Does such a thing as a bargain muscle/performance car still exist?

[Ronsant]

Lane departure and automatic braking are not a requirements in the US.

My point is that there are a lot of requirements that add to the price. So it would be difficult to build and sell something bare bones with impressive performance at a budget price.
My personal solution is to mine the used car market. I’ve got a Magnum R/T 2006, and a Miata 2008.
Both have heated seats and enough performance to keep me happy. No electronic driving Nannie’s ( other than ABS).
My wife just got a. 2026 vehicle. Has every nanny you can think of. She spent an hour in the owners manual turning them off.
She kept the auto start/ restart on. Wow. Is that aggravating!
C5 or C6 vette or 2012 to 2015 Mustangs are the sweet spot.

 

[RooflessVW]

Hilarious! Spoken like a guy who's never shopped for a C5. I did for 5 years...I eventually gave up...

I check my FB marketplace and there aren't even any posted for more than $15k...

 

[PF52]

I sometimes have a hard time remembering what I had for dinner yesterday. Do you think I'm gonna remember a post from a year ago?

How does one forget a thread that they themselves started?

 

[JeffKeryk]

How does one forget a thread that they themselves started?

Stuff happens. Don't ask me how I know.... Ha!

 

[thastinger]

M6 Challenger Hellcats were produced until ‘21 skipped’22 and available again in ‘23.

Yeah...by the dozens and not with redeye.

 

[dogememe]

Tesla Model 3. Even the base version is fast.

 

[Arc]

You can still buy a mustang gt for cheap and spend a few grand on a cam, tune and super charger. Even back years ago we had to work on those old cars to get any real power out of them.

 

[02SE]

A 10 second pass... Get that battery hot!

Our 2025 Model S Plaid will do low 9's on a non-prepped street. It's still boring. A bit of whirring like a blender making a smoothie, and it's done.

Not my video.

 

[grampi]

My point is that there are a lot of requirements that add to the price. So it would be difficult to build and sell something bare bones with impressive performance at a budget price.
My personal solution is to mine the used car market. I’ve got a Magnum R/T 2006, and a Miata 2008.
Both have heated seats and enough performance to keep me happy. No electronic driving Nannie’s ( other than ABS).
My wife just got a. 2026 vehicle. Has every nanny you can think of. She spent an hour in the owners manual turning them off.
She kept the auto start/ restart on. Wow. Is that aggravating!
C5 or C6 vette or 2012 to 2015 Mustangs are the sweet spot.

I'm not a Mustang guy now, I'd rather have a Camaro...

 

[grampi]

I check my FB marketplace and there aren't even any posted for more than $15k...

And I'd bet any amount of money none of them meet my criteria...

 

[grampi]

How does one forget a thread that they themselves started?

Early onset of dementia? I hope not...

 

[02SE]

How does one forget a thread that they themselves started?

I can't speak for @grampi, but I have more important things going on in my life than recalling every post I've ever made on a Forum.

 

[97prizm]

The closest thing to a performance car bargain is the Tesla Model 3 Performance. Nothing else is even close.

Sigh! When I think of something performance minded that means at least to me something I can take to a track day. I don't think the op is looking for a Tesla. Tesla isn't the answer to everything.

 

[RooflessVW]

And I'd bet any amount of money none of them meet my criteria...

Sure, maybe.

But then again, there's no used car factory.

 

[Patman]

And I'd bet any amount of money none of them meet my criteria...

The fact that you couldn’t find a reasonably priced C5 isn’t lack of available cars then, it just sounds like you have unrealistic expectations. Finding a 20+ year old car exactly how you want it with very little flexibility is not the way to go

 

[goblin]

Sigh! When I think of something performance minded that means at least to me something I can take to a track day. I don't think the op is looking for a Tesla. Tesla isn't the answer to everything.

And others could be thinking about burnouts and donuts, or straight line acceleration... Performance oriented that is not track performance oriented is not exclusive to Tesla. If anything, most candidates would be very poor ones for track use, given the prevalent weights - on average.

 

[RooflessVW]

And others could be thinking about burnouts and donuts, or straight line acceleration... Performance oriented that is not track performance oriented is not exclusive to Tesla. If anything, most candidates would be very poor ones for track use, given the prevalent weights - on average.

Teslas are freaking lame bro.

So happy that your iPad has good acceleration.

 

[grampi]

The fact that you couldn’t find a reasonably priced C5 isn’t lack of available cars then, it just sounds like you have unrealistic expectations. Finding a 20+ year old car exactly how you want it with very little flexibility is not the way to go

These were my requirements when I was searching for a C5...years- 2002-2004...ext color, torch red. Int color, anything but black. Must be a 6 speed manual coupe...I don't think those requirements are unrealistic...

 

[grampi]

Sigh! When I think of something performance minded that means at least to me something I can take to a track day. I don't think the op is looking for a Tesla. Tesla isn't the answer to everything.

No electrics for me...

 

[goblin]

...So happy that your iPad has good acceleration.

Said the owner of a well-accelerating Rapt(ract)or TRXzilla, before blasting into the sunset doing 96 (gal/hr) .

No one personally called here. I don't own a Tesla, and I don't assume you own a 6000lb offroad rocket with 26 inchers on 305/30Rs.

Just pointing out that automotive lameness is a sacred American tradition among others, and that once again Tesla holds no exclusivity in that field.