CHEAP Cars With SUPERCAR Performance

I hate to break it to you, but supercars are overrated. They’re too expensive, unreliable, and annoying as hell. When people jump in front of your car to take a picture, it just sucks. Ask me how I know.

But, luckily for us, there are some cars out there that have supercar performance for cheap! Throw away that Lamborghini poster, and let’s take a look at some sleepers! Let’s go!

Mercedes-Benz S600 – Luxury Over Sportiness

When you think of supercars, one car brand that might come to mind is Mercedes. I mean, you got the AMG GT, the SLS AMG, and even the SLR McLaren. These are undoubtedly great cars. But, you know what car goes toe to toe with them? The S600!

I bet you’ve never even heard of this thing car! But the Mercedes-Benz S600 beats supercars? And how’s that? Because it has a frickin’ twin-turbo V12, dude! That’s right! A huge 6.0-liter V12 cranking out 493 horsepower! That’s as much horsepower as the 2020 AMG GT!

Yeah, this thing is quick with a capital “Q”, but it’s also luxurious, with leather and wood trim, abundant technology, and a hydraulic suspension system that makes you feel like your riding on a cloud. Pretty sick, right?

But this must be expensive, right? Yeah they would be at MSRP, which is $120,000. But luckily thanks to our homie depreciation, we found a black S600 for only $10,000. Think about that for a second. A V12 luxury Benz for $10,000! That seems like a pretty good deal, but honestly, it’s a little bit sketchy. The S600 is notoriously unreliable and very expensive to repair.

So, if you want a car that doesn’t understand unreliable, get a Tesla Model S!

Tesla Model S – Silent Speed

The Model S was Tesla’s flagship model when it came out in 2012, offering luxury and technology beyond its years, with wood and leather trim, full digital display, and a center dashboard that will control everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything. Climate control, music, maps, this infotainment system has it all. It’s basically like a giant iPhone in a car.

And much like the iPhone, you receive updates for the software, which basically means you’ll never have to take it into the mechanic! No more oil changes or engine swap headaches. This is pure reliability. All you need is a charge, and you’re good to go.

And we haven’t even gotten to the best part, Autopilot! Yes, that’s right, your car will drive itself! Whether its in bumper-to-bumper traffic or just cruising at freeway speed.

The Tesla can do what most supercars dream of, because the performance on the Model S is bonkers. In the fastest setting, Ludicrous Mode, the Model S zips to 60 in 2.6 seconds. Yeah, 2.6 seconds! That’s faster than the Lamborghini Aventador! And 0.2 seconds slower than the Ferrari LaFerrari! Crazy!

And with that instant eletric torque, you just put your foot to the floor, and take off. All that performance must come at a crazy cost, right? Wrong! We found an all black rear-wheel drive Model S for only $27,000. Now, it did have a few miles on it, so it’s probably out of warranty. And let’s just say, from what I hear, getting a Model S fixed out of warranty is pure hell. So, buyer beware!

One thing I noticed after driving one of these for a while, though, is that you’ll start to miss that engine roar. So, if you want a car that roars like a lion, get a C5 Corvette!

C5 Corvette – ‘Murica!

By now, I’m sure we’ve all heard about the C8 Corvette as being the next American supercar. But, for a long time, the Corvette was just a regular old front-engine rear-wheel drive sports car that people just love to adore. It offered a raw driving experience that’s just really hard to comeby today.

Wrapped up in the C5 Corvette was superb handling and a slick 6-speed manual transmission mated to one of the best American engines of all time. Yee-haw! The 5.7-liter LS1 V8! That piece of American engineering makes a sweet 350 horsepower, but that’s not fast enough to beat supercars.

If you get the slightly tuned-up Z06 Corvette, you get a similar 5.7-liter LS1 V8 that makes a beastly 400 horsepower and pushes this hot rod to 60 in 4 seconds flat. That’s faster than a 2005 Lamborghini Gallardo! And while this may not be the most luxurious car, it easily picks up where it leaves off with the killer performance.

So, if you want one, we found a Z06 supercar killer in manual for only $17,000! My main gripe for not getting this is the popularity. People love Corvettes, but most of them are old dudes going into a mid-life crisis.

If you want all of the performance without that Corvette stigma, get the Pontiac GTO.

Pontiac GTO – Going To Orbit

The Pontiac GTO is basically a Corvette that you can daily drive. It’s a sporty little 2-door coupe that has two big V8 engines that you can chose from. Now, depending on what year you get, you can either go with the 5.7-liter LS1 from the C5 or the kingpin 6.0-liter LS2.

My advice: go with the bigger engine! Not only because it has way better performance, but also a way better sound. The GTO can even sound like a supercar.

But the GTO can also perform like like a supercar. With a 4.5-second 0-to-60 time, this thing is faster than the Lamborghini Diablo. It’s also more reliable and way more practical.

But the GTO has one weakness: handling. The car was designed to be a straight-line monster, with the curves being an afterthought. So, if you get one of these, get some coilovers or something to make that ride feel more sporty.

But all around, the GTO is a muscle-powered sports car that gives supercars a run for their money. So, if you want one, we found a hot red GTO for just $9,000.

Maybe the GTO is too old for you, though. I mean, the one we found was a 2005. That’s 15 years old! Boring! So, if you want something with similar performance but way newer, get the Chevy SS.

Chevy SS – The Super Sleeper

The amount of times I’ve heard the Chevy SS being referred to as a sleeper is just crazy. Because it is! Looking at this thing, you might think it’s a Chevy Malibu or something like that, nothing crazy. But when you pop the hood, you’re greeted with the massive 6.2-liter LS3 V8. And, oh boy, that engine note is godly!

And with 415 horsepower put to the rear wheels, drifting ain’t out of the question! Yee-haw! But the real question is does it have supercar performance? Why, yes, yes it does! With a 4.6 second 0-to-60, this thing is as fast as the Ferrari F355 Berlinetta. That is quick!

But that isn’t the only great thing about the Chevy SS. This thing is loaded! It has all the tech you could want. A rearview camera, forward collision detection, and even lane departure warnings, all on a 4-wheel drive V8 supercar killer. It sounds like a great deal.

And these have been kept low key for a long time. Now that people are starting to become aware of them, their prices are rising, so there’s never been a better time to buy one. We found a 2014 black manual SS with a heads-up display for $24,000.

Man, America is cool and all, but we miss out on a bunch of sick cars. But sometimes our beloved manufacturers come through, and a great example of that is the Audi RS6!

Audi RS6 – Roasts Supercars

Out in Europe, they have the RS6 Avant, which has gained a cult following in the USA. The C6 variant of that car had a twin-turbo 5.0-liter V10… in a wagon This thing means speed; however, it wasn’t sold in the USA because of issues with regulations.

However, we did get one RS6. The C5 sedan! Which is still pretty freakin’ fast with a mighty 4.2-liter twin-turbocharged V8 putting the power to all 4 wheels with the amazing Quattro all-wheel drive system, launching the RS6 from 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds. That’s faster than the V10 Dodge Viper.

But not only is it supercar fast, it has supercar luxury, with fine materials dashed about the interior and very respectable technology. Maybe one of my favorite things about the RS6 is the Dynamic Ride Control that allows you to adjust the firmness of the suspension, giving you unparalleled handling. I’m serious. Ripping around corners in this thing is a blast.

And while the C5 RS6 is great, it will only get more expensive with the incoming 2021 RS6 Avant here in the USA. We found a C5 RS6 for only $14,000 in a beautiful grey.

Now, this is a German powerhouse that you can also daily drive. I mean, you have 4 doors and all that luxury. But if you want something a little more stripped back, get the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG.

SL65 AMG – SLidey65!

Now, the SL65 AMG might be the closest thing to an actual supercar on this list, because this thing is crazy! Not only does it have aggressive styling reminiscent of supercars, but it has a supercar engine! Much like the previously mentioned S600, this also has the 6-liter V12. But wait, why am I showing you this car? Isn’t it the same as the S600? No, my friend.

This thing is an AMG. That means it’s tuned for performance! So, instead of the measly 490 horsepower from the other Mercedes, the SL65 makes 600 buff horses. That’s more horsepower than the newest Nissan GT-R!

Yeah, this thing is not only fast, but also stylish and luxurious. And it’s a frickin’ twin-turbo V12 Benz, so it’s going to make you look rich.

So, even though these started at $189,000 new, I found one in white with some sick wheels for only $26,000. Now that’s what I call balling on a budget!