For many of us, it's a dream to own a high-performance sports car or supercar. There's nothing else around that's quite like a proper high-performance sports car. Pursuing that dream, however, can be incredibly expensive. We've all seen the eye-watering price tags on the newest sports cars and supercars. For those of us with only the budget to buy a regular daily driver brand new, buying that awesome sports car really feels unattainable.
But, it doesn't necessarily have to be this way! There are plenty of options out there that are actually within a reasonable budget. While you won't be able to get even older versions of the most exotic of supercars, you will be able to get plenty of sports cars with great performance. There are even a couple of great classic sports cars you can get without massively breaking the bank! When it comes down to it, though, all these cars offer the same thing. They're all serious performance machines that you can get for regular car prices!
10 Nissan 350Z - $4,000 To $60,000
The Nissan 350Z is a car that often comes recommended for anyone wanting a sports car on a budget. There's a very good reason why that is. It's not only relatively very cheap to buy, but it's also steadfastly reliable. Its VQ35 V6 engine is a Nissan stalwart, too, that's got a great reputation for reliability and performance. Perhaps more tempting for performance car enthusiasts, though, is that the 350Z is also fairly easy to tune.
A Nissan 350Z can be yours for as little as $4,000! This easily makes it one of the cheapest high-performance sports cars anywhere on the used market. Of course, if you want a excellent example, you'll have to pay a fair bit more than that. But, even cheap ones can give you loads of relatively trouble-free motoring!
9 Chevrolet Corvette (C4) - $7,300 To $22,300
You might not have expected to see the C4 generation Chevrolet Corvette in this list. But, it is one of the cheapest ways out there to get a sports car with serious V8 power! Even ZR1 and Callaway models are relatively cheap for what they are. It's also a car that can very easily be tuned for even more power, should you want that.
The C4 doesn't get anywhere near as much love as other Corvette generations. As a result, its used values have been kept down. A base model Corvette of this generation can be had for as little as $7,300, while you can pay up to $22,300 for a twin-turbo Callaway model. Whichever way you decide to go with the C4, you'll be getting a serious high-performance bargain with almost endless potential to make it even faster!
8 Porsche Boxster S (986) - $11,000 To $39,000
The Porsche Boxster S has been a perennial favorite for anyone who wants a great sports car since its launch. Whether you buy one new or used, you're going to get a sports car that's set the benchmark in its class. The earliest 986 generation is now a really attractive used buy, as its one of the cheapest ways you can get into owning a serious high-performance sports car. You can pick up one for around $11,000-$39,000, making it one of the cheapest Porsches you can get on the used market!
In many ways, owning a Porsche is not cheap. But, at least the price you'll have to pay to get one of these early Boxsters isn't high!
7 Porsche Cayman S (987)
Like its Boxster S sibling, the Cayman S has been a perennial favorite for any sports car buyers since it came out. It's especially an attractive proposition on the used market, as values for 987 generation models have started to become relatively very affordable! A 987 Cayman S can be yours for around $22,000 to $40,000. This, like the Boxster S, makes it one of the cheapest entries into Porsche ownership you can get.
As with all Porsches, owning a Cayman won't be cheap. But, with the cost of these early ones becoming a lot more affordable now, it won't be anywhere near as much of a financial hit as if you bought one new.
6 Pontiac GTO/Vauxhall Monaro/Holden Monaro - $9,000 To $33,000
This Australian-built muscle car sometimes gets forgotten about when it comes to high-performance cars you can get quite cheaply on the used market. That shouldn't be the case, though! The mid-'00s Pontiac GTO (or Vauxhall Monaro or Holden Monaro, depending on whether you live in Britain or Oceania) has an LS V8 under the hood and comes with plenty of power even in stock form. Of course, as it's got an LS motor, there's also an abundant amount of tuning out there you can do to it. 500+ hp is easily achievable through adding superchargers and doing all sorts of other typical LS mods.
You can pick up one of these Pontiac GTOs for as little as $9,000. For a car with genuine LS V8 power, that's an absolutely fantastic bargain!
5 Maserati 3200 GT - $12,000
The 3200 GT is a Maserati model that's been overlooked for a while now. It just doesn't have the same glamour as classic models, or the more modern ones that came after it. In fact, it's viewed as a little bit of an ugly duckling in Maserati's history. But, because of this, you can get one of these for a relatively cheap price! These stylish grand tourers are powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.2-liter V8 engine and were available with either a manual or an automatic transmission.
You can pick up a 3200 GT for around $12,000. But, if you do pick one up, be aware that they aren't the most reliable sports cars in the world and that they're also expensive to service. What you will get, though, is a very stylish Italian grand tourer for an almost stupendously cheap price!
4 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4/Dodge Stealth R/T Twin-Turbo - $21,600
It might be a bit surprising to see a JDM legend on this list. But, the Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 is one of the few JDM legends that's still relatively attainable! The 3000GT often gets forgotten amongst its peers. A lot of people chase the Nissan 300ZX over one of these. That does the 3000GT a disservice, especially the top-spec VR4 version. The VR4 was packed with innovative technology for the time, including permanent all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering.
A 3000GT VR4 in good condition will cost you around $21,600. While this doesn't make it exactly cheap, it is cheaper than many of its JDM peers. It's also unlikely to really go down in value any time soon, thanks to its great performance and having technology that was pioneering for the '90s.
3 Nissan GT-R (R35) - From $53,000
The R35 Nissan GT-R has been around for seemingly forever. It's difficult to imagine a time when it hasn't been available brand new, let alone on the used market. But, because it's been around for such a long time, the earliest examples are getting pretty affordable for the amount of performance they give you! The R35 GT-R has close to supercar levels of performance, and there is an almost endless amount of tuning you can to do it to make it even faster.
You can pick up an R35 GT-R on the used market from around $53,000. That seems like a huge amount of money compared to other cars on this list, but you are getting a serious performance machine.
2 Audi R8 (Type 42) - From $64,000
The Audi R8 might be the most expensive option on this list. But, it's here because it's one of the cheapest ways you can get a proper supercar! The Audi R8 shares DNA with the Lamborghini Gallardo of the same era. This includes the Gallardo's engine in V10 models! Manual transmission variants also get a gated shifter, which gives a great throwback to supercars of old.
These first-generation R8s start from around $64,000 on the used market. That makes it easily the most expensive car on this list. But, that extra expense is worth it for the genuine supercar potential it offers. None of the other cars on this list come anywhere near that.
1 Aston Martin DB7 - $20,600 To $27,600
You might be surprised to see an Aston Martin on this list. Well, the DB7 is one of the few Aston Martin models that are actually somewhat attainable! This is likely due to the DB7's reputation not being the best among fans of the Aston Martin brand, or even British sports cars in general. It shares some underpinnings with the widely divisive Jaguar XJS, and it doesn't look anywhere near as good as the DB9 that replaced it.
An early straight-6 model of the DB7 will cost you around $20,600. If you want to go for the V12, you'll have to fork out more money at around $27,600. Whichever model you go for, you'll be getting a car with serious levels of cool at a price you might not think you could!