Five Newer Sports Cars for 10k USD

1. 1993-2002 Chevrolet Camaro
   I’m partial to this myself, as I own a 2000 Camaro Z28. Best engine choices are either the 300+ horsepower LS1 or 275 horsepower LT1 V8’s. The LS1 will carry a price premium, even more so with the T56 six-speed. The 3.8l is no slouch either, putting out just north of 200 horsepower and can be had with a T5 five-speed.

1. Ford Mustang, 1994-20xx
   Do a simple search on Cars.com, and you see plenty of 2005 and up V8 Mustangs with the five-speed for sale under 10k USD. The 94-98 Mustang 4.6l V8 puts out only 215 or 225 bhp depending on the year, but is by far the cheapest on this list. 99-04 model V8’s increased to 260 bhp, with the 2005-2014 making 305bhp in the early years before the 5.0 Coyote engines. V6’s are lackluster power wise, even compared to the Camaro.

1. Nissan 350z
   350z’s in the sub 10k market either have high miles, an R-title or are automatic. But a 287hp 3.5l V6 makes this a performance bargain in the import scene. Less practical than other’s on this list, this is a compromise but offers terrific performance. For a car of this size, the curb weight of ~3200-3600 pounds seems a bit high. My personal favorite on the list.

1. 2003+ Hyundai Tiburon
   You can find great deals on a pre-2003 Tiburon, but they’re incredibly ugly and lack power even when compared to the later generation. Horsepower varies from 138 to 172, with a 5-speed and 6-speed (Tuscani and later trims) making use of it. Weighing in at a lightweight 2900 pounds, these offer a great sporty car for an awesome price.

1. 2006-2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse Available with either a 2.4 L 162 hp I4 or a 3.8l 263 hp V6, the 4th gen Eclipse can be found with either a 4-speed automatic, 5-speed automatic, 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual. Coupes weigh between 3200 and 3500 pounds depending on options and the engine. Not the fastest or the nicest, but a decent import.

Honorable mention goes to cars like the Miata and any previous generations of these cars. Yeah there are better ones, but this is a list of what i’d buy. Thanks guys.