Owning a V10 might seem like territory reserved for supercar owners, and that conjures images of dollar signs. However, it's quite possible to afford a V10-powered car. Nowadays, V10 engines primarily belong to trucks as passenger car engines are getting smaller and more efficient. The V10 is a dying breed, but it had significant moments in the spotlight. Some Formula 1 teams used V10s from the 1990s until the mid-2000s, with a 3.0-liter displacement and around 800 horsepower.

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V10s are inherently imbalanced, as is the case with most engines using banks with an odd number of cylinders. If the angle is correct, however, then the engine doesn't need balance shafts. The V10 is a mystical spectacle facing extinction, but it still holds a whimsical ferocity.

7 2006 BMW M5 E60 - $19,800

BMW E60 M5 drag race
YouTube

BMW's M5 has always been a vulgar, aggressive four-door hydra. The E60 generation came with ten heads, with a 5.0-liter displacement producing 500 horsepower. At just over 4,000 pounds, the car still wails like a banshee, zig-zagging through the streets like it just broke away from its harness.

A silver E60 M5
Via Bring a Trailer

If the 500 horsepower is too much, the driver can press a button that restricts the output to 400, putting it on the same level as the previous generation M5's V8. Engine technology abounds in this executive sedan. Variable valve timing and individual throttles per cylinder ensure a smooth ride that simultaneously won't overwhelm, nor disappoint.

RELATED: 10 Of The Sickest V10 Engines Ever Put In A Car

6 2007 BMW M6 - $17,500

BMW M6 M63
Via Bring a Trailer

BMW's M6 from 2007 is basically an M5 with two doors. The power train is identical, as are the suspension and tires. Car and Driver cite the only fundamental difference between the two cars is how the suspension is tuned. Beyond that, the M6 is pegged with an air of slight understeer.

BMW M6 E63
Via Bring a Trailer

According to Motor Trend, the M6 barely outclasses the M5, which could have something to do with its weight. The M6 uses a carbon-fiber roof, which is 55 percent lighter than that of its four-door counterpart. The M6 also comes with lighter wheels, as well as a lighter front and rear end thanks to some fancy fiberglass-reinforced plastic.

5 2007 Audi S8 Quattro - $20,000

AUDI S8 D3
Via pinterest.com

Audi offers a couple of options that nip at the Bavarian powerhouse's heels. The 2007 model year's Audi S8 Quattro boasted a slightly bigger engine at 5.2 liters but produced 450 horsepower meant to move a 4,586-pound curb weight. Its stance is squared off with 20-inch wheels shrouded in 265/35 tires.

(pinterest.com)

The Audi gets all of its power sooner in the powerband, and with all-wheel drive, it should beat the M5 off the line, even with its extra weight. However, the M5 edges ahead with a 12.7 quarter-mile time vs. the Audi's snail-like 13.4.

RELATED: 8 Sick V10 Cars Under $15,000 And 10 V12 Cars Under $25,000

4 2007 Audi S6 5.2 Quattro - $10,000

2009 Audi S6 V10
Via Youtube

Audi enthusiasts looking for a lighter option than the S8 who still long for the V10 siren song can consider the S6. Its interior space is about the same as the S8, but the exterior is smaller, thus helping the car shed some weight. The biggest difference between the S6 and the S8 is perhaps its suspension.

2007-audi-s6-quattro
Via: Reddit

The S8 has air suspension and one of these vintage may be getting expensive to fix. The S6 comes with a more common coil suspension, cutting down repair costs considerably. Either way, that V10 is going to be more expensive than anything else to fix, so ultimately it's a toss-up.

3 2011 Audi R8 5.2 Quattro - $77,000

via dieselstation.com

Depending on who you are and what your paystub says at the end of a bi-weekly term, $77,000 might not necessarily be cheap. However, considering how much the R8 has to offer, it's not that much of a stretch. The R8 has a much more powerful version of the 5.2-liter V10 that sits in the S8 and S6. It's the same engine in the Gallardo and produces 525 horsepower.

Audi R8 GT
via Audi

The R8 also weighs much less than the S8 and S6 and can come with a manual transmission, something the other two Audis don't offer. While the price is more than seven times the S6, the R8 is a proper sports car with superb driveability and a scale-breaking fun factor.

RELATED: 15 Things That Make The 2020 Audi R8 An Incredible Car

2 1995 Dodge Viper RT/10 - $35,000

1995 Dodge Viper
bringatrailer.com

The Dodge Viper feeds on adrenaline-induced insanity. Its 8.0-liter from 1995 produced just 400 horsepower. It may not sound like a lot, but Dodge bolted that to a platform with big tires and devoid of driver aids. No traction control, ABS, or even door handles. Dodge produced this car for the track, which is where it belongs.

via: youtube.com

The Viper is rare, so it holds its value, but it's also one of the only V10-equipped sports cars that isn't a Lamborghini, BMW, or Audi. The Viper is ludicrous, but that doesn't mean it's not special. Affordable lunacy is a luxury everyone should enjoy.

1 2004 Dodge Viper - $45,000

2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10
via DallasAutoExchange

Dodge engineers finally stopped bashing their heads against sheetrock and perhaps tried to recoup some brain cells when the third generation Viper rolled off the drawing board. It got a bigger engine at 8.3 liters, and power output was increased to 500 horsepower.

mecum.com

It weighed less, yet still didn't have traction control or ABS, however, it did have airbags for this generation. Viper owners posit the best form of traction control would be R888 race tires, which aren't street legal but would be safer than using the run-flats the car comes with.

NEXT: 10 Greatest Dodge Vipers That Make Us Yearn For Its Comeback