces of carbon fiber and resin to mold structural and functional components. It has many of the same properties of the stranded version (light weight, high rigidity, resistance to fatigue and moisture) that make carbon fiber so great, but it can be formed quickly and has a unique surface appearance, similar to oriented strand board wood products. Forged Composites can be specified on the RWD Spyder for the HVAC outlets and part of the center console, making the Huracán one of the best interiors on any sports car.

Photo by Lamborghini

2018 McLaren 570GT

The interior of the 2018 McLaren 570GT has a leg up on the competition right from the start – it’s in a McLaren, after all. But McLaren applied a significant amount of attention to upgrading the already comfortable 570 interiors when it created the new GT model, elevating it to our list of best sports car interiors. Leather and stranded carbon fiber co-exist side-by-side on the dash, door panels, center console and steering wheel. The modestly-sized touchscreen navigation screen is mounted in portrait orientation on the center stack, taking the practice of mass centralization to the max, while Bowers & Wilkens complete the sound. A special MSO (McLaren Special Operations) concept version of the 570GT was featured at Pebble Beach this year and promised even more luxury for the well-heeled.

Photo by McLaren

2018 Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster

Mercedes-Benz is capable of producing a stunning sports car, especially when they turn over a great car to their AMG division as they have done with the 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT. AMG is well known for its handcrafted “One Man – One Engine” process. That process extends to the interior as well, with AMG Performance seats that can be hand-fitted in custom fabrics and leathers, complementing console, dash and door trim. Standard COMAND infotainment brings this high-tech Roadster to an elite level. The inclusion of AIRSCARF, a curtain of warmed air that floats around your head and shoulders, elevates the GT’s interior to our list of best sports car interiors.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

2018 Morgan Plus 8

There’s retro, and then there’s classic. While some manufacturers have toyed with retro style, Morgan has chosen a more direct route to classic style – they’ve simply continued to produce their Plus 8 roadsters for decades with few changes. Sure, the electronics, engine, and brakes have been swapped out for modern units, but the ash wood frame and classic styling of the 2018 Morgan Plus 8 remain the same. That goes for the interior, too, and that’s why it makes our list. The Plus 8 transports you back in time with its wood dash (not veneer), mechanical gauges and switches. The fine craftsmanship of its leather seating surfaces and trim pieces reflect a lifetime of experience and provide a driving environment unlike any other modern sports car.

Photo by Morgan

2017 Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series

Porsche 911 has gone through a number of generations but still remains a coveted sports car in each of its iterations. The 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series appears destined to become a collector’s item thanks to its unique (and exclusive) details and enhancements. The exterior gets special wheels, paint, and an aero kit, while the engine gets a 27-hp boost. The interior, our focus on this list, gets a “Limited Edition” plaque, instrument dials in black, and tachometer with Golden Yellow twin-stripe design including “Exclusive Series” logo. Carbon fiber trim laced with gold strands accents the dash, console, and door panels. Layer that on top of an already comfortable and luxurious interior, and you’ve got a member of the best sports car interiors list.

Photo by Porsche

2017 Spyker C8 Preliator

The original Spyker brand built cars and planes in the Holland. The company existed from 1880 to 1926, was dormant until it was revived in 1999, and now produces sports cars that pay homage to the original brand with aircraft-inspired sports cars. The 2017 Spyker C8 Preliator seats two in a 'cockpit' that dazzles with its luxurious finishes and features. From the cool Spyker logo, which looks like a wire wheel that shares a hub with an airplane propeller, to the airplane-style Switchcraft on the machined metal dash, everything shouts “airplane.” The cool thing is, it works. The Preliator’s interior is both thoroughly modern and elaborately classic at the same time and oozes quality at every touch point. It may be the rarest vehicle on our list – you won’t often run into one at your local Walmart – but it definitely belongs on the list.

Photo by Spyker