Bargain used supercars: feeling brave?
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Supercars for a song
© FerrariWhen it comes to buying a cheap supercar, you’ve gotta ask yourself one question: “Do I feel lucky?” It’s a bit like playing Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum, with financial ruin a distinct possibility. Here are 18 bargain supercars that might tempt you into pulling the trigger.
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Ferrari 456 GT: from £50,000
© FerrariAlthough its Pininfarina styling proved divisive at launch in 1992, few supercars of the 1990s have aged as well as the Ferrari 456 GT. Today, it’s one of the most affordable tickets into the Ferrari owners’ club, with good examples starting from around £50,000. The popularity of the GTA and its four-speed automatic ’box cemented the car’s grand touring credentials, with all versions powered by Ferrari’s glorious 5.5-litre V12.
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McLaren MP4-12C: from £65,000
© McLarenIt’s been a decade since the McLaren MP4-12C made way for the 650S. By then, McLaren Automotive had launched the fabled P1 and was firmly established at the top table of supercar supremacy. The 12C wasn’t without its foibles, but McLaren’s different approach to supercar development would influence the designs of others. A landmark car for McLaren.
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Lamborghini Gallardo: from £60,000
© LamborghiniWith prices starting from £60,000, the Gallardo is the cheapest Lamborghini; you’d need to double that to afford the lowest-priced Huracan. It might lack the visual drama of some of the rowdier Lamborghini models, but the 5.0-litre V10 is a gem and the Gallardo is a supercar you could live with on a daily basis. Assuming you can live with the running costs, that is.
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Porsche 996 GT3: from £75,000
© PorscheUnveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1999, the Porsche 996 GT3 was a proper race car for the road; the last of the old-school supercars. Power was sourced from a 3.6-litre flat-six producing 360hp, although the 996.2 arrived in 2003 with power increased to 381hp. We’re not saying that £75,000 is cheap, but by top-tier Porsche standards, it is a bargain.
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BMW i8: from £30,000
© BMWWith the potential to achieve 40mpg and drive 23-34 miles in electric mode, the BMW i8 is a supercar you can buy with your head and your heart. It cost a cool £100,000 at its launch in 2014 – the equivalent of £135,000 today – yet it could be yours for around £30,000. Not bad for a car with butterfly doors, a 0-62mph time of 4.4 seconds and as much presence as a six-figure Ferrari.
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MG XPower SV-R: from £50,000
© MG RoverMG Power delivered many mad moments, but the decision to buy a struggling Italian sports car maker and create the XPower SV was one of its maddest. Launched in 2003, the SV featured V8 power, a carbon fibre shell and an absurd price tag. The SV-R was even more expensive, but it did boast a top speed of 175mph and a 0-62mph sprint time of 4.9 seconds. Two decades ago, a SV-R cost £82,950 (£146,500 today). Now, you can own one for a third of the price.
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Honda NSX Mk2: from £100,000
© HondaWhen we drove the NSX in 2016, we called it a ‘very “Honda” type of supercar’. We added: ‘If the purity of a McLaren 570S or familiarity of a 911 isn’t for you, the space-age NSX may well be’. It features a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 producing 507hp and a 48hp electric motor for a 191mph top speed. A proper supercar, then. Yours for upwards of £100,000.
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Nissan GT-R: from £35,000
© NissanYou can buy an early Nissan GT-R for the same price as a mid-range Nissan Qashqai. Go on, your kids would love it, it’s got a decent boot, a couple of rear seats for a pair of (very) small children, and four-wheel drive for all-weather reassurance. All versions are powered by a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 that can be tuned to 750hp with no issues. Supercar performance (and bills) for crossover money.
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Ferrari 612 Scaglietti: from £65,000
© FerrariDesigned by Pininfarina and assembled at the Scaglietti factory in Modena, the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti was a quintessential grand tourer. Four seats, a boot large enough for a week’s holiday in the south of France, plus a 5.7-litre V12 producing 540hp at 7,250rpm. It could do 196mph, which made it one of the fastest four-seaters in the world. Indeed, only the Bentley Continental GT could go quicker.
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McLaren 570S: from £80,000
© McLarenMcLaren launched the 570S in 2015 to take on the Audi R8, Lamborghini Huracan and Porsche 911. It cost a cool £143,250 and shared its 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8, key chassis components and architectural elements with the 650S, but several significant tweaks meant it managed to feel totally bespoke. The figures were astonishing: 570hp, a 204mph top speed and 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds. With £50,000 off, it’s an absolute bargain.
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Porsche 996 Turbo: from £35,000
© PorscheLaunched in the year 2000, the Porsche 996 Turbo featured a 3.6-litre twin-turbo ‘Mezger’ water-cooled engine producing 420hp, all-wheel drive, and a choice of six-speed manual or five-speed Tiptronic transmissions. Buying one is either brave or inspired (possibly a bit of both), but it’s significantly cheaper than both the 993 and 997 Turbo models…
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Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano: from £80,000
© FerrariAt the end of 2006, Ferrari pitched the 599 GTB Fiorano against the iconic F40 to see which one was fastest. The F40 hit 324km/h (201mph), while the 599 clocked 330km/h (205mph), making it the quickest Ferrari to date. It helped that its 6.0-litre V12 engine was derived from that of the Enzo, a supercar that will never appear under the heading of ‘bargain’.
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Audi R8: from £30,000
© AudiAudi axed the R8 in 2024 after 18 years of production and two generations. The Type 42 shared its 5.2-litre V10 and chassis with the Lamborghini Gallardo, although a 4.2-litre V8 engine was also available. Indeed, it’s the V8 that can be filed under ‘bargain’, with values falling to what you’d associate with a late Audi TT.
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Jaguar XKR-S: from £45,000
© JaguarNot to be confused with the earlier 4.2-litre XKR-S, the supercar-taming version of the Jaguar XKR was unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. It was the fastest Jag since the XJ220, and while top speed was limited to 186mph, it was obvious that it could exceed 200mph. Power was sourced from a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 that produced 543hp.
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Lotus Esprit V8: from £50,000
© LotusThe Esprit V8 was a big deal for Lotus, catapulting the Norfolk firm into supercar territory. Its 3.5-litre twin-turbo V8 engine mustered 350hp. In a car that weighed 1,378kg, that felt like plenty. The Renault-sourced five-speed gearbox was a weak point, but the Esprit could hit a top speed of 175mph.
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Mercedes-AMG GT: from £45,000
© Mercedes-BenzIf you don’t want to spend a six-figure sum on an SLS AMG, the Mercedes-AMG GT is a more affordable alternative. For upwards of £45,000, you get a classic front-engine and rear-wheel-drive configuration, a 4.0-litre V8 with a pair of turbos, an electronic rear spoiler and F1 Safety Car vibes.
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Aston Martin DB9: from £20,000
© Aston MartinThis could be the biggest bargain of them all. For a starting price of around £20,000, you could own one of the best grand tourers of the modern era, with a fabulous Aston Martin V12 beneath the bonnet, aluminium and composite construction and a suitably plush interior. The DB7 might be cheaper, but the DB9 is a proper Aston.
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Bentley Continental GT: from £10,000
© BentleyAt its launch in 2003, the Bentley Continental GT cost £110,000. In today’s money, that’s banging on the door of £200,000. So, it might seem surprising that you can buy this 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 grand tourer with a top speed of 198mph for as little as £10,000. However, while the price might be significantly lower, the running costs won’t be. Approach with care.
