Supercars are the shining star on the hill of aspirational automotive goals we all have. We tirelessly slave away at our jobs and do everything we can to afford an amazing supercar experience in our lives someday. However, there are a few cars out there that might hurt our feelings should that day ever come. Imagine rolling up at a light in your newly minted V12 supercar and getting dusted by a gal in a wagon.
Today I'm going to teach you all about 15 cars that you can have now that put you in her position with all the horsepower and torque you could ever need. Astronomical running expenses aren't a thing in this list either so get ready to go fast on a budget.
15 Volvo V70 R
The R-Design Volvos are a breed apart from your average Volvo. They're the only ones that focus on driving dynamics and speed over anything else. They handle exceptionally well and are all turbocharged so you can turn up the boost anytime you need to smoke some cocky competition. I would love one of these blue ones.
14 Ford Taurus SHO
There are 3 vehicles Ford sells with the same drivetrain as this SHO Taurus. All of them are super-capable and very fast. The Taurus is the lightest and most capable around corners though so it gets the mention here. 365 horsepower stock from a twin-turbo engine gives you plenty of room to toy around with tuning and other power adders if you need more speed.
13 BMW 535i
If you read many of my pieces you know I love the 535i. So much so that I bought one. They're twin-turbo and capable of 170mph+ with a little tuning. I can tell you from experience on tracks and autocross courses, there are very few sedans that can keep up with supercars even before you tune them and throw a few extra parts on them. The M5 from this year was faster than a Ferrari 458 around the Topgear test track. How much faster could a tuned 535i be considering how much lighter it is?
12 Audi A6 3.0T
Before buying my 535i I nearly went with this Audi. The 3.0T is actually a moniker for their 3.0 l straight-six that's supercharged. So tuning is still possible with a smaller pulley and an ECU reflash. The Quattro AWD system means you can launch hard and out-handle most anything. The interior is a lovely place to be too.
11 Lotus Carlton
The Carlton is truly a rare bird. They're likely the most expensive car on this list but they're worth it. Super-reliable and they hold the title as a car that was once the fastest sedan in the world. They can still top 175mph which is obviously fast enough to put to shame any 155 limited car built today, and that's a lot of them.
10 Audi S4
Pictured above is the B5 S4 but really any S4 is pretty dangerous when it comes to supercars. They can be a bit expensive to run for the average owner but they're nothing compared to the thousands of dollars you'll spend every time you take your supercar for an oil change. Even better, if you get the Avant version pictured above you can do almost anything in it and still smoke a supercar.
9 Chevy SS
The SS is one of the saddest stories in recent American automotive history. It should've been called the Impala or the Bel-Air but no, Chevy called it the SS. That only led to confusion and crappy sales. They hold their value great though because they hold 5 people in exceptional comfort and all of you are sitting behind a Corvette motor under the hood. What's not to love?
8 Saab 9-2X Aero
Hark! It's a Saabaru. That's right. If you weren't sure, this is really just a Subaru WRX Wagon in Saab clothing. Honestly, it's a pretty rare car and they're a bit nice inside than their Subaru twins so if you happen upon one I absolutely recommend them. They are capable of serious power and if you know what you're doing you can easily embarrass much more powerful cars.
7 Chrysler 300C SRT-8
Chrysler made a huge impact when they released the 300C. They went full fat when they released the SRT variant. Not only does this thing already look like something only a crime boss would drive, now it could actually make a proper getaway. The 475 horsepower HEMI V8 is nothing to turn your nose up at. It's even reliable.
6 Buick Regal GS
The Regal is actually an Opel Insignia originally made just for the European market. That means the fit and finish is far above the average American car. In addition, they're sold with a turbo and AWD. Think of this as a grown-up Subaru WRX with just as much tuning capability and a much nicer interior.
5 Mercedes S600
The S600 is a pretty powerful car to begin with, making over 400 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque from its monstrous V12. Add to that a number of customizations available for both the interior and exterior, as well as the engine itself, and you have yourself a serious supercar killer.
4 Dodge Magnum SRT
Repeat everything I said about the 300C above except it doesn't look as good. What it gives up in good looks though it gets back in versatility and handling. It's over an inch lower so it's more capable around a corner. The wagon body style just means you're that much more likely to sneak up on a supercar before you steal its lunch money.
3 Ford Fusion Sport
The Fusion is a pretty dapper little car and the Sport version is a killer value. The engine seems small at only 2.7 liters but it's a twin-turbo unit and produces over 320 horsepower. It's the same 2.7 V6 used in some of Ford's trucks, so we know it's capable of more power and torque than this little car could need. It can also be found with AWD further adding to its sporty prowess.
2 Subaru Forester XT
The XT is the only Forester to look for. They're harder to find, but boy, when you do find them, they're about as versatile as a car/SUV/CUV can be. As you see above, they can be lowered so handling is almost as good as a normal WRX. They're capable of big power too. 400 horsepower is no big deal for the Forester XT.
1 Mercedes Benz R63 AMG
There is no bigger sleeper than this MINIVAN. That's right, you may have forgotten that for a very short time Mercedes built and sold (very few) of these little Minivans. They even created a high-performance variant called the R63 AMG. It produced more than 400 horsepower from the V8 and is capable of handling more power should you really need to get to the kids even quicker.