Lifestyle The 9 Absolute Best Supercars You Can Buy For Under $50K

Supercars are all about the aura. Their unattainable mystique made them poster-worthy when you were younger, and their unbridled power and quality components always put them at the top of the charts in performance. And yes, we all know they can easily cost a couple million to obtain. Except when they don't. So put away the re-mortgaging papers on your house—all nine of these cars are $50,000 or less.

1. Lotus Esprit The Lotus Esprit is not just the second coolest Bond car, it’s the closest thing Britain has ever come to producing an Italian supercar. The fact that it’s also great for picking up a fishnets-wearing Julia Roberts is completely superfluous.

2. Porsche 911 Turbo Some day, pretty much every 911 Turbo will be well over $50,000. But for now, there are plenty to choose from that span over three decades (1970-2000). How could you not take something like this to the track?

3. Ferrari 308 Your inner Magnum PI and Beverly Hills Cop II fan would seriously hurt you for passing up a 308. Your mechanic, however, would likely buy you flowers.

4. DeTomaso Pantera It’s a simple formula: British sports car + American V8 = Cobra. Italian supercar + American V8 = Italian Cobra. The Pantera’s undeniably cool, but when you think about it in those terms, it’s even better.

5. Aston Martin DB9 This is a serious no-brainer. They’re still making the DB9, and James Bond’s next car is going to be based on it. To reiterate: You can buy James Bond’s next car today for under $50 grand. You know what to do.

6. Acura NSX Ayrton Senna had a hand in developing this car, giving engineers feedback about the way it felt. The result was a car that could go toe-to-toe with Ferraris for a heck of a lot less money.

7. Viper GTS The funny thing about the Viper is that it’s always had a reputation for being a bit factory standard, despite being actually pretty advanced. Prices today tend to reflect that, and you can get the first generation vipers for under $30,000. Talk about bang for your buck.

8. Ferrari F355 Admittedly, the F355 isn't the sexiest of Ferraris, but are you really going to complain when you walk into your garage and see this? Didn't think so.

