Posted on 12/03/2008 12:52:50 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Not so many years ago, cars that produced 300 horsepower or more were considered rather rare and desirable things. Generally only the top tier of sports car or the very most posh boulevardiers had engines that could muster such prodigious output, and the price tags of the vehicles reflected it.
These days though, thanks to depreciation, a decade-long power race, and newly changing customer tastes, 300 horsepower cars can be had for much more reasonable rates—often less than $10,000. Those power and dollar figures are exciting starting places for those second-hand shoppers who may be looking for a deal on a performance machine, which is why we picked them as our two markers for making this list.
We’ve gotten our pricing estimates from the good folks at Kelley Blue Book, though we understand that in some cases much better deals can be had. Unless otherwise noted, the prices we’ve listed represent the private party value of a car in “excellent” condition with about 80,000 miles on the clock. We’ve also strived to get the best combination of power and newness when selecting between discrete model years, all while keeping a close eye on the budget. Click through our gallery above to read about our 300 horsepower/$10,000 picks, and then be sure to let us know which gems we may have missed, in comments.
The noise level is great, the howl of the supercharger is fantastic!! I ride motorcycle, too, I like a little noise. ;)
Maybe I exaggerated a tad, but the Benz and the Beemer could hit $20K all by themselves, plenty more if you got unlucky.
Maybe I exaggerated a tad, but the Benz and the Beemer could hit $20K all by themselves, plenty more if you got unlucky.
What about the chevy silverado 454SS. 1991
Burn rubber!
“I’m probably speaking blasphemy here, but the Porsche 928 has always struck me as a bit on the ugly side. Not hideous, but not really sexy like the 911”
I respectfully disagree( I have a 911 Twin Turbo) but that is why there are so many car designs out there. The factor that would keep me away from a 928 is the astronomical cost for parts.
You mean burn rubber bands.
Those are under $5,000! LOL
I love Jags, always have since teens. They are really cheap around here now.........Maybe get one soon.......:^)
If you decide to get one, let me know. There are certain years and models that should be avoided at all costs and certain quirks you'd need to be made aware of. Though you pretty much can't go wrong with a 95-97 XJR if its in good shape....
Yeah, but it had a near 50/50 weight balance and was a great street performer. I always like it.
So true. During my drive to the in-laws for Thankgiving, I saw many more brand-new Challengers on the road than I expected. I don't much are for the new Charger, but I always liked the '70 'Cuda/Challenger.
Saw something interesting on a Mustang-related website, too. It seems that Ford's NASCAR engine of old, the Boss 429, fits between the shock towers of an '05 and later Mustang just as slick as you please. There are companies building new Boss parts. EFI intake manifolds and such help with the modernization - and you don't even need to modify the hood. The EPA would string you up by the gonads if they caught you, but with a pair of high-flow catalysts, the Boss Nine could work with OBD-II.
I wonder if a 426 would fit under the new Challenger's hood. Hmm...
Saw one of those the other day, stuck in the grill of a semi. But hey, it was getting great gas mileage at the time!
There's an older one at a used car dealer here, 1985(?) like this one, that has a 350 Chevy engine in it........$2800......
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I see that you’ve never driven a 2001 F-150 SVT Lightning. I lived in California the first 60 years of my life and moved to Oregon in ‘90.
In case you didn’t know it, Oregon has many mountain roads. I love the two lane roads here.
The Lightning has 3.3 lock to lock steering, Bilstein shocks, limited-slip differential, 31mm solid stabilizer bar front, 23mm solid stabilizer bar rear.
Brakes: Front 12.1 in. (308mm) vented disc, twin-piston caliper, Rear 13.1 in. (334mm) vented disc, single-piston caliper. ABS Four-wheel, three-sensor system.
Wheels 18 x 9.5 in., five-spoke cast aluminum-alloy.
Tires Goodyear™ Eagle F1-GS™, 295/45ZR-18, unidirectional tread; 235/70R-16 spare tire.
Curb weight 4,670 lbs.
For that much weight, it handles great.
The next time you’re in the neighborhood, drop by and take it for a spin. ;)
I suppose. Bring a fire extinguisher, the converted cars tend to set themselves on fire more than the parent car. And usually the conversion engine is some 150hp gutless wonder smogger 350 version, so the car is both slower and less reliable than it’d been with the Jaguar engine.
Here’s a local ‘96 XJR that’s for sale, a much better buy, IMHO: http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/914332368.html
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