Budget Alternatives To Super Cars
Super Car: Corvette ZR-1
The amazing new ZR1 comes with a supercharged 638-hp LS9 6.2-liter V8, a six-speed manual transmission, Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension, special carbon fiber components and Brembo ceramic brakes. But the soul of the ZR1 is so much more. Although the vehicle started its life as a track monster, lapping for hours of development at Germany's famous Nürburgring, the vehicle is actually quite easy to drive. Is it the world's most drivable super car? It very well could be, although at over $100,000 there are few people who would call that "drivable."
Alternative: Base Chevrolet Corvette
Really, nothing in the world can stand in for the Corvette ZR1 than…another Corvette. The base model 'Vette starts under $50,000, yet it's one fast coupe. At less than half the price of a ZR1, the base model still pumps out a whopping 430 horsepower. It's one of the best sleeper cars on the market today.
Super Car: Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 remains the iconic symbol of a sports car. That shape and the Porsche badge on the hood have stood for exclusivity for decades. Of course, it's isn't just snobbery that attracts people to the brand--the 911 is one of the most exhilarating drives on the road, with a small, tight steering feel and loads of power out of the car's famous flat six engine (the cylinders are arranged as if they're
Alternative: Lotus Elise
The Lotus Elise is a small two-door sports car best known for its telepathic handling, nimble moves and astounding speed. It is what Ferrari owners buy when they want to go to amateur track days (and win). For the aspiring Porsche owner, the Elise could be the perfect stepladder: the Elise is roughly half the cost of a base 911, yet it's packed with the sorts of characteristics we've loved about Porsche for decades: small size, light weight and direct steering control result in quickness derived more from sheer efficiency than outright power.
Super Car: BMW M5
When it comes to sports sedans, there are few who would deny the M5 a rightful place at the top. The limited-production M5 can out-accelerate, out-brake and out-corner some of the most expensive sports cars, with comfortable seating for five. It's powered by a hand-built 500-hp 5.0-liter V10, with suspension and brakes enhanced to match all the power. Buyers can choose between a 7-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) with steering wheel paddles or 6-speed manual transmission.
Alternative: Pontiac G8 GT
The Pontiac G8 (especially the V-8 versions found in GT and GXP trims) is every bit the poor man's (or maybe it's more correctly noted as "wise man's") BMW M5. Aping the performance-minded rear-drive setup of the BMW, Pontiac's hot sedan puts down 355 horsepower in GT trim or a whopping 415 in GXP trim. That's serious armament for a vehicle that starts in the high 20s (or low to mid 30s for the V-8s). While the Pontiac will never confuse itself for BMW on the inside, we think the sporty and clean lines of the exterior are a no-nonsense homage to some of BMW's best. In fact, we might even opt for the Pontiac even if money was no option.
Super Car: Ferrari Enzo
Around a half a million dollars and only 8 mpg? Clearly you aren't buying this car because of the way it stacks up against a Ford Explorer. The Ferrari Enzo might be one of the most exclusive Ferraris of all time (only 400 were made worldwide) and its iconic (if slightly angular) shape has made its way onto more teenage bedroom walls than Heidi Klum's. Featuring a powerful 6-liter V-12 engine matted to a six-speed auto-shift manual transmission, the Enzo provides 660 hp @ 7800rpm with 484 lb-ft @ 5500 rpm of torque. This takes you from zero to sixty in 3.24 seconds (and your bank account from about a half a million dollars to zero even faster).
Alternative: Corvette ZR1
Wait, wasn't the Corvette ZR1 already on this list? Yes, it was, as a super car. We like to think of the ZR1 as a vehicle than can play both the super car angle and the budget alternative angle. You see, the ZR1 has all the guts of an actual super car with a price tag that is still within the range of being affordable (okay, so maybe $100,000 is out of our price range, but it's still only a fraction of the cost of a Ferrari Enzo). The amazing new ZR1 comes with a supercharged 638-hp LS9 6.2-liter V8, a six-speed manual transmission, Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension, special carbon fiber components and Brembo ceramic brakes. To the uninitiated, those carbon ceramic brakes are the stuff of super car legend; to find them on a car that costs "only" $100k is something of a minor miracle.
Super Car: Bentley Continental GT
The Bentley Continental GT is a luxury all-wheel drive coupe built in England, but the reality is that it's one of America's most iconic street machines. The percentage of rap videos filmed with Bentley Continentals prominently displayed is easily in the double digits; its place in the American luxury landscape is permanently sealed. The reality is that the Bentley coupe is one fun driving machine, with Continental GT's 6.0-liter W12 engine producing 552 horsepower and 479 pounds-feet of torque. The Continental GT Speed features the same 6.0-liter W12, but generates 600 horsepower and 533 pounds-feet of torque. Both trims send power through a ZF 6-speed automatic transmission with steering column mounted gearshift paddles. The Bentley's least-known feature we love is its all-wheel-drive system
Alternative: Infiniti G37x Coupe
While the Infiniti G37x Coupe can only muster half the number of cylinders the Bentley can, it makes up for it in a very drivable road presence and a performance-minded all-wheel-drive system. Equipped with ATTESA E-TS, the all-wheel drive G37x is powered by a 330-hp 3.7-liter V6 engine mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control. From a curb appeal perspective, the G37 is arguably one of the most beautiful coupes on the market today. While it lacks the Continental's broad-street-bully strength of visual character, it certainly cuts a unique shape in the valet line. At about one-fifth the price, it might be just our size, too.
Super Car: Nissan GT-R
The Nissan GT-R is the fifth generation of this venerable Japanese super car, but this is the first generation available to North American enthusiasts. Well known to video gamers in this part of the world as forbidden fruit, the GT-R brings new levels of performance and technology to Nissan's line-up. Known commonly as "Godzilla" for its decidedly carnivorous and Japanese appearance. Powered by a hand-built 485-hp twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6, the GT-R makes good use of all that thrust through a paddle-shifted, rear mounted six-speed dual clutch sequential gearbox and electronic all-wheel drive. Roads and racetracks are handled by an electronically controlled independent suspension that adjusts itself to changing conditions, or allows the driver to chose a preferred setting. After winning a host of awards on its introduction last year, the car continues to inspire teenage boys and terrorize race tracks around the universe.
Alternative: Nissan 370Z NISMO
It's quite nice that the only real alternative to the Nissan GT-R comes within Nissan's own lineup: the 370Z is our recommendation for a "poor man's" Godzilla. No, the 370Z doesn't have the near-500 horsepower or all-wheel-drive system, but visually it certainly goes far to pay homage to its big brother. The modern Nissan 370Z falls in line with Z's of the past. Designed with performance, style and value in mind; it's a pure sports car in every respect. The 370Z can be had as a coupe or roadster configuration, ranging from mild with the Base and upgraded Touring trim, to the race track inspired NISMO trim. Both, Base and Touring models come standard with a 332-hp 3.7-liter V6, and a six-speed manual transmission. An optional seven-speed automatic with paddle shifters is available on both trims. The performance oriented NISMO hosts a 350-hp 3.7-liter V6, and a six-speed manual transmission with SyncroRev Match; what this does is match the engine rpm's to the transmission while downshifting, thus providing smooth and seamless transitions from gear to gear. It's race-inspired, a riot to drive and one inexpensive way to have a small piece of the GT-R in your driveway.
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