7 Affordable Alternatives To High Performance Cars

When you look across a model's range, there's usually a fast version sat just below the high performance model that's well worth looking at. We collected some of our favourite left-field performance choices

Darren Cassey

07 Jul 2015

1. BMW E46 M3 and E46 330Ci

7 Affordable Alternatives To High Performance Cars

The comparison that inspired this list. On the left is CT founder Adnan’s E46 M3, and on the right, CT marketing man Gabor’s new 330Ci. The M3’s 3.2-litre straight-six makes 338bhp, completes 0-62mph in 5.1sec and has a 155mph limited top speed. The 330Ci, despite giving away quite a bit in performance, is a great alternative.

For a saving of around £3000-£5000, you get a 3.0-litre straight-six, 231bhp, 0-62mph in 6.3sec and the same 155mph limited top speed. That’s hardly slow, and with slightly more subtle styling than its M brother, you won’t have chavs trying to race you left, right and centre. Plus, running costs will be significantly lower.

2. Audi RS4 and S4

Audi’s ‘quattro’ branded performance cars are well known for their all weather, no-nonsense performance, and it’s the souped up A4 cars that get most people excited. The B5 generation is arguably the coolest, offering up a tempting mix of high performance and subtle styling. The S4 makes 261bhp and 295lb ft of torque from its 2.7-litre twin-turbo V6. Audi used the unit for the RS model, albeit with the wick lit - 375bhp and 325lb ft in RS4 form - so you know it’s ripe for tuning.

3. Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R and R34 GT-T

When you mention ‘Skyline’ to any car guy, their thoughts will instantly drift to ‘GT-R’. There’s an alternative, however, in the form of the GT-T. In R34 guise, the GT-R runs the famous 2.6-litre RB26DETT twin-turbo engine that unofficially makes about 330bhp from the factory, despite being advertised as 276bhp due to a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ in Japan.

The GT-T runs the slightly smaller 2.5-litre, single-turbocharged RB25DET, making 280bhp through the rear wheels only, unlike the all-wheel drive GT-R. The GT-T engine wasn’t designed to take quite such insane power hikes as its big brother, but casual modifiers can still see some tidy gains from the engine; this is a bulletproof Nissan motor after all.

Most importantly for petrolheads on a budget, an R34 Skyline GT-T can be picked up for around £10,000, while a GT-R will command a minimum of £25,000. Suddenly that power deficit becomes a little easier to stomach.

4. Dodge Challenger Hellcat and Challenger SRT 392

The Dodge Challenger Hellcat is pure, unadulterated madness, with a 6.2-litre supercharged V8 making 707hp and 650lb ft of torque. At $60k (£39k), it’s also probably the best performance bargain on the market right now. But that’s made it so popular there’s a huge waiting list, so what if you don’t fancy waiting until your retirement to take delivery?

The SRT 392 packs all the muscle car styling bravado, just accompanied by less horsepower. But, with 475bhp and 475lb ft of torque, it’s not what you’d call slow. The best part? You’ll save about $13,000 by opting for the 392.

5. Toyota Celica GT-Four and Celica GT

The Celica is arguably the forgotten 90s Toyota in mainstream circles, dwarfed by the popularity of the Supra. But we all know that the GT-Four was a mad rally car for the road. Built for use in the World Rally Championship, its construction had a lot of input from Toyota’s rally crews, making up to 250bhp in JDM spec. Prices are hovering around the £5000 mark, but if you fancy that cool 90s styling without the associated buying and running costs of a high performance car, the 135bhp GT is a great shout - it’ll set you back a much more reasonable £1000 or so.

6. BMW E30 M3 and E30 318iS

The E30 M3 is a true icon of the automotive world. It might’ve started life with just 192bhp, but as it’s such a lightweight, that’s more than enough. Unfortunately, as we discussed recently, prices have skyrocketed to around £30,000. That’s absurd, so what are your alternatives?

The 325i is a decent bet, but our money would go on the 318iS. It was introduced near the end of the E30’s lifespan, running the brand new M42 1.8-litre engine, which had a twin-cam instead of the standard 318’s single-cam setup. 138bhp, subtle M-tech styling addendum and gorgeous BBS alloys make this an excellent route into E30 ownership, and being available for £5000 tops makes it a far less expensive alternative.

7. Audi R8 V8 and Audi TTS

The Audi R8 V8 might be one of the easiest routes into ‘supercar’ ownership, but with high performance comes high running costs. When I drove the new TTS recently, I noted that it does a very good impression of a baby R8, and I stand by that comment.

The TTS doesn’t come cheap at £40k+, which is interestingly exactly half the price of a brand new R8 and pretty much the entry point for a used one. The new TTS, however, will be much cheaper to run, far more reliable, and with 306bhp it’s plenty fast enough. Furthermore, you still get all-wheel drive, and arguably the best interior… in the world.