11 Supercar Alternatives

Everyone’s looking for a good deal. When it comes to buying a car, you might spend weeks looking for the best price for your dream car. A lot of us have posters of Lambos and ‘Raris on our walls, with no budget to buy them. In this piece, we’ll take a look at 11 supercar alternatives. All that speed and performance without the massive sticker price.

What’s a Supercar Alternative?

A supercar is built for performance, speed, and looks. The downside is that all of these categories lead to a higher price tag. For many, the cost is impossible to justify. We’re left to look at pictures of great supercars and miss out on these opportunities.

This is why alternatives are such a big deal. They have the horsepower, performance, and styling that you’d expect in a true supercar, but they don’t break the bank. These are lower-cost options that a lot of people can afford.

1. Dodge Challenger Hellcat

The Dodge Challenger Hellcat might be the best bargain performance care on the market. It cranks out 707hp from its massive supercharged 6.2L V8.

The best part is that it starts under $59,000. It roars from 0-60 in 3.4 seconds and maxes out at 199 mph. The car’s performance feels incredible and the interior is really roomy and comfortable. This homage to the muscle cars of olden time is way more nimble than it looks.

2. Chevy Corvette

The Corvette is the first mid-engine sports car that Chevy ever dreamed of making. The modern Corvette checks every box. It looks lethal, drives like a well-oiled machine, and skips around the road with ease.

You can grab the Stingray for less than $59,000, or you can upgrade to a ZR1 for $125,000. In either case, you’re getting an unbelievable machine.

Looking at the Stingray, you’ll get a 0-60 around 3 seconds. It caps at 184 mph and has a mighty V8 with 495hp under the hood.

3. BMW M3

The “M” badge carries a lot of weight in this industry. A BMW is a great car, but when you slap an M on it, it becomes a performance demon. You’ll find an M option in their 2, 3, 4, and 5-series cars. Of course, the M5 is the best option, but we want to look at its budget little cousin, the M3.

It rings in at $70,000 and goes 0-60 in 3.8 seconds. The base trim model boasts 473hp coming from a twin-turbo 3.0L inline-six.

More important than its straight-line speed, the M3 can throw itself into a corner really nicely. German engineering is exemplified as you take this gorgeous little beast around a track and really unleash its power.

It has a great interior and leaves the driver with a permanent smile until they turn the car off.

4. Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

The C63 AMG starts at around $71,000 and you get a lot of ‘car’ for that price. AMG is the top-of-the-line family for Benz. The C63’s big brother is one of the fastest accelerating cars on the market, and the C63 knows the pedigree it has to live up to.

This option has a twin-turbocharged V8 that cranks out 469hp. If you take a C-class and pump it full of steroids, you get a C63. It runs a sub-4-second 0-60 and sounds incredible all the while.

Inside, you get comfort, elegance, and luxury that you won’t find in other options on this list – it’s a Mercedes, after all.

5. Mazda Miata ND MX-5

You might have heard of the Miata in the past. As far as budget two-seater rockets go, it’s one of the best options on the market. It’s one of the most fun cars to drive thanks to the size, weight distribution, and feel of the ride.

For a little under $27,000, you can drive your own Miata home today. Since it’s a Mazda, it has long-term reliability that you can appreciate. You won’t get Porsche-level performance, but you’ll get the closest thing for the price.

6. Audi TT RS

Everyone wants an R8 in their garage. If you don’t have 200 grand to drop on a whim, then you should consider the TTRS, instead. At around $72,000, the Audi TTRS is lovingly called the “baby R8” by a lot of car guys.

It pulls a 3.6-second 0-60 thanks to a powerful engine and light frame. The styling is really nice and the driving experience is dynamic.

7. VW Golf GTI

We talked about the Volkswagen Golf GTI when we talked about hot hatches on a budget, and we can’t help but bring it up again. You can get a fully loaded version for a pinch under $37,000 but even the base model is a joy to drive at $29,000.

We’re in love with the styling, the interior upgrades, and how it feels on the road and track. Golfs have a rich history when it comes to being the everyday person’s go-to supercar alternative. For way less than half the price of comparable cars, the Golf will deliver a ton of fun and performance.

8. Kia Stinger

You might remember the Kia Stinger from our list of the best AWD coupes and sedans. It’s one of the few cars that Kia really knocked out of the park.

From the outside, it has a Bentley-esque feel to it that could easily confuse someone on the road. Inside, it looks like a Lexus and the ride feels like a high-end Audi. It pulls a 0-60 in 5 flat and pushes 365 horsepower.

All of this comes in a package of around $33,000 so there’s no need to sell your house just for a fun car.

9. Tesla 3

It’s hard to think of budget performance without a Tesla falling on the list. They start at $37,000 but you can throw a Performance trim on it for $56,000 and experience even more fun.

It goes 0-60 in around 3.1 seconds and is completely silent while it does so. You’ll love the styling, feel, performance, dynamic response, and interior luxury. The car partially drives itself which isn’t possible in any supercar.

10. Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

How about an actual supercar? The 4C Spider from Alfa Romeo is classified as a supercar despite its $67,000 price tag for a brand-new one. It only has 237hp, but it also has one of the lightest frames on this list.

The performance was hand-tuned to be incredibly nimble. You can flick it and feel the car plant itself through the turn. This car doesn’t have the creature comforts you might look for in a daily driver, but it was specifically designed to be incredibly fun on the track. Of course, it also looks and sounds incredible all the while.

11. Jaguar F-Type

Let’s end this list with another supercar with a surprisingly low sticker price. The F-Type rings in at around $62,000.

We all know Jags as the car of the retiree, but this option would leave grandpa grasping his chest. The F-Type is a high-performance sports car. It has a 575hp V8 engine that will take you from 0-60 in as quick as 3.5 seconds.

The styling is one of our favorites on this list. A lot of people consider this option a spiritual successor to the incredibly famous E-Type of old. It has a well-dialed performance and a very snappy response as you drive along.

Conclusion

You don’t need to have Bond money to afford a great-looking, high-performance vehicle. Our list of 11 supercar alternatives can help you feel like a Rockstar on the road while being financially savvy. Make sure you have the right tools and accessories for your new budget supercar!