How to get supercar pace for less than £25k

Top-end fast for saloon car cash

Spending mortgage-busting sums on a high-end supercar simply isn’t an option for most of us.

Much as we might like to park a Lambo in the drive, dropping countless thousands on a capricious Italian probably isn’t the wisest way to invest that nest egg – and the maintenance bills alone would be enough to break the bank.

But high-speed thrills don’t have to come with a top-shelf price tag: look back over the past three decades and, with a bit of research, it’s possible to find affordable cars that’ll yap at the heels of many a supercar.

From super saloons to overlooked sports machines, here are ten speed machines available for less than £30k.

1. TVR Cerbera

Price from £20k

With four seats and a roof, the Cerbera was as close as British marque TVR came to a car for grown-ups, but it was also one of the world’s fastest supercars. 

For the price of an upmarket family saloon, the 350bhp rocket offered neck-snapping acceleration and a top speed in excess of 185mph. 

Only hypercars in the mould of the McLaren F1 or Jaguar XJ220 could trump it, while away from the lights it could leave a Diablo for dead. Build quality was an issue, but road-testers praised the car’s chassis prowess and home-grown V8. Definitely not for the faint-hearted.

2. Lotus Esprit

Price from £20k

Unveiled at the 1975 Paris Salon, the original Esprit had high-end looks and handling but, with just 160bhp, couldn’t quite manage supercar speed. 

Successive updates addressed the problem, 264bhp being coaxed from the motor in the Turbo SE variant of 1989, while the later S4S could muster a staggering 300bhp and top 160mph. 

The final incarnation featured a 349bhp, 3.5-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine, good for 172mph and 0-60 in just 3.1 secs. That’s more like it.

3. Maserati Coupé

Price from £18k

After the dark days of the Biturbo, the 3200GT and its Coupé successor represented a new dawn for the Italian marque. The early cars were still flawed, but the naturally aspirated Coupé was a much improved proposition. 

With a 4.2-litre 385bhp motor from bedfellow Ferrari, this surprisingly roomy thoroughbred was a transcontinental GT in the classic mould. 

In period, Autocar criticised the 177mph, £60k grand tourer’s manual gearbox, but with examples available today for less than £20k, such gripes are easier to overlook.

4. Aston Martin DB7

Price from £20k

A byword for British GT excellence, Aston Martin has long been the marque of choice for stylish sports performance – yet the firm’s mid-’90s DB7 remains a veritable bargain at less than £30k.

A surefire future classic and a certifiable stunner – Ian Callum’s bodyshell is a lesson in clean lines and understated elegance – its supercharged 3.2-litre straight-six is subdued yet very capable, firing the DB7 to 60mph in 5.6 secs and all the way on to a top speed of 165mph.

More than that, the Aston is gifted with perfectly weighted steering, a fantastic ride and a fabulous engine note. Want more power? Opt for one of the 4000 or so V12 variants made.

5. BMW M3 E46

Price from £15k

Launched in 1999, the third-generation of BMW’s performance-focused M3 offered a winning blend of power, handling and practicality.

In standard trim, it shipped with a 3.2-litre six-cylinder motor good for around 340bhp, which translated into a 0-60mph time of 5 secs and a limited top speed of 155mph. Pretty handy for a four-seater and just enough to trouble a Honda NSX.

Faster, still, in limited-run CSL and GTR trim, the rarity of those models means you’ll need to pay a good deal more; stick with the original and you’ll have a good-looking all-rounder for Golf money.

6. Nissan Skyline GT-R R32

Price from £25k

One of the oldest entries on our list is also one of the most legendary – the Skyline GT-R R32, a sophisticated Japanese machine that was built to go racing and released in limited numbers at the turn of the ’90s.

At its core was a 2.6-litre twin-turbo motor good for 276bhp, 0-62mph in 5.6 secs and a top speed of 156mph. But that wasn’t the only allure: the engine proved a tuner’s dream and many a Skyline was subsequently squeezed for 500bhp and more.

With four-wheel drive, robust engineering and an addictive turbocharged wheeze, the hardest part today is finding an unmolested example – or one that’s been tastefully modified with good quality control.

7. Audi RS4 Avant B5

Price from £15k

Don’t let that estate shell fool you: just like the fearsome RS2 Avant before it – a 315bhp machine developed with Porsche and now worth well above £30k – Audi’s RS4 station wagon was a proper performance monster that just happened to have a 390-litre boot.

Launched in 1999, the first-generation model packed a 2.7-litre V6 motor squeezed and turbocharged by Cosworth to deliver a hefty 375bhp. Fired through all four wheels, it could catapult the estate to 62mph from standing in a mere 4.9 secs

Laggy at low speed just like its predecessor, the 163mph Audi offered proper supercar speed in a truly practical shell – and it’s still a stonker today.

8. Porsche 996 Carrera 4S

Price from £22k

For ultimate supercar-beating performance, it’s the top-end 996 Turbo you want – or one of the extreme GT2 or GT3 machines. Problem is, those Stuttgart specials have long since hit the big time when it comes to prices.

For Turbo style and stellar performance for closer to £20k, try the Carrera 4S: carrying Porsche’s controversial water-cooled flat-six engine, as well as the suspension and brakes from the Turbo, the four-wheel drive 4S is good for 320bhp and tops out at 174mph.

It’s available as a hard-top or convertible, and if you buy sensibly you’ll find it’s one of the last affordable 911s around.

9. Toyota Supra A80 Turbo

Price from: £16k

Facelifted for its fourth generation, the sublime Supra went from accomplished sports car to Japanese performance machine with the arrival of the A80 edition in 1993.

Neatly rounded and equipped with arguably the nicest rear wing of any ’90s coupé, it was the twin-turbo version of the Supra’s 3-litre engine that made it a true supercar upstart: packing 320bhp, the meaty motor could fire the 2+2 from standing to 60mph in just 4.6 secs.

More than that, the turbocharged variant – identifiable by the air scoop on its bonnet – was limited to 155mph, but reportedly topped 175mph in testing, making it almost as fast as a Ferrari Testarossa.

10. Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG

Price from £18k

At the time of its launch in 2001, the SL55 AMG was one of the most powerful Mercedes-Benz cars of all time, deriving a staggering 493bhp from its supercharged 5.4-litre V8 engine. Speed was limited to 155mph, but rumour holds that a German magazine once hit 202mph – faster than a Ferrari F40.

Packed with electric tech, the SL55 soon became known for its numerous gremlins – not least the tricky roof – which meant that, despite the supercar stats, values soon plummeted.

Still, that’s good news these days, because while the SL55 sold for the better part of £100k when new, examples can be found today for as little as £18k.

Provided the original owner stumped up for maintenance and repairs, an SL55 with a good service history is worth every penny.