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.
Definitely some bonus points for that!
Sadly, I’ve never been lucky enough to own or be chums with someone who owned a 928. The closest I’ve gotten to a real live Porsche was a guy I knew in college who had a 914 - and he only let me take pictures of it. :-)
Sorry, no. On about every intial, mid-term or long term quality survey, the 95-97 XJ series scored *higher* than the same year Lexus LS400/430. That’s impressive... and it’s also something that the A8 never did.
Let me throw this one out there, too.
97 A8 transmission rebuild = oh God, just go buy a new car.
97 XJR transmission rebuild = $1000 or less.
no way. C4 is just too 80’s Detroit. 14 piece bolted frame....on a sports car? I will take a rough 97
Whether or not the 914 is really a Porsche is open to debate. (ditto, and moreso, the 912)
Basically true, but keep in mind the '84 'vette was a watershed for the digital dash and reworked body style. Likewise, the '84 Mustang SVO was part of the rekindled interest in performance, and that was also the era that brought forth the Delorean, which was, and remains a love it or hate it design.
$3700 if you know who to have do it.
And $1000 on the Jag!? Sounds absurdly low.
The XJR uses a bog-standard common as dirt GM 4L80E transmission.
Obviously you either own a tow truck or your own garage!
$600.00 in speeding tickets in the three years I have owned it!
Memory eludes me and i am too lazy to look up some car specs, but in 68 were all GM’s 350 4 barreled carb engines rated at or above 300 horsepower. I understand that the rating system was changed later because the engins originally were run with no accessories on them. Those models would scoot, because I recall some drag races on my Triumph Bonnie with them. I think a Chevy Chevelle was the only thing that could take me an that time. Porsches at that time were duck soup much to their owners disgust.
My BIL had 200? range rover, the small one. had the motor replaced 2 times due to timing belt failure , it had under 100k on it, he got rid of it after having it a year.
There is a reason a 1991 BMW 850i, 300 horsepower car costs only $9425 (fair condition).
There were under 1200 (maybe less) sold in the US, and the cars had serious electrical problems. And BMW didn’t stock the replacement parts in N. America. And the battery would randomly drain within hours, leaving the car stranded. 850i owners were on a first name basis with the dealership loaner car valet guys.
A friend of the family slowly lost his mind trying to keep his 850i on the road. His solution was to buy two cheaper Alfa Romeos.
i think my buddy has one of those, but it may be a 500. drains the battery often. has some screwy thing going on with the parking lights, turns out it has seperate circuits for each side. after hours of troubleshooting I found it was one of the relays bad. after all that work my buddy still hasnt bought that relay lol.
They will treat it fine. Indians have an odd love-hate thing going on with England and will treat a jewel like Jag appropriately.
Jags depreciate considerably. We bought Mrs. MWT with 8,000 miles on it for roughly half-price.
Go here:
texascarsdirect.com
The newest Range Rovers have the XJ8 Jag engine bored out to 4.4
The slightly earlier ones had a BMW engine that sucked, and indeed did what you noted.
2006+ are ideal.
I liked the old 912 -— course I currently own a 356.
My current favorite ride is my 98 Carrera S (more commonly know as a 993, the last of the air cooled).
I have turned in better times with it than my 997 Turbo (which, in fairness is a cabrio, so it is considerably heavier.)
The 912 is all Porsche. The 912E succeeded the 914 in the later 70s and it had the 914 VW engine. Also, there was a real 914...the 914-6 had a 2 liter flat six Porsche engine -- not bad at all.
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