With used car prices rocketing, the used market is left with fewer and fewer affordable sports cars and performance cars that can hold their own on both the road and the track. However, that still doesn't mean you should go out and spend a lot of money on a relatively new car, or do an equally big spend on a car build. We've found ten seriously fun and seriously cheap used cars for gearheads on a budget that are engineered with both track and road use in mind.
The cars on this list are from across the spectrum of performance vehicles, from sports cars to hatches and muscle cars. There's also a car in here that's arguably a proper classic, and another couple that will reach that status before too long. Many of the cars on here are also incredibly tunable, with tried-and-tested aftermarket upgrades to get you enough performance to make them proper track weapons.
All average used values are from classic.com, based on car models auctioned off in the last five years. Unless otherwise stated, all figures are courtesy of the respective manufacturers.
Chevrolet Camaro SS (4th Generation)
Average Used Value: $15,000-$24,903
The 4th-generation Chevrolet Camaro SS might seem a bit of an odd choice to have in this list. In a lot of countries, American cars aren't considered to be the best choice for something that's just as fun on track as it is on the road. But, the Camaro has always been designed to handle well. The 4th-generation Camaro's production ran from 1992-2002, getting a facelift and some mechanical changes in 1998. The SS was introduced in 1996, and initially had a 305 hp version of the 5.7-liter LT1 V8. This was replaced by the LS1 V8 (also a 5.7-liter engine) in 1998, which had 350 hp but was marketed as having 310 hp so it didn't steal sales from the Corvette.
The 4th-generation Camaro SS is one of the best value for money V8 Camaros around. You can get one for around $24,138 now. While that does make it the most expensive car on the list, that's still pretty cheap compared to newer Camaro SSs. Aim for earlier model years, and you'll likely pay well under $15k for a Camaro SS in good condition. Like all GM-built sports cars, there's plenty of aftermarket tuning available too.
BMW M3 (E36)
Average Used Value: $18,548 (Automatic)
The E36 BMW 3-series has long had a reputation for being a fantastic base to create a great build out of. Plenty of people have built great track cars and drift cars out of them. That's actually not surprising at all! It's a fairly simple front-engined, rear-wheel drive car with plenty of tried-and-tested tuning options. The one to go for if you want maximum performance on both road and track is the E36 BMW M3.
This car was produced between 1992-1999, and it got a facelift in September 1995. It was available with a 3-liter inline-6 engine in pre-facelift cars, and a 3.2-liter inline-6 in post-facelift cars. Most pre-facelift cars produced 280 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque, while US market ones made do with only 240 hp. Post-facelift cars produced 316 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque in most markets, while America again got less power at 240 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque.
The E36 BMW M3 is one of the cheapest 'M' cars out there. The average used value for one of these is around $21,188. While that makes it a more expensive option, it's still one of the best ones out there for a cheaper car that'll be great on the street and on the circuit. Plus, there are all those mods out there you can go crazy with.
Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ
Average Used Value: $19,988
Just when the car community was almost at peace with the fact that the small, affordable sports car was dead and buried, the Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ came along and proved everyone wrong. The GT86 and BRZ are powered by a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter flat-4, producing 200-205 hp and 151-156 lb-ft of torque, with 2017 and newer models being the more powerful ones. This led to performance figures that seemed a bit lackluster for a sports car from the 2010s. As an example, the stock 0-60 mph time was claimed to be 6.8 seconds. But, both these sibling cars are very easily tunable. There are several companies that'll sell you a supercharger kit for them. One of those is HKS, who claim that its supercharger kit can boost the power up to as much as 345 hp.
A used GT86 will cost you around $19,988 on the used market these days. The same is true for BRZs, which can easily be had for under $20,000. With the prices being that low, you could easily spend less than $25,000 buying a stock one and giving it a supercharger upgrade. With up to 345 hp in a car this nimble, you'd have a great track weapon that can also still be civilised enough for the road.
Honda Civic Type R (8th Generation)
Average Used Value: $16,129
The Honda Civic Type R has been a benchmark of the hot hatch market since the late '90s and early '00s. It's really not difficult to see why. Every version of the Civic Type R has provided loads of driving fun at an affordable price and without having to sacrifice on practicality. The 8th-generation Civic Type R is no exception to this.
Also known as the FD2, the 8th-generation Type R was never sold in North America. However, it was incredibly popular in other markets, including the UK and its native Japan. All versions of the 8th-generation Type R have a 2-liter Honda K20A inline-4 engine. This produces 198 hp and 142 lb-ft of torque in European-spec models, and 222 hp and 159 lb-ft of torque in JDM-spec models. Both European and Japanese versions also only came with a 6-speed manual transmission.
In a bit of an oddity, the European and Japanese versions of the 8th-generation Civic Type R had completely different body styles. While European Type Rs were either 3-door or 5-door hatchbacks dubbed the FN2, JDM Type Rs were 4-door sedans. This decision was made because Honda thought Japanese customers would prefer the larger size of the sedan.
An 8th-generation Civic Type R will typically cost you around $16,129 these days. The hatchback versions have been known to sell for under $10,000 in recent years as well. That makes it a bit of a bargain for what it is. Coupled with how tuneable they can be, you might be onto a winner if you want something that's just as good on the track as it is on the road.
Ford Fiesta ST (Mark 6)
Average Used Value: $14,239
The Mark 6 Ford Fiesta ST is one of the smallest cars on this list. That doesn't mean that it doesn't pack a punch in the performance stakes, though! This otherwise tiny city car is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged Ecoboost inline-4. This engine produces 180 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque, getting it from 0-62 in less than 7 seconds in stock form. That Ecoboost engine can also be extensively modified, bumping the power up past the 200 hp barrier. With that much power in such a tiny car, you're almost guaranteed to have something that'll run riot on the track while still being manageable and fun on the road.
A Mark 6 Fiesta ST can be yours for around $14,239. That's not as cheap as you might have hoped. But, it's a really fun little car, and there are enough mods you can do to it to make it ridiculously fast.
Ford Mustang GT (SN95)
Average Used Value: $13,614
Much like the 4th-generation Chevrolet Camaro mentioned earlier, you might not expect the SN95 Ford Mustang to be on this list. The Mustang isn't typically associated with being a track car. But, the higher-performance versions of the facelifted (1999-2004) SN95 Mustang can be a great budget performance car that's great on both the street and the circuit. The best bang for your buck if you want something super affordable has to be the GT. This variant was powered by Ford's 4.6-liter modular V8, producing 260 hp and 302 lb-ft of torque. This was a boost in power from the pre-facelift SN95 version of the 4th-generation Mustang, which only produced 215 hp and 285 lb-ft of torque.
An SN95 Mustang GT can be yours for around $13,614. It's not that unusual to find examples for as low as $5,000-$6,000, either. Combine that with how much tuning you can do to one of these cars, and you might have the start of a bargain build that can be great fun pretty much anywhere you take it.
Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mark 5)
Average Used Value: $10,839
The Volkswagen Golf GTI is easily one of the most iconic hot hatches ever made. It's been a benchmark of that market ever since the original Mark I version appeared back in the '70s, and for good reason. It's always been one of the best hot hatch options, whether you're buying a brand-new one or a secondhand one. Perhaps the best bargain of the bunch when it comes to the GTI is the Mark 5 model. It may not be considered to be the best (the newer Mark 6 often gets that nod from enthusiasts), but it is the best value for money of all the GTIs. You can get one of these now for around $10,839. That makes it one of the cheapest cars on this list, as well as being one of the most practical, thanks to its hatchback roots.
The Mark 5 GTI wasn't the most powerful version of the Golf you could get at the time. It's also front-wheel drive, something which handling purists aren't too keen about. But, it's plenty powerful in stock form, with its 2-liter turbocharged inline-4 sending 200 hp to the front wheels. You could have it with either a regular 6-speed manual or the 6-speed version of Volkswagen's DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission. Both transmission options are great, and the DSG has some of the smoothest shifts you can get in a car from this era! Like all fast VW Group cars, there are plenty of aftermarket options to make it faster and handle better as well.
Mazda MX-5 Miata (NA)
Average Used Value: $10,808
You can't have a list of cheap performance cars without mentioning the Mazda MX-5 Miata. It's been the standard for affordable sports cars ever since the first-generation NA model first rolled off the production line in 1989. Early Miatas were powered by a 1.6-liter engine that produced 114 hp and 100 lb-ft of torque. A more powerful 1.8-liter engine that produced 128 hp and 110 lb-ft of torque was added in 1994, while the 1.6-liter option's power went down to 88 hp and 100 lb-ft of torque. The 1.8 also got an upgrade in 1996, boosting its power to 133 hp and 114 lb-ft of torque. If you want ultimate power, the later 1.8s are the ones to go for. But, quite a few enthusiasts prefer how the pre-1994 1.6s drive.
The NA Miata is on the verge of getting proper classic car status. As a result, it's still fairly cheap. You can expect to pay around $10,808 for one, making it one of the cheapest options here. Coupled with how a lot of these have been given serious upgrades by their owners, it should be pretty easy to build a budget car that'll be equally at home on the track as it is on the road.
Ford Focus SVT
Average Used Value: $10,338
The Fiesta ST may be Ford's more modern option for a budget-friendly hot hatch. But, back in the early 2000s, Ford offered something else that in some ways was actually a bit cooler. The Ford Focus SVT was North America's hot hatch version of the first-generation Focus. Available as a 3 or 5-door hatchback, the Focus SVT was powered by a 2-liter inline-4 Zetec engine that produced 170 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque. It also came with a 6-speed manual transmission as standard. Thanks to it being a Ford with a Zetec engine, there's plenty of aftermarket tuning around for it to make it faster and better on the track.
The Ford Focus SVT was only produced from 2002-2004. You might think that'll make it fairly expensive on the used market. That hasn't happened yet, as you can still pick one of these up for around $10,338. That makes it the second-cheapest car on this list, and an insanely good value for money.
Toyota MR2 (W10)
Average Used Value: $10,114-$20,841
Often pitched as an alternative to the Mazda MX-5 Miata, the Toyota MR2 seems, on paper, like one of the best small sports cars you can get anywhere. It's mid-engined and rear-wheel drive, so its weight distribution is near 50/50. All the versions of the MR2 are also very light, and they're cheap and easy to maintain thanks to Toyota extensively raiding its parts bin to put them together.
All versions of the MR2 are still dirt-cheap these days. That includes the first-generation W10 model. This is arguably the most desirable version of the car, and it's the only version that's reached classic status. It's the purest form of the MR2, with no driver aids of any kind. It doesn't even have power steering! It's also very light, weighing in at anywhere between 2,282-2,493 lbs. That means it had no problem getting decent performance out of the 112-128 hp (depending on what market it was sold in) 1.6-liter inline-4 engine that was found in the base model. The one to have for people who are serious about performance, though, is the supercharged version. Adding the supercharger brought the power of that 1.6-liter engine up to 145 hp.
You can pick a non-supercharged W10 up for around $13,591 if you go for a manual and around $10,114 if you go for an automatic. The much more desirable supercharged version still isn't too expensive either, at around $20,841. Whichever version you go for, you're going to have a classic sports car that's easy and cheap to maintain, easily tunable, and just as great on the road as it is on the track.
Sources: BMW, Chevrolet, classic.com, Ford, Honda, HKS, Mazda, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen