Speak to any motoring aficionado, and you will probably find that owning and driving a supercar is at the very top of their bucket list. Unfortunately, given the price tags usually attached to these supercars, they are well beyond the reach of us mortals. Only the super-rich can own a supercar, right?
While that may be true if you’re determined to set your sights high, if you are willing to make a few compromises on your dream car, then even people who are struggling to make ends meet can own a Lexus, Jaguar or even a Ferrari.
The difference between buying new and buying second-hand can be thousands of dollars – and so long as you carry out all the proper checks to make sure you’re not buying a lemon, there is no reason that you can’t soon be cruising the streets behind the wheel of your very own supercar.
Best of all, if your second-hand, budget supercar still carries the name of a high-end supercar, then no one else needs to know that your wheels came from the bargain bucket. Just keep your motor looking cool, and make sure you always draw attention to that prancing horse Ferrari badge, you’ll be the envy of the neighborhood.
Check out the list below of 20 supercars even poor people can afford. Which one would you choose to drive?
20 Ferrari F355 $68,000 (1995-98)
OK, so $68,000 isn’t exactly a bargain price for a car – but it is a bargain price for a Ferrari F355. If you’re living close to the poverty threshold, this will still be well beyond your reach, but families with an average income can easily afford $68,000, especially if you get yourself a great financing deal. The Ferrari F355 really looks the part; its sleek and sexy exterior absolutely screams supercar, and even though this particular vehicle doesn’t come cheap, it looks and drives like the kind of motor that should cost well over $100,000.
The vehicle was only built between 1995 and 1998, so any second-hand models you pick up are likely to have a few miles on the clock, but this limited run only adds to their prestige. When the Ferrari F355 first went on sale in 1995, the car would have cost you a cool $130,000 – still a decent price for a supercar that had a top speed of 183mph and which was able to accelerate from 0 to 60mph in just 4.7 seconds. Try and limit your expectations if you do decide to buy a second-hand Ferrari F355; the chances are it will struggle to hit those kinds of heights thirty years later.
19 Audi R8 $59,000 (2006-12)
German car makers are notorious for their well-built, well-designed luxury cars. Audi, along with BMW and Mercedes-Benz, are taking over the automotive world with their high-end vehicles. Brand new, the Audi R8 costs $150,000, but if you’re willing to accept a model which is just ten years old, then you can save yourself almost $100,000 on the ticket price.
German engineering is so reliable that even a second-hand Audi R8 is going to be a decent set of wheels. (That is unless it was driven into the ground by its previous owner – always get a mechanic to check under the hood before you hand over the cash!)
Early Audi R8s had a 4.2-liter V8 engine, which although smaller than later models, is still more than enough to rack up a decent speed and impressive acceleration. Best of all, the Audi R8 even manages to look the part. Designed like a typical sports car, with sleek, curved lines, the R8 is still comfortable and luxurious on the interior – and though a model from 2006 is unlikely to have all the latest entertainment features, the in-car CD player will mean that you finally have somewhere to play that useless CD collection gathering dust on your shelves…
18 DeTomaso Pantera $49,000 (early 1970s)
While Ferrari and even Audi are instantly recognisable names to fans of supercars, DeTomaso is a little more obscure. Although there is something to be said for buying a supercar that no-one has ever heard of. You could find yourself being a trendsetter, in the same way that Back to the Future made DeLoreans cool again. This limited edition Italian sports car was made between 1971 and 1991, and even though only 7,000 were ever made, you can still pick up one of the early models for the relatively low price of $49,000.
Chances are that a 40-year-old De Tomaso Pantera will have been round the block a few times, but if you’re looking to buy a supercar that’s going to sit on your driveway and look fantastic, then the stylish Pantera could be the car for you. The 1971 DeTomaso Pantera boasted a 330hp V8 engine, and could manage a fairly decent top speed of 161mph – although you’d be very lucky to get over 150mph all these years later! Still, as far as supercars go, there is a lot to be said for not following the herd, and buying a make and model that is a little more unusual than just your bog-standard, boring Ferraris.
17 Nissan GTR $49,000 (2007)
Think “supercar” and chances are that the motor manufacturer Nissan will not be one of the first names that pops into your head. Better known in their native Japan, Europe and even the United States for their cheap and cheerful family cars, you are hardly going to make the neighbors green with envy if you splash out nearly $50,000 on a second-hand Nissan.
Unless, of course, that second-hand car is a Nissan GTR. Brand new, prices start at just over $100,000, and the fact that the cost of the car hasn’t depreciated too much in since the launch of the very first Nissan GTR in 2007 is testament to the increasing reliability of Japanese cars.
The fact is that from a distance, the humble Nissan GTR looks every inch the supercar. In fact, the only way friends and neighbors would know that you haven’t bought an Italian sports car is if you let them close enough to see the tell-tale Nissan badge! And it isn’t just in its looks that the Nissan GTR can compete with much more expensive supercars; early models have an ample V6 engine under the stylish hood, and are capable of reaching top speeds around 190mph.
16 Bentley Continental GT $48,000 (2003-11)
OK, so the Bentley Continental isn’t a sports car; the “GT” moniker gives it away as a Grand Tourer before you even see what it looks like. Regardless of whether or not it’s a sports car, however, you shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that it is a Bentley. A Bentley! The car beloved of the British upper classes for generations. The car of choice for the British Royal Family, for heaven’s sake. The very fact that you can get your hands on such a timelessly classic car for less than $50,000 - $48,000 to be precise – is nothing short of a miracle.
Most people looking to buy a supercar on a budget would probably dismiss Bentley as an option before they even begin shopping, assuming that such a luxurious brand would be far out of their financial reach. It just goes to show that you should never jump to conclusions when it comes to buying second-hand supercars, and that some of the most unlikely makes and models can actually be quite affordable when you get down to brass tacks. The first generation Bentley Continental GT was launched in 2003, and it is these oldest models that are surprisingly cheap.
15 Dodge Challenger Hellcat $45,000 (2015)
So far on this list, we have seen classic Italian sports cars, a reliable German luxury model, a Japanese surprise and British motoring royalty. You might be forgiven for thinking that the only way to get your hands on a supercar if you aren’t super rich is to buy abroad. But don’t despair! If you prefer to support the domestic automotive industry by buying American, there are plenty of affordable but stylish options available to you too. Cars don’t really come more American than Dodge.
The company was established in Detroit (where else?) in 1900, but it became an iconic name in the 1960s and 1970s when it started to build the Challenger and Charger muscle cars.
The super-stylish Challenger Hellcat supercar is still in production today, although it looks very different from the first Dodge Challenger which rolled off the production line in 1970. These older models can be quite expensive; they are very popular with collectors and rarity only adds to their value. However, buy a more modern second-hand model and you can find yourself a great bargain. Even a Dodge Challenger Hellcat made as recently as 2015 will cost you just $45,000 compared to the $75,000 price ticket on brand new models.
14 Ferrari 308 $45,000 (1982)
If you have your heart set on owning a Ferrari, but the $68,000 price tag on the 1995 Ferrari F355 is just a little bit too high, don’t despair. How about owning a classic 1982 Ferrari 308 for the very affordable sum of $45,000? The Ferrari 308 was a very typical two-seater Italian sports car, made at the world famous Maranello factory between 1975 and 1985.
It is the models built around 1983 which often change hands for the smallest sums of money; the earlier designs are considered more attractive, while the later models are a little more powerful.
All Ferrari 308s had V8 engines, and the GTS engine came with a hard-top roof which could be removed if the weather allowed it. By hand of course; there was no such thing as automatic retractable roofs in the 1980s! Even allowing for these antique touches, there is no doubt that the Ferrari 308 ticks all the boxes as far as Ferrari design is concerned. The vehicle was the creation of classic Ferrari designer Leonardo Fioravanti who was responsible for some of the most recognizable Ferrari cars of the 1970s and 1980s before he went on to found his own automotive company in 1991.
13 Aston Martin Vantage $43,000 (2008)
When super spy James Bond gets ready to set off on one of his world-saving missions, he has all the power and the wealth of the British state behind him, and no expense is spared when it comes to getting 007 all the latest gadgets and mod-cons so that he can take down the bad guys. Of course, that includes his cars.
For years, the name James Bond has been synonymous with the classic British motor manufacturer Aston Martin. Daniel Craig, the current Bond, is often seen behind the wheel of the super cool DBS, but back in the 1980s, during his brief tenure as 007, Timothy Dalton’s Aston Martin of choice was the Vantage. The vintage Aston Martin V8 Vantage is a little on the pricey side, but buy a more recent model and you can snap up a stylish supercar for just over $43,000. The 2008 Aston Martin Vantage also has a V8 engine, able to power the vehicle from 0 to 60mph in 4.9 seconds – more than enough to make you feel like (and look like) you’re driving a super-expensive supercar, when really you’re driving something that has actually cost the same as a brand new Ford Focus.
12 Lotus Esprit $40,000 (1987-1993)
Aston Martin isn’t the only British motoring company which has made some bargain supercars in its time. Lotus, a company known for its sports cars, made the Lotus Esprit at its factory in England between 1976 and 2004, although it is the Lotus Esprit X180, manufactured between 1987 and 1993 which boasts the smallest price tags these days, costing just $40,000.
Lotus may not have quite the same cachet as the Ferrari brand, but it does have something in common with the iconic motoring manufacturer; a Formula One motor racing team. OK, so Lotus hasn’t quite had the same success as the Scuderia Ferrari, but there has got to be something super-cool about driving around in a car which bears the same name as Formula One cars driven by Stirling Moss, Nigel Mansell, Mika Hakkinen and even the late, great Ayrton Senna. The Lotus Esprit, admittedly, doesn’t look very British; it’s aggressive, angular design looks like it would be more at home on the Ferrari factory floor, and although the car is 100% British, it was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who has been responsible for some of the most iconic vehicles in history and who was even named Car Designer of the Year in 1999.
11 Porsche 911 Turbo $40,000 (1990)
There’s a good chance that if you were into cars as a teenage boy (or girl) that you had a poster of a Porsche on the walls of your bedroom. Perhaps you even dreamed of owning a Porsche one day. Until you grew up, and realized that you were never going to be able to earn enough to afford one. Don’t write off that teenage dream too soon, however.
While a new Porsche is out of the financial reach of most ordinary people, if you’re willing to buy vintage (although not too vintage) then it is possible to pick up a bargain.
The Porsche 911 Turbo is about as classic as you can get, and yet the 1990 model can be bought for as little as $40,000. As well as getting to drive around in about the most stylish supercar that there is, you also get to enjoy the fact that you are behind the wheel of a real life piece of automotive history. After all, the Porsche 911 Turbo has been in production since 1963, and is still rolling off production lines at Porsche’s Stuttgart factory today. The Porsche 911 even came fifth in a 1999 poll to decide “Car of the Century.”
10 Acura NSX $40,000 (1991)
It isn’t just Americans and Europeans that can make classic supercars, Japanese company Honda made the NSX, a two-seater sports car, between 1990 and 2005, marketing the vehicle as the Acura NSX in the United States. NSX stands for New Sports Experience, and just to add to its cool factor, its interior style was modeled on the cockpit of an F-15 fighter jet! While the look of the earlier – and cheaper – models are very much of their time, there is no denying that the Acura NSX simply oozes the word supercar from every inch of its bodywork. Its angular design won’t be to everybody’s taste, but if you dream of screeching around the city streets in a car from an 80s movie, then the Acura NSX will be right up your alley – especially if you buy it in red! Best of all, the Acura NSX is very affordable, costing around $40,000; not bad for a car which was co-designed by Formula One legend Ayrton Senna. Brazilian Senna was brought on board by Honda to put his expert finishing touches to the latter stages of the design process – although he probably didn’t guess his handiwork would be available for a bargain $40,000 thirty years later.
9 Alfa Romeo 4C $40,000 (2015)
If Ferrari is the king of Italian motor manufacturing, then Alfa Romeo must at least be the prince. Far less obviously showy than the cars created by Ferrari, Alfa Romeos are the perfect combination of timeless classic design and ostentatious supercar elegance. A truly desirable vehicle, but surely one that would be extortionately expensive and way out of most people’s financial reach, right? Wrong.
Believe it or not you can actually pick up a 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C for the very reasonable sum of just $40,000. This is particularly hard to believe when you get a look at the Alfa Romeo 4C; the car quite simply looks more expensive, with its sleek exterior and luxurious interior.
Powered by a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, just $40,000 gets you a supercar that can roar from 0 to 60mph in less than 4.5 seconds and which has a top speed of 160mph. The Alfa Romeo 4C is one of the company’s more recent models, only launched in 2013, but decades of engineering and design excellence have gone into its creation. After all, Alfa Romeo have been making cars at their headquarters in Milan since 1910, when the company was founded by Frenchman Alexandre Darracq.
8 Aston Martin DB9 $37,000 (2005)
If the Aston Martin Vantage mentioned earlier isn’t quite your very British cup of tea, then why not see whether the Aston Martin DB9, a very sophisticated Grand Tourer first launched in 2004, floats your boat. The DB9 uses the powerful 5.9-liter V12 engine developed specially for the V12 Vanquish, with an impressive top speed of 183mph and the ability to accelerate from 0 to 60mph in just 4.5 seconds.
While Grand Tourers generally don’t have the same exquisite handling as a genuine sports car, there is no doubting that the Aston Martin DB9 is a very classy supercar if you’re looking to spend your hard-earned cash on a high-end vehicle. When it went out of production in 2016, brand new Aston Martin DB9s could cost as much as $200,000 and yet if you buy a second-hand version of the most basic 2005 model, you should be able to pick up your very own version of a James Bond classic for only $37,000. It’s hardly surprising that Britain’s most stylish spy would choose an Aston Martin; the quintessentially British company has been making amazingly stylish vehicles for over 100 years. They’ve had plenty of practice at getting everything just right.
7 Dodge Viper GTS $35,000 (2000)
All-American car manufacturer Dodge makes their second appearance in this list with the ultimate supercar, the Dodge Viper GTS. In fact, this really is one of the most American cars on the market, with more than 75% of its part manufactured at plants and factories within the United States; unlike many so-called US motors which are often made up of parts that have been built around the world, or which are put together at production plants far from America. So, not only do you get to drive an amazingly cool and sexy car if you buy a Dodge Viper GTS, but you are also doing your bit to support the American car industry.
In fact, you could even look at the $35,000 price tag as investment in the home-grown automotive industry – or just a really cheap way to get your hands on one of the most desirable US sports cars ever made! The Viper was first built between 1992 and 2010, and then took a short break, before Dodge made the decision to bring back the beloved Viper between 2012 and 2017. If you’re in the market for a Viper, make sure you shop around and buy one with the iconic double stripes on the hood.
6 Ferrari Mondial $32,000 (1985)
If you thought that the $45,000 price tag for the Ferrari 308 was cheap for a super-desirable supercar, then wait until you see how much it costs to buy a 1985 Ferrari Mondial: $32,000. That’s less than it costs to buy a new Nissan Pathfinder or a fresh off the lot Jeep Wrangler. The Jeep Wrangler may be a cool classic in its own right, but put it up against an actual Ferrari, and the Jeep doesn’t stand a chance.
The Ferrari Mondial is a stylish and very 1980s looking tourer, which was built at Ferrari’s Modena factory between 1982 and 1993, though it is the earlier models which have the lowest price tags. The brutal truth is that when it comes to design, the Ferrari Mondial simply doesn’t stack up against other Ferraris, but if you simply want to own a car emblazoned with the famous prancing horse badge, then this is the cheapest way to do it. And who cares that the car looks a little dated? You’re driving an actual Ferrari! If you’re a fan of classic 1980s movies, then the Ferrari Mondial might look very familiar; it was the car driven by the teenage inventors in Weird Science after they manufactured supermodel Kelly LeBrock.
5 Lotus Exige $30,000 (2005)
As we have already seen, Lotus has an impressive pedigree when it comes to creating sophisticated and well-engineered cars, so you know that any car they have developed is going to be not only fun to drive but also reliable. That’s why you can buy a second-hand Lotus and still be pretty confident that you’re not going to be buying a lemon. Although, given that you never quite know who has had their hands on your dream car before you, it’s best not to really entirely on the reputation of the manufacturer when buying a used vehicle!
You only need to go back to 2005 to get yourself a great bargain on the Lotus Exige, a darned fine two-seater roadster that looks like it would be more at home on the track than parked in front of your house.
It will cost you only $30,000 to pick up a second-hand 2005 Lotus Exige, so long as you are happy to go for the most basic option. And even the basic option has some pretty sweet features, including a 1.8-liter engine, super-light fiberglass bodywork and a top speed of 147mph. Able to accelerate from 0 to 60mph in just 4.7 seconds, putting the pedal to the metal on this baby is an experience you won’t soon forget.
4 Maserati GranTurismo $28,000 (2008)
Another great name in Italian motor manufacturing, Maserati has been in the car business since 1914 when it was founded by the five Maserati brothers, Alfieri, Bindo, Carlo, Ettore, and Ernesto, in their home town of Bologna. The Maserati boys were proud of their heritage, and the famous Trident logo which features on the hood of every Maserati car ever built is even modeled on the Fountain of Neptune in Bologna’s Piazza Maggiore. Although Maserati cars have changed beyond all recognition in the intervening years, the Maserati brothers would still be impressed with the engineering and style of the modern-day cars created by their company.
Take the Maserati GranTurismo, for example, a two-door, four-seat coupé, built on the same platform as the super stylish Maserati Quattroporte and with a hefty 4.2-liter engine under the hood. First launched in 2007, even the most basic version of the Maserati GranTurismo has a top speed of 177mph and can accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 3.7 seconds. And you can get all that for the very reasonable price of $28,000. And let’s not forget that the Maserati GranTurismo isn’t just great to drive, but also looks the very epitome of style and sophistication too.
3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 $27,000 (2008)
The Chevrolet Corvette is such a classic of American motoring that it has even had songs written about it. Prince’s Little Red Corvette anyone? The very first Corvette was made all the way back in 1953, and was rumored to have been named by Myron Scott, the legendary creator of the soapbox derby, who apparently chose the name in honor of a small and very maneuverable type of warship called a corvette.
While the classic Chevy Corvette will still cost too much for most ordinary budgets, you can find bargain versions of the many variations of the vehicle which have been produced over the years, including the Z06.
This particular variation was first made between 1963 and 1967, and then spent a long time in the automotive wilderness, before making a triumphant return to production in 2001. The best deals are to be found on the third version of the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 – also known as the C6 Z06 – which can be bought for a little as $27,000. Well within reach of even the poorest car consumers. Borrowing heavily from the timeless design of the 1960s Chevrolet Corvette Z06, the 2008 version looks pretty amazing for a bargain basement supercar.
2 Lexus ISF $20,000 (2008)
Lexus is fast becoming the name in luxury cars. Why else would they choose “the relentless pursuit of perfection” as their company motto? To many of us, Lexus may appear to be a relative newcomer on the motoring scene, but they have actually been around since 1989. A young company when compared to all those turn of the 20th century Italian manufacturers like Ferrrai, Maserati and Alfa Romeo, but still older than a lot of people would expect.
Not many people even realize that Lexus isn’t really a company in its own right, but is actually just a division of Japanese automotive giant Toyota, which specializes in making high-end cars for the luxury market.
As you would expect from a luxury cars division, many of the motors created by Lexus come with a luxury price tag, but second-hand versions of the Lexus ISF can sell for as little as $20,000. Very affordable, even for families living on low wages. The Lexus ISF was first sold in both the United States and Europe in 2007, and it is this model which provides the biggest bargains for thrifty car shoppers, especially when you take into consideration the vehicle’s powerful 5-liter V8 engine.
1 Jaguar XKR $15,000 (2000)
The cheapest supercar on our list is another classic from the United Kingdom. Jaguar is one of the best-loved motoring brands in British motoring, and some of its finest vehicles are owned by Kings and Presidents around the globe, including the British Royal Family, who own two stretched Jaguar limousines which are used on state occasions and for the visits of important foreign dignitaries. Now, you’re not going to be able to buy a vintage Jaguar limousine for less than a few hundred thousand dollars, but you can get your hands on the 2000 version of the Jaguar XKR for the amazingly tiny sum of just $15,000. The Jaguar XKR is a two-door grand tourer, available in both coupe and convertible options, powered by the Jaguar AJ-V8 engine, which made its debut in this car when it was first launched in 1996. While Jaguar may be every inch a classic British company, the Jaguar XKR was a truly global affair, with an English motor, a Japanese ignition system, German transmission, French lighting system and a supercharger made by American company Eaton. Shop around and you can own this fine machine for the same price as 3,000 $5 cups of coffee….
Sources: roadandtrack.com, autocar.co.uk, topgear.com, edmunds.com