Fast cars don’t have to be prohibitively expensive. Instead, shrewd sports and muscle car shoppers can find a cheap, fast car that will hit 60 mph in less than five seconds. Check out a few of your best launch-happy options, like the 2015 Volkswagen Golf R and 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Z06.

Which is the cheapest and fastest car?

While there are many cheap and fast cars, these used sports and muscle car models have neck-snapping thrust without a hefty price tag: 

• S550 Ford Mustang GT
• 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
• 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
• 2016 BMW 340i
• 2015 Volkswagen Golf R
• 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack

Is the S550 Ford Mustang GT a cheap fast car?

The S550 Ford Mustang GT carried over the powerful 5.0L Coyote V8 but ditched the live rear axle in favor of fully independent rear suspension. As a result, the grand tourer-esque Mustang model could sprint to 60 in four and a half seconds or less. 

Moreover, the automatic-equipped 2018 model could make the run in under four seconds flat. However, the cheapest S550 models will be the pre-facelift examples, like a 2015 Mustang GT. According to Kelley Blue Book (KBB), fans can snag a used 2015 Ford Mustang GT with average mileage for around $22,000.  

How much is a C5 Z06 worth?

A Chevrolet Corvette Z06 from the C5 generation might be one of the market’s finest cheap fast car bargains. According to KBB, the 405-horsepower Plastic Fantastic has a fair value of around $21,503. 

Also, with a standard six-speed manual transmission and enough thrust to hit 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds, the Z06 is fast and fun by today’s standards. 

How much is a 2011 Shelby GT500?

While the Shelby badge is usually a pricey acquisition, the 2011 Shelby GT500 is still a tire-shredding bargain. The GT500’s fair used car value of $23,855 and 0 to 60 time of just 4.1 seconds make it a super-performing steal of a cheap fast car. 

Is a 2016 BMW 340i a cheap fast car?

The 2016 BMW 340i, with its 320-horsepower B58 inline six-cylinder engine, can hit 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. Moreover, the 340i has a fair value of around $22,180, making it a cheap fast car with a more practical four-door platform than a coupe like the Corvette Z06.  

How fast is a 2015 Golf R?

The 2015 Volkswagen Golf R is fast enough to hit 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds on its way to a 13.2-second quarter mile. Like many comparable vehicles, the Golf R features a governor, which limits the hot hatch to 153 mph. 

Better yet, with a fair purchase price of around $20,013, the 2015 Volkswagen Golf R is a complete performance bargain with practicality to spare. Of course, that value reflects a model with average mileage; a lower-mileage example would drive the price up.  

Is the R/T Scat Pack fast?

The 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack is the most powerful car on this list, with 485 tire-vaporizing horses on tap. As a result, the hulking coupe is quite fast; it will hit 60 mph in around 4.2 seconds, with a quarter mile in less than 13 seconds. 

What’s your go-to high-speed savings machine? Tell us your thoughts on cheap fast cars in the comments below!