What are the most affordable new performance cars you have ever seen or tried?

[Del Pickup]

My wife had a Honda Prelude for several years. It was the fastest car on the road - she used to love when the boy racers in their Subarus, Mitsubishis, etc would come alongside at traffic lights - all revving engines and testosterone.

She'd sit there patiently and when the lights went to green she would leave them for dead! That car was seriously FAST!! The 2.2 litres VTEC engine was well up to staying with the V8 Holdens and Fords as well.

I think you'd have to spend some serious money to get better performance than that car had.

[boris bubbanov]

Del, I think the car's output is substantially different, from 1 market to the next.

The highly tuned Mitsus and Subarus would simply crush the normally aspirated Prelude of any iteration. It was viewed here as a secretary's car. A least the Nissan 240 SX made a fabulous drifting car. Honda buffs used the Honda/Acura Integra ('93 forward), the CRXsi, and various Civics to add turbos and nitrous to.

I guess some got modded here, but we got a weaker version than you guys, or the Europeans did - and I think the home Japanese market got the best ones.
The Mitsus had iron blocks and could withstand serious abuse, while the Subaru was its own creature altogether - their unique engine design had to resist failure as their reputation depended on it. The Hondas? Well, they blew up but you just bought another one, preferably the cheapest model. Not the Prelude.

[63dot]

Originally Posted by Del Pickup

My wife had a Honda Prelude for several years. It was the fastest car on the road - she used to love when the boy racers in their Subarus, Mitsubishis, etc would come alongside at traffic lights - all revving engines and testosterone.

She'd sit there patiently and when the lights went to green she would leave them for dead! That car was seriously FAST!! The 2.2 litres VTEC engine was well up to staying with the V8 Holdens and Fords as well.

I think you'd have to spend some serious money to get better performance than that car had.

LMAO :)

Problem here is that we have cops here, bored cops. And the police academy for rent a cops (what we call them until they finish). Until then, they are put on rural duty in smaller towns and military bases and are literally those who give tickets to anyone a mile over the limit. And in California, some of them got outfitted with the Ford Mustang, not a bad car compared to what I used to see cops with as a kid which couldn't catch a three legged dog.

[BlueJim]

I owned an Integra in type R spec. That was a very fun car. Handling was wonderful (on dry pavement - don't ask :) up over 100 it felt better than any of the American cars I've driven at 65. They did a great job of upgrading suspension, stiffening chassis, lightening all around, and improving horsepower over the standard version, so please don't compare this to any Integra you've driven if it wasn't a type R.

[63dot]

Originally Posted by BlueJim

I owned an Integra in type R spec. That was a very fun car. Handling was wonderful (on dry pavement - don't ask :) up over 100 it felt better than any of the American cars I've driven at 65. They did a great job of upgrading suspension, stiffening chassis, lightening all around, and improving horsepower over the standard version, so please don't compare this to any Integra you've driven if it wasn't a type R.

My employee got an Integra in the late 1990s, slightly used with stock spoiler, but smaller than most Integra R internet searches for pictures. It was black with a rubber spoiler and metallic gold rims. I don't know if it was the Type R, but this car had incredible power. Of course, the car he had before was a large 1960s Ford or GM utility van and that thing was like a slow moving tank.

He would go racing with his friend up in the hills (where nobody lives) on the other side of the Big Sur highway and the other guy had a stock non-R Integra. Luckily neither went off the cliffs. Stupid things people do when they are very young.

[studio1087]

My wife had an Integra...stick shift with a spoiler...British Racing Green with black leather. That car was great. Then we got pregnant and bought an SUV.

I have a new Passat with a 2 liter engine. It's zippy. It's an 07 that I bought with 6000 miles for about 18K. They're affordable. My Passat have the automatic transmission shift that you slide to the right and it becomes like a click manual transmission shift.

I often see the VW Jettas that have the 2.5 liter engine and I think wow....those things must really zing. Nice little German car with a 2.5 liter engine. The Jetta with the big engine may be my next work car.

[a.z.n]

Either performance version of the Mini Cooper beats anything else in this thread so far. The S version or the John Cooper version are both great little cars that are really well-built ((by BMW)) and look pretty amazing.

I also drove around last summer in my friend's Mazda RX8 GT, which were made in 2005 and are probably the fastest cars you can get for the money.

Also, I know a guy picked up a 2003 BMW M3 for only $30k Canadian, so that may be something to check out. BMW makes basically the finest cars still in production, in my opinion

[63dot]

Originally Posted by a.z.n

Either performance version of the Mini Cooper beats anything else in this thread so far. The S version or the John Cooper version are both great little cars that are really well-built ((by BMW)) and look pretty amazing.

I also drove around last summer in my friend's Mazda RX8 GT, which were made in 2005 and are probably the fastest cars you can get for the money.

Also, I know a guy picked up a 2003 BMW M3 for only $30k Canadian, so that may be something to check out. BMW makes basically the finest cars still in production, in my opinion

I always see good used deals on BMWs, but in the states I think they are priced too high. With that money, I would opt for Lexus or Mercedes.

[stantheman]

The Ford GT-40.
Make mine RED.
Yes with The White Stripes too.

[blue metalflake]

As a compromise between practicallity, performance and value for money, the Subaru will win every time.