If you have that need for speed, and your Toyota Corolla just isn’t doing it for you, we got some cars lined up that are here to satisfy!
The cars I’m about to tell you hit 170 at least, and some are in the 200 club! Don’t believe me? Well, keep reading. These are the CHEAPEST cars that go over 170 miles per hour!
1997-2004 Chevrolet C5 Corvette (175 MPH)
The V8-powered C5 Corvette. This is the first car Chevy dropped the legendary LS1 into, and the result was a relatively low-cost sports car with some serious speed. The original C5 was churning out 345 horses in 1997, but that number got bumped up to 350 in models after 2001.
Hooked up to a Borg-Warner 6-speed manual, the C5’s capable of getting up to around 175 miles per hour! Yeah, they also offered a 4-speed auto, but that’s like eating caviar with a side of SPAM… just wrong. The C5 also got some serious structural improvements from the C4, and with that 50-50 front-rear weight distribution, the C5’s as good in a curve as it is on the drag strip. Even if you’re blasting down Bonneville Salt Flats at 175. If you want to feel that G-force on your face, Chevy rolled out a convertible variant of the C5 in 1998, and a hard top for 1999.
If you’re fiending for even more power, you could even upgrade to the C5 Z06, that gives you a gut-wrenching 405 horsepower. But even the base C5 is one vicious ‘Vette for just over $11,000.
Find a cheap 1997-2004 Chevrolet C5 Corvette on AutoTempest!
2005-2010 BMW E60 M5 (205 MPH)
Often deemed the last four-door supercar, the BMW E60 M5 was built to be a daily driver that could propel you to ridiculous speeds, if you ever find yourself on an empty Autobahn. The E60 M5’s packing a massive V10 hooked up to a 7-speed automatic transmission, or luckily for us bald eagles, a 6-speed manual for North America only. Firing off 500 horsepower, this German track-burner is capable of getting up to 205 miles per hour. Notice I said capable.
Unfortunately, due to European safety regulations or whatever, they limited the E60 M5 to a top speed of just 155 miles per hour, but get that limiter removed and you can feel the full force of German engineering.
However, you might be driving really fast straight to the mechanic because this certainly isn’t the most reliable car on this list. In fact, it’s probably the least reliable on this list, or any list, which is probably why this 2006 model is only around $13,000. But if you clicked on this article, you signed up to talk about speed, and the E60 M5’s got plenty of that!
Find a cheap 2005-2010 E60 BMW M5 on AutoTempest!
2018-2020 Kia Stinger GT (170 MPH)
That’s right, the Korean carmaker is pushing out more than just underpowered go-carts like the Kia Rio. Don’t be put off by that Kia badge, this is a super-legit sports car. Officially the fastest car to ever come off a Kia production, the Kia Stinger GT is listed as having a top speed of 167 miles per hour, but has been reported to hit 170 in some tests, so we think it deserves to be on this list.
It originally showed its angry face at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 2011 as the Kia GT Concept. Apparently one of it’s designers was inspired by the Coca-Cola bottle? I don’t really see the resemblance…
Anyway, the GT trims they rolled out in the model year 2018 are fitted with a 3.3-liter V6 that’s pushing 365 horsepower through that rear-wheel drive. Transmission is an 8-speed automatic… but it’s got paddle shifters! Acceleration is strong with a 12.9 second quarter mile. And yes, if you keep this Kia cranking, you could be knocking on the door of 170 miles per hour. And at a little over $25,000? Not bad for a newer model.
Find a cheap 2018-2020 Kia Stinger GT on AutoTempest!
2005-2013 Bentley Continental Flying Spur (194 MPH)
If you like the Continental GT, a car fit for celebrities and royalty, but you need a little more room inside, then you’re going to dig the Continental Flying Spur. It’s essentially just a four-door version of the GT with a bigger wheelbase, a bit longer, and interior space that feels like a full-size limousine.
But don’t sleep on the speed this Bentley’s getting, you can get this British behemoth going around 194 miles per hour, with 551 horsepower emanating from a 6-liter W12, the same engine used in VW’s full-size luxury Phaeton, except the Flying Spur’s got a twin turbo.
What’s that all about? Well, the Flying Spur was just the second car Bentley built after being bought up by VW Group. Say what you will about big-money brands like Bentley or Aston Martin getting swallowed by larger companies, it seems like it’s definitely had a positive effect on their performance… And the Flying Spur is a great example example of that. Even if it still carries a fairly high price of around $30,000 for a 2006 model.
Find a cheap 2005-2013 Bentley Continental Flying Spur on AutoTempest!
1999-2005 Mercedes-Benz S600 (180+ MPH)
Let me just say that the S600 was an absolute blessing to the automotive industry. This car redefined luxury by giving you all the bells and whistles you could want, but in a super-understated and not over-the-top way. Even though Mercedes was mass-producing the S600, it feels as hand-crafted as a low-end Rolls Royce.
And comfort isn’t the only offering you get with the S600, lift up that hood and you’re going to find some serious power. So what’s it got? A V8 like all those other luxury cars? Nah. The S600 is packing a twin-turbo’d V12 with 362 horsepower. And yeah, they put a limiter on it to 155 miles per hour, probably to give the competition somewhat of a chance, but buy the guys at the dealership lunch and they’ll probably rip that thing off for you.
The result? You can get this mean Merk hitting 180 and above! 2001 S600s are available for under $7,500, which is pretty much unparalleled value.
Find a cheap 1999-2005 Mercedes-Benz S600 on AutoTempest!
2005-2010 Chrysler 300C SRT8 (173 MPH)
Who says German manufacturers are the only ones who can do class and style while also bringing impressive performance? The Chrysler 300C first debuted as a concept at the New York International Auto Show back in 2003, and this car is an executive suite on wheels. It’s got gorgeous interior chrome accents and some swanky tortoiseshell on the steering wheel and shifter knob. And who could overlook that stylish front grill that we’ve come to love from Chrysler?
The base model 300C is fairly impressive in performance, but if you want to talk real speed? Bump that thing up to the SRT8 trim and you’re ready to tear up the test track. Not the streets, don’t speed on the streets. The SRT8 comes with a 6.1-liter Hemi engine blasting out a staggering 425 horsepower. Compared to the earlier 5.7-liter engine this Hemi’s based on, the SRT8’s actually feels somehow smaller, probably because it loves getting up in the high revs, maxing out at 4,800 RPMs. And when you really get the SRT8 going, you’re looking at a top speed of 173 miles per hour.
You can drop your kids off at school in this family-friendly car, and then head straight for the drag strip. Now, finding a good example 300C SRT-8 isn’t an easy task, but we found one under $10,000. It’s just got a few miles on it.
Find a cheap 2005-2010 Chrysler 300C SRT8 on AutoTempest!
2004-2006 Pontiac GTO (175 MPH)
This is maybe my favorite car on this list. It just really wakes up all the deep rooted ‘Merican guts in me. Rear wheel drive, huge V8, pig-nosed and bright red. Even if it’s kind of an Aussie, this is about as American as a mullet. Which… I think is still popular in Australia.
Anyway, the 5th-gen Pontiac GTO was just a rebadged Australian-built Holden Monaro. And if you know Holden, you know it means power. The new school GTO got a 5.7-liter LS1 V8 in 2004 pushing out 350 horsepower, and then bumped that up to 400 horsepower in 2005 and 2006 with the 6-liter LS2. Take one of those on a long stretch of the Australian Outback, and you can get this crazy kangaroo jumping up to 175 miles per hour.
With it’s unassuming exterior, and monster under the hood, the GTO was, and still is, one hell of a sleeper and I assume, one hell of a good time to drive. Good news is that kind of speed is on tap for under $12,000. Our friends down under just threw you a deal.
Find a cheap 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO on AutoTempest!
2002-2009 Bentley Arnage T (179 MPH)
The Bentley Arnage is a sleek and stylish car that looks like it should be driven by high-powered execs. But thanks to good ole depreciation, these cars are now affordable on a much smaller budget. The Arnage represents a major shift in the world of super-luxury autos, when marques like Rolls-Royce and Bentley started dropping third-party motors into their hi-lux saloons and sedans.
The result was cars like the original Arnage in 1998, which was rebranded as the Arnage Green Label in 2000, that featured a Cosworth twin-turbocharged BMW M62 4.4-liter V8. But after somewhat of a falling out with BMW, VW decided to replace that with their old pushrod 16-valve, in an alternate model they called the Arnage Red Label. Bentley claimed that customer demand was the reason for the Red Label, but its Green counterpart proved to be much more modern and reliable. I mean, you can’t really argue with a Cosworth turbocharger…
Anyway, the Red Label would eventually spawn the Arnage T, the sportiest variant of the Arnage with a slammin’ 450 horsepower. And this Arnage can bring the carnage, hitting top speeds of 179 miles per hour.
Of course, it’s still a Bentley, so you’re looking at around $27,000 for a 2004 Arnage T. But for that kind of speed all wrapped in Warren Buffet luxury, I’d say you get what you pay for.
Find a cheap 2002-2009 Bentley Arnage T on AutoTempest!
2011-2015 Dodge Challenger SRT 392 (182 MPH)
You want something that sits low, looks mean, is powered by bald eagles, guns and freedom? And hits top speeds over 180 miles per hour? Then the Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 is made for you! The 392 pays serious respect to the classic Challenger with its American-made 6.4-liter HEMI V8, rear-wheel drive, and that enlarged chin spoiler that makes it look a whole hell of a lot like a 1970 Challenger R/T.
That monstrous engine is capable of revving up 470 horsepower, and propelling the 392 up to 182 miles per hour. Imagine tearing up a Nevada desert strip with that kind of power! And 2012 models are going for just under $25,000 with less than 100,000 miles!
2012 was a great year for this car too. They added in suspension tuning for Auto and Sport mode, and threw some paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Somewhere, the 392 is making a classic Challenger smile.
Find a cheap 2011-2015 Dodge Challenger SRT 392 on AutoTempest!
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