Fastest Cars For Under £5,000

You don’t have to spend a lot to satisfy your need for speed

Not all fast cars are expensive, new and gorgeous. In fact, many are old, smelly and ugly – but most importantly, they can be bought for under £5,000!

That’s right, you don’t always have to spend the equivalent of ten Ford Fiestas to purchase a performance car, instead, you can buy one of the speedy used bargains listed below and use the money you saved on the repairs it will need! Let’s go.

Audi S4 (2003-2005)

Four-wheel drive, 0-62 mph in roughly 5.8 seconds timed on a track day event with a V8 engine that produces 340 hp – what’s not to love?

This performance luxury saloon is well known for its understated styling. The only way you can tell it’s an S4 rather than an A4 is by the metal wing mirrors and some discreet badging. Other than that, this car will easily slip under the radar as a standard A4 saloon and that’s something a lot of people love about it. Looking at the car, you wouldn’t expect a 4.2-litre V8 to be dwelling under the bonnet.

This German super saloon was worth around £40,000 when it was released, now you can buy one for around £5,000. Grab one now while they’re cheap because we’re almost certain that their low price will soon start to rise.

Subaru Impreza (1992-2007 models)

Known best for their legendary status in the world of rallying, these incredible Japanese machines offer 4WD, turbo-powered thrills that will have you grinning ear to ear like a kid in, well, a Subaru Impreza.

Finding examples for under £5,000 isn’t too tricky. The first generation models offer the iconic stern looks that make the car unforgettable and the second generation offers much the same, but in three confusing facelift variants. You’re not limited to body type either as Subaru released their Impreza in saloon and estate form. Whichever you go for, make sure that the model has 4WD and a turbo engine, that way you’re guaranteed serious speed.

Expect to reach 60 mph from a standstill in under 6 seconds. Serious speed for under 5K. Plus, the cars sound excellent and handle well in tough terrains such as dirt and snow.

And remember, although excessive vaping and Monster Energy drink consumption isn’t a required part of ownership, it is expected.

BMW 130i (2004-2011)

The first generation 1 Series have held their value very well thanks to the constant demand. For under £5k, you can buy yourself a top-of-the-range 130i which features a 3.0-litre engine that produces around 260 hp and can do 0-60 mph in 6 seconds.

Although it may not look as incredible as the E46 330i, the 130i is actually faster thanks to it being lighter. Four seats, a big boot, 50:50 weight distribution and a rather reliable 3.0-litre engine, this car offers a lot for under £5,000.

Volvo S60 R (2004-2009)

Even faster than the Audi S4, the Volvo S60 R can pull off 0-62 mph in an impressive time of around 6 seconds. Sub six seconds and sub £5k, the S60 R also offers all-wheel-drive, front and rear Brembo brakes and bright white HID headlights.

Producing around 296 hp, the inline-5 engine may not be as powerful as the Audi S4 and the car may not be quite as quick but it was highly praised for its impressive handling, with some going so far as to say that it can outhandle an M3. One thing that the S60 R will definitely beat the S4 on is safety, with Volvo being world-renowned for their vehicle safety.

Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 (1994-1999)

You may have to go a little over budget for this one, but this classic JDM sports car is worth every penny. The Celica GT-Four can do 0-62 mph in around 6.1 seconds which is very fast considering how old it is. Powered by the 2.0 L 3S-GTE turbo I4 engine, the car is known to be quite reliable and very well engineered.

It’s quick and it has 242 hp but most importantly, this car is a guaranteed head-turner. Four distinctive front headlights, a cool spoiler and sleek body contouring seen throughout, this car was designed to be fast and look good doing it. Finding a nice example for around £5,000 may prove to be difficult but the payoff will be very much worth it as their going to shoot up in value in the coming years.

The car also holds some interesting motorsport history, with the car being banned from the WRC in 1995 after Toyota were caught using illegal turbo restrictors which were described by the FIA president at the time as “the most sophisticated device I’ve ever seen in 30 years of motorsports”.