Fastest Car 1992+ $under 20,000
- Thread starter CuTSpike2
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- Rule 12
- GTP_Famine
I have NO clue what you're talking about. However, GM own Vauxhall. Quite why you'd WANT a Vauxhall is a different question, since they're all shoddy and outclassed by their competitors (except the Monaro, which is Australian and rebadged in the US as the Pontiac GTO, and the VX220 which is built by Lotus and not as good as the Elise).
And, since you were talking about importing a Vauxhall, I thought you'd want sub-$20,000 cars worldwide - at least the Westie is WORTH importing...
And, since you were talking about importing a Vauxhall, I thought you'd want sub-$20,000 cars worldwide - at least the Westie is WORTH importing...
My "quickest car since 1992 under $20k" nominations:
1. 1993-1996 Toyota Supra Turbo
2. 1993-1995 Mazda RX-7
3. 1992-1999 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4
4. 1993-2002 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
I believe that's in correct order, too. All do 0-60 in under 5.5 seconds, but the times are debatable, except for that first one, which is surely quicker than the other three - the only problem is finding one under $20k.
1. 1993-1996 Toyota Supra Turbo
2. 1993-1995 Mazda RX-7
3. 1992-1999 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4
4. 1993-2002 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
I believe that's in correct order, too. All do 0-60 in under 5.5 seconds, but the times are debatable, except for that first one, which is surely quicker than the other three - the only problem is finding one under $20k.
menglan
Actually they're not that cheap, especially for 13 years old. Consider this:
A '96 Lexus SC300 lists for $11300 privately, according to Blue Book. With an SC300, you have a 225-horsepower 3-liter straight six, and, let's be honest, a 4-speed automatic. 0-60 is achieved in 7.6 seconds, with a quarter mile time of 15.7. Standard spec: dual power cloth seats, air-con, keyless entry, AM/FM/cassette, 4-wheel disc ABS and dual front airbags.
A '96 Volvo 850 Turbo lists for $7625 privately, according to Blue Book. Here you have a 222-horsepower 2.3-liter five-cylinder turbo and a 4-speed automatic. You get 0-60 in 7.1 and a quarter mile of 15.1. Standard spec: dual power heated leather seats with dual memory, dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless entry, AM/FM/cassette, 4-wheel disc ABS, dual front and front side airbags, and power sunroof.
I make the comparison to the 850 Turbo, one of the best used cars on the market, but really the comparison stands up for anything - the SC300 is just that overpriced (and performance isn't even that good!).
TOP TEN
1. 1997-2005 Chevrolet Corvette coupe
2. 1992-1996 Chevrolet Corvette coupe
3. 1998-2002 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
4. 1993-1996 Toyota Supra Turbo
5. 1992-1996 Chevrolet Corvette convertible
6. 1993-1995 Mazda RX-7
7. 1992-1999 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4
8. 1998-2004 Ford Mustang GT
9. 1991-1996 Nissan 300ZX Turbo
10. 1993-1997 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
The problem with making a list like this is you really have no start point - you just start thinking, "What cars made since 1992 will do 0-60 under six seconds?" Number one is easily the quickest - it's got a half second on number two - but the problem is finding one under $20k, though Blue Book says 1997 and 1998 models should be easy finds at that price.
Numbers two through ten are tough calls - the margin between those nine vehicles is just 0.5 seconds 0-60, with numbers two and three and numbers four and five both tying (5.2 and 5.3 seconds respectively). Really after number one it's simply a judgement call.
1. 1997-2005 Chevrolet Corvette coupe
2. 1992-1996 Chevrolet Corvette coupe
3. 1998-2002 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
4. 1993-1996 Toyota Supra Turbo
5. 1992-1996 Chevrolet Corvette convertible
6. 1993-1995 Mazda RX-7
7. 1992-1999 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4
8. 1998-2004 Ford Mustang GT
9. 1991-1996 Nissan 300ZX Turbo
10. 1993-1997 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
The problem with making a list like this is you really have no start point - you just start thinking, "What cars made since 1992 will do 0-60 under six seconds?" Number one is easily the quickest - it's got a half second on number two - but the problem is finding one under $20k, though Blue Book says 1997 and 1998 models should be easy finds at that price.
Numbers two through ten are tough calls - the margin between those nine vehicles is just 0.5 seconds 0-60, with numbers two and three and numbers four and five both tying (5.2 and 5.3 seconds respectively). Really after number one it's simply a judgement call.
CuTSpike2
The only Subaru ever to do 0-60 in under 5.7 seconds is the WRX STi, which debuted for 2004 and goes used for about $25200 at the very least.
Yeah - I missed the SRT-4. I considered it, but I didn't think you'd be able to find one in the price range. Blue Book says the cheapest '03s go for low-$13s! I guess even when it was new it was in the price range. So, modified top ten:
TOP TEN
1. 1997-2005 Chevrolet Corvette coupe
2. 1992-1996 Chevrolet Corvette coupe
3. 1998-2002 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
4. 1993-1996 Toyota Supra Turbo
5. 1992-1996 Chevrolet Corvette convertible
6. 1993-1995 Mazda RX-7
7. 1992-1999 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4
8. 1998-2004 Ford Mustang GT
9. 1991-1996 Nissan 300ZX Turbo
10. 2003-_ Dodge Neon SRT-4
The BMW Z3 doesn't even come close for performance.
The Lotus Elise's first year in the United States is 2005.
- 3,052
M5Power
I concur! The 850 Turbo IS the best used car on the market... I'm EXTREMELY close to buying one.
ultrabeatWhat?
The Mark I Elise isn't worth the effort of the importing?
Our talent is wasted on you...
I know you're kidding, but I'm going to give you a straight answer: even if the vehicle was worth importing, it's not worth maintaining. A couple of years ago I, who knows NOTHING about the workings of cars, imported a fifteen-year-old Italian car, one of about ten in the entire country. It was a complete nightmare and after paying a huge amount to import it I decided it wasn't even that cool and sold it after a few months. It never broke down, but if it had I would've had to tow it about 300 miles to the only guy I could find crazy enough to agree to maintain the vehicle (he also ended up buying it). Never never never import!
CuTSpike2
The Z3 came with several different engines and transmissions, but 0-60 times:
1996-1998 Z3 1.9 manual (138-horsepower 1.9L 4-cyl): 9.1sec
1997-2000 Z3 2.8 manual (189-horsepower 2.8L 6-cyl): 6.4sec
1999-2002 Z3 2.5 manual (184-horsepower 2.5L 6-cyl): 7.0sec
2001-2002 Z3 3.0 manual (225-horsepower 3.0L 6-cyl): 5.9sec
Stay the hell away from the 1.9-liter model, whatever the hell you do. They were slow and people laugh at people who own them. Those 3-liter ones are pretty quick, but you'll only find high-mileage ones for $20k.
On to the second question: in 1991, Nissan was not producing a convertible 300ZX, and my notes show that the 300ZX convertible, which was produced from 1993 to 1996, was never produced with the turbocharged engine - just the gutless 222-horsepower 3-liter V6 also used in the period's Maxima. Already on the top ten and coming in at number nine is the 300ZX Turbo coupe, which did 0 to 60 in around 5.6 seconds thanks to a 320-horsepower twin turbo version of the same 3-liter V6 from the base model.
- 6,769
- Little Elm, TX
- JCE3000GT
I just have a few miscellaneous things to add to this thread.
1) My stock '93 VR4 outran any Supra Turbo, RX7 Turbo, and 300ZX Turbo all day everyday. Maybe it's the driver maybe it's the car...I just consistantly won. In fact the only stock cars I ever lost from were a GTS Viper and 2000 C5. I will say from these 4 Japanese "supercars" I'd easily choose the VR4 and 300ZX Turbo over the other 2. Supra's as sexy as it gets...but every ricer in the world has one and has riced it to the point of sickness. I no longer want one...which is a shame in itself.
2) The SRT4 would easily be the best car in this group mentioned with an exception of WS6 Trans AM or SS Camaro which can be bought for $16-18k used also, when considering finding a C5 under $20k would not be very easy and the insurance alone would kill you the C5 can't really be considered in this list.
3) The Maxima/300ZX 3.0 Liter V6 of the 90's era was a kick ass engine..."gutless" I think not. I find that remark personally insulting. I beat many-a-ricer with my stock '95 SE Maxima thank you very much. Nissan has always made great engines, and that 3.0L is almost as good as it gets for power and reliability...next to the 3.5L VQ engine that is.
4) When considering the Mustang only choose the 99-01 Cobras as they can be bought for less than $20k...but hold second fiddle to the much better F-body WS6/SS.
5) On the subject of Corvettes...I owned a C4 (1992) and I must say it was ok...my VR4 was faster until about 100mph. From a basic 0-60 nothing beats AWD Twin Turbo from the early-mid 90's era. 👍
6) If only we could include cheap Euro/Japanese cars into this list...but the exchange rate and etc wouldn't be fair. Otherwise I think maybe a '97 R33 Skyline GT-R vspec would easily own this list.
My 2 bhp.
1) My stock '93 VR4 outran any Supra Turbo, RX7 Turbo, and 300ZX Turbo all day everyday. Maybe it's the driver maybe it's the car...I just consistantly won. In fact the only stock cars I ever lost from were a GTS Viper and 2000 C5. I will say from these 4 Japanese "supercars" I'd easily choose the VR4 and 300ZX Turbo over the other 2. Supra's as sexy as it gets...but every ricer in the world has one and has riced it to the point of sickness. I no longer want one...which is a shame in itself.
2) The SRT4 would easily be the best car in this group mentioned with an exception of WS6 Trans AM or SS Camaro which can be bought for $16-18k used also, when considering finding a C5 under $20k would not be very easy and the insurance alone would kill you the C5 can't really be considered in this list.
3) The Maxima/300ZX 3.0 Liter V6 of the 90's era was a kick ass engine..."gutless" I think not. I find that remark personally insulting. I beat many-a-ricer with my stock '95 SE Maxima thank you very much. Nissan has always made great engines, and that 3.0L is almost as good as it gets for power and reliability...next to the 3.5L VQ engine that is.
4) When considering the Mustang only choose the 99-01 Cobras as they can be bought for less than $20k...but hold second fiddle to the much better F-body WS6/SS.
5) On the subject of Corvettes...I owned a C4 (1992) and I must say it was ok...my VR4 was faster until about 100mph. From a basic 0-60 nothing beats AWD Twin Turbo from the early-mid 90's era. 👍
6) If only we could include cheap Euro/Japanese cars into this list...but the exchange rate and etc wouldn't be fair. Otherwise I think maybe a '97 R33 Skyline GT-R vspec would easily own this list.
My 2 bhp.
- 1,515
Hiya! 
Meow! (='.'=)
I would suggest buying a 1998+ Camaro Z28/SS because they aren't that hard to find. They are already quick and have a good engine! LS1 power! 👍
Meow! (='.'=)I would suggest buying a 1998+ Camaro Z28/SS because they aren't that hard to find. They are already quick and have a good engine! LS1 power!
👍 
- 102
Wahoo, this thread affirms my deep hatred of Famine 
- 102
Table two, extra fries 👍
JCE3000GT
I won't entertain bull**** like this. For the record, I don't give a damn if your car won or lost to any of those cars on that list. I honestly don't care in the slightest. The list isn't meant to be perfectly accurate. Everyone knows that different cars perform differently, even if it's the same model with the same specification from the same year, and everyone also knows different drivers perform differently. The list is a rough estimation using 0-60 times from two reliable sources, and it's a damn good rough estimation come to that.
You find the remark personally insulting because ... you are a 3.0-liter Nissan V6? Check back to what I said - I called the engine gutless when applied to the 300ZX. And if you're telling me a 3516lb coupe with 220hp isn't gutless, well, then, ha. It does 0-60 in 8.3 seconds and the quarter in 16.4 @ 87mph. Wow - some engine.
In the 1995-1999 Nissan Maxima, the engine's a whole different story, though performance numbers change little. (0-60 in 8.0 and 1/4 in 15.9 @ 87.4)
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- Little Elm, TX
- JCE3000GT
M5Power
I took it personally because I believe in that engine as I've had a few high mileage ones that never want to break is all, and I don't see it as "slow" either. No need to get all angry about it. I wasn't angry, I just took it rather awkward that someone said it was gutless.
I clocked mine with a radar and a stop watch by a 3rd party person at an average of 7.5 seconds to 60mph in a stock '95 SE automatic. I find 8.0 to be a little long--but will conceed that auto mags probably got those numbers and I just have different results is all. And, I'd say the engine isn't gutless, the weight of the car is in both the Maxima and 300ZX. The CAR is gutless, not the engine in my opinion...if that engine was in say...a Natually Aspirated Silvia/240SX it probably would be a whole hell of alot faster than the 2.4L 12 or 16 valve NA engine. If you were to shed the 516lbs out of 3516lbs from the 300ZX it would easily perform much better. Also, that engine could easily be the second best quality engine I've ever owned...next to a Chevrolet 305 V8 which has taken 185,000 hard earned miles (Chevy V8's seem to last forever) and still is being driven over 50 miles everyday by my brother to and from work.
👍
