While it's often true that the fastest cars in the world are also some of the most expensive, some can be snapped up for dirt-cheap prices on the used market. Although these cheap cars are fast, don't expect them to be nearly as fast as the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, the fastest car in the world. With a theoretical top speed of 330 mph, the Jesko Absolut is claimed to be faster than any Bugatti. However, if you don't want to spend more than $20,000, these are the fastest options on the used car market.

UPDATE: 2024/03/27 17:17 EST BY DENNIS KARIUKI NJOKI

With a budget of under $20,000, the used car market offers plenty of options for buyers looking for fast-performance cars. Due to fluctuating prices for used cars, we've updated this article to reflect the current pricing for all models listed and swapped the slowest cars on the list with their faster yet affordable alternatives.

How we got our model selections: HotCars analyzed performance cars in all segments and countries. The selection criteria included models with an average used price of under $20,000 (according to KBB's fair market price) and a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 4.5 seconds and below (according to respective manufacturer estimates, Acceleration Times and Zero To 60 Times). All included models were sorted from slowest to fastest according to their 0-60 MPH times.

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12 2009 Nissan 370Z Touring: 0-60 In 4.5 Seconds ($15,131)

yellow 2009 Nissan 370Z Touring Sport parked
BringaTrailer

Performance Specs

0-60 MPH

4.5 seconds

Top Speed

157 mph

Horsepower

332 hp

Torque

270 lb-ft

Layout

Front engine, rear-wheel drive

The 2009 370Z Touring Tops Out At 157 MPH

Replacing the Nissan 350Z, the 2009 370Z came with a revised engine that delivered more power and greater speed. The 3.7-liter V6 churns out 332 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque – a solid 26 hp more than its predecessor.

With a power difference of 32 hp, the 2009 Nissan 370Z Touring can give the 2008 350Z a 0.7-second head start to catch up with it. The 370Z Touring completes the 0-60 mph run in just 4.5 seconds and tops out at 157 mph. If the performance numbers for this Japanese sports car that defies expectations sound good, you'll love its price even more. KBB estimates the average used price of a 2009 370Z Touring is around $15,131.

11 2013 BMW 750Li: 0-60 In 4.5 Seconds ($12,648)

dark silver 2013 BMW 750Li xDrive M Sport parked on the road
Bring a Trailer

Performance Specs

0-60 MPH

4.5 seconds

Top Speed

155 mph

Horsepower

445 hp

Torque

480 lb-ft

Layout

Front engine, rear-wheel drive

The 2013 750Li Comfortably Cruises At 155 MPH

For 2013, the BMW 750Li enjoyed a 45-hp increase in power from a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine mated to a standard 8-speed automatic transmission. The engine cranks out 445 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque, which is more than enough to move this 4660-pound super sedan.

The 2013 750Li zooms off to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and tops out at 155 mph. You can snap up a 2013 750Li in pristine condition for somewhere in the neighborhood of $12,648, making it one of the best luxury cars for under $15,000.

10 2015 Audi S3: 0-60 In 4.5 Seconds ($15,767)

red 2015 Audi S3 Sedan  parked on gravel.
YouTube - - @JasonMunro13

Performance Specs

0-60 MPH

4.5 seconds

Top Speed

155 mph

Horsepower

292 hp

Torque

280 lb-ft

Layout

Front engine, all-wheel drive

The 2015 S3 Has A Top Speed Of 155 MPH

While the 2015 Audi A3 sedan comes with a 1.8-liter turbocharged inline-4 that can only deliver 170 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque, the S3 is available for those who desire more punch. The S3's 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 produces 292 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque.

It rips to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds and tops out at 155 mph, making it one of the fastest four-cylinder cars in the world. For context, the 2020 BMW M235i xDrive Gran Coupe is just 0.1 seconds faster, but the 2015 S3 is cheaper, coming in at an average of $15,767.

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9 2013 Mercedes CLS550 4MATIC: 0-60 In 4.4 Seconds ($17,904)

silver 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 parked
BringaTrailer

Performance Specs

0-60 MPH

4.4 seconds

Top Speed

130 mph

Horsepower

402 hp

Torque

443 lb-ft

Layout

Front engine, all-wheel drive

The 2013 CLS550 4MATIC Has A 402-HP Twin-Turbo V8

The CLS 63 AMG is the beefiest version of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class but costs north of $20,000 on the used market. The CLS550 4MATIC is the next best thing in the CLS-Class, retailing at $17,904 on the used-car market, per KBB.

The CLS550 4MATIC 4-door coupe boasts an output of 402 hp from a 4.7-liter twin-turbo V8, while the BMW 550i churns out 400 hp courtesy of a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. When it comes to straight-line acceleration, the CLS550 4MATIC clocks 60 mph in 4.4 seconds – a 0.4-second advantage over the BMW 550i, according to Zero To 60 Times.

8 2011 Audi S4: 0-60 In 4.4 Seconds ($10,990)

white 2011 Audi S4 parked
BringaTrailer

Performance Specs

0-60 MPH

4.4 seconds

Top Speed

155 mph

Horsepower

333 hp

Torque

325 lb-ft

Layout

Front engine, all-wheel drive

The 2011 S4 Tops Out At 155 MPH

The 2011 Audi S4 hides its high-performance aspirations, which makes it a great choice if you are interested in a fast sleeper car for budget buyers, as it costs just under $11,000. You can tap as much as 333 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque from the 3.0-liter supercharged V6-powered sedan.

The S4's output may not seem that impressive for a high-performance version of the A4, but it's enough to launch the luxury sedan to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 155 mph. For context, the 2011 BMW 335i with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-6 needs up to 4.7 seconds to complete a 0-60-mph run.

7 2008 Mercedes-Benz SL 600 Roadster: 0-60 In 4.4 Seconds ($19,917)

black 2008 Mercedes-Benz SL 600 Roadster parked
BringaTrailer

Performance Specs

0-60 MPH

4.4 Seconds

Top Speed

155 Mph

Horsepower

510 hp

Torque

612 lb-ft

Layout

Front engine, rear-wheel drive

The 2008 SL600 Roadster Combines Gorgeous Styling With Exceptional Performance

The 2008 Mecedes-Benz SL is one of the world's best luxury roadsters, thanks to its perfect blend of gorgeous styling and exotic car performance. On top of that, it boasts an iconic status in Mercedes-Benz history that dates way back to the early 1950s. These attributes, combined with an affordable used price of about $19,917, are some of the reasons why the 2008 SL600 Roadster is among the top Mercedes-Benz cars for gearheads on a budget.

Motivating the 2008 SL600 is a 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V12 that produced an incredible 510 hp and 612 lb-ft of torque. Such power could only mean one thing: speed isn't a problem for this roadster. According to Mercedes-Benz, it takes the 2008 SL600 only 4.4 seconds to hit 60 mph from a standstill, making it one of the fastest sports cars under $20,000.

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6 2011 Ford Mustang GT: 0-60 In 4.3 Seconds ($15,024)

Performance Specs

0-60 MPH

4.3 seconds

Top Speed

152 mph

Horsepower

412 hp

Torque

390 lb-ft

Layout

Front engine, rear-wheel drive

The 2011 Mustang GT Sprints To 60 MPH In Just 4.3 Seconds

For 2011, the Ford Mustang GT got a significant power boost following the replacement of the 4.6-liter V8 with a 5.0-liter V8. The 2011 Mustang GT Premium's V8 unleashes 412 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, while the 2010 model makes only 315 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque.

With the wide output gap, the 2011 Mustang GT Premium needs only 4.3 seconds to dash from 0-60 mph, while the 2010 iteration takes up to 5.4 seconds. Even though many sports cars today will find it difficult to outrun the Mustang GT Premium, the iconic pony car is still a very cheap, fast car, with a KBB-estimated used market value of $15,024.

5 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG Coupe: 0-60 In 4.3 Seconds ($18,394)

black 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG Coupe parked
BringaTrailer

Performance Specs

0-60 MPH

4.3 Seconds

Top Speed

155 Mph

Horsepower

507 hp

Torque

465 lb-ft

Layout

Front engine, rear-wheel drive

The 2011 CLS63 AMG was part of the third-generation Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class introduced in 2007. The 2011 model year stood out from the previous years as it featured the CLS550 Sport package as standard rather than optional. Like its predecessors, it also featured a coupe-like styling that combined ultimate luxury with eyebrow-raising performance.

The 2011 CLS63 AMG's incredible performance came courtesy of a 6.2-liter V8 that sends 507 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels via an AMG-tuned 7-speed automatic transmission. According to Mercedes-Benz, that's enough power to take this performance luxury sedan from 0-60 mph in a scant 4.3 seconds. Combined with an average used price of $18,394 makes the 2011 CLS63 AMG one of the fastest cars for under $20,000

4 2007 Jaguar XKR: 0-60 In 4.3 Seconds ($16,221)

black 2007 Jaguar XKR Coupe parked
BringaTrailer

Performance Specs

0-60 MPH

4.3 seconds

Top Speed

174 mph

Horsepower

420 hp

Torque

413 lb-ft

Layout

Front engine, rear-wheel drive

The 2007 XKR Has A Top Speed Of 174 MPH

If you think the 390-hp 2006 Jaguar XKR is already powerful, then you'd get blown away by its 2007 iteration, which comes with a retuned 4.2-liter supercharged V8 that churns out 420 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque.

With that amount of power, this cheap British sports car teleports to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and tops out at 174 mph. Kelley Blue Book estimates that you can snap up a 2007 XKR for about $16,221.

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3 2006 BMW M6 Coupe: 0-60 In 4.1 Seconds ($15,250)

maroon 2006 BMW M6 Coupe parked
BringaTrailer

Performance Specs

0-60 MPH

4.1 seconds

Top Speed

190 mph

Horsepower

509 hp

Torque

383 lb-ft

Layout

Front engine, rear-wheel drive

The 2006 M6 Coupe Has A Top Speed Of 190 MPH

The 2006 BMW M6 shares the same steel core construction and aluminum front-end structure as the regular 6 Series. It, therefore, weighs just under 4,000 lbs – 103 lbs lighter than the M5. BMW's weight-saving efforts paid off, as the 2006 M6 bolts to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds and peaks at 190 mph before losing its breath.

The supercar-matching performance of this budget sports car wouldn't have been possible without a 5.0-liter V10 that makes a staggering 500 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. According to KBB's estimates, a neatly used 2006 M6 could be yours for just around $15,250.

2 2011 Jaguar XJ Supersport: 0-60 In 4.1 Seconds ($15,994)

red 2011 Jaguar XJL Supersport driving on the road
BringaTrailer

Performance Specs

0-60 MPH

4.1 seconds

Top Speed

155 mph

Horsepower

510 hp

Torque

461 lb-ft

Layout

Front engine, rear-wheel drive

The 2011 XJ Supersport Boasts A Supercharged 510-HP V8

The Supersport sits at the top of the 2011 XJ lineup, offering unprecedented power and speed. Jaguar dumped the 400-hp 4.2-liter supercharged V8 for a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 that makes 510 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque.

That's enough power for the XJ Supersport to sprint from 0-60 mph in just 4.1 seconds and top out at 155 mph. This makes it one of the fastest affordable sports sedans today, as it can give some of the world's fastest cars a run for their money. Today, you can find a cleanly used 2011 XJ Supersport for just around $15,994.

1 2013 Audi S8: 0-60 In 3.6 Seconds ($18,745)

silver 2013 Audi S8 parked
Audi

Performance Specs

0-60 MPH

3.6 Seconds zer060

Top Speed

155 Mph

Horsepower

520 hp

Torque

479 lb-ft

Layout

Front engine, all-wheel drive

The 2013 S8 Is A Bargain Performance Luxury Sedan

Topping our list is the 2013 Audi S8, which made a comeback in 2012 after a 1-year hiatus. It returned quicker and more powerful than its predecessor, packing enough grunt to even put to shame some high-performance sports cars. Under the hood was the same twin-turbocharged V8 that powered its S6 and S7 siblings, albeit tuned to deliver more power.

The 4.0-liter V8 cranked 520 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque in the 2013 S8, enough for an acceleration time of 3.6 seconds from 0-60 mph. This makes it one of the fastest luxury sedans. And with an average used price of about $18,745, the 2013 S8 is among the fastest used luxury cars you can get under $20,000.

Sources: Manufacturer Websites, Acceleration Times, Kelley Blue Book, Zero To 60 Times