We love fast cars at MotorTrend—obviously—but aftermarket horsepower comes with the potential for headaches and voided warranties. Luckily, there’s a plethora of high-horsepower cars (and trucks) out there at MSRPs that won’t make your eyes water. We set an arbitrary cap of $75,000 and then picked some of the most compelling vehicles that made 400 (manufacturer-reported) horsepower or more. Some of these are crazy deals in terms of dollars per horsepower, while others are just ultra-compelling choices at this price point.
2020 Audi S6 | $74,895
It may be down a half dozen horses on the previous-generation model, but the 2020 Audi S6‘s downsized V-6 makes more torque and an electric surprise: a 48-volt system that drives an electric supercharger. That’s in addition to the twin-turbochargers that nestle in the 2.9-liter engine’s valley. The response is viciously immediate. Plus it looks considerably sleeker and more aggressive that the outgoing model. However, it barely skates under our price point.
2020 BMW M2 Competition | $59,895
We called our long-term, now-discontinued non-Competition M2 a “Goldilocks” benchmark in the segment. And thankfully, more power and better suspension doesn’t spoil the fun at all. BMW turns up the juice to 405 horsepower courtesy of the S55 engine donated (albeit in retuned form) from the M4. A six-speed or DCT allow you to choose your own adventure, the latter unlocking a 4.0-second sprint to 60 mph. It’s not the best bang-for-buck on the list, but it might be the sweet spot in the BMW range.
2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 | $59,995
Real talk for a second: The C8 might start at $59,995 in theory, but good luck finding one close to launch. The C8 is hot, and the numbers tell part of the tale. For less than $60,000, the first-ever mid-engined Corvette puts out a tsunami of go: 490 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. All C8s use an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic, and they also feature standard Brembo brakes and a mechanical limited-slip differential. And the latest Corvette has staggering numbers: The run to 60 mph took us a mere 2.8 seconds in our own testing, and the car rips through the quarter in 11.1 seconds. Significant understeer is a feature, not a bug, especially since most owners won’t have mid-engined car experience. The truly hot shoes can figure out how to make it more neutral. Either way, it’s a platform with power, looks, and potential.
2020 Chevrolet Camaro LT1 | $34,995
The Camaro SS was already a decent way to get big power for not a lot of cash, but for 2020 there’s an even more cost-effective way: the 2020 Camaro 1LT trim. (Not to be confused with the LT1 trim, a lower run on the ladder not available with the V-8. It’s confusing!) It’s a blend of some SS styling cues (the vented hood) and some from the base model, including un-staggered wheel sizes. But it does offer the 455-hp, 6.2-liter V-8 from the SS at a $3,000 discount.
2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss 6.2 | $43,965
Need to haul stuff in any terrain, and quickly? The Silverado Trail Boss offers the option of the butch, 6.2-liter V-8 for 2020, making a heady 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. That extra gumption should put the Trail Boss 6.2 in the realm of the Silverado High Country we tested, which features the same engine and managed an impressive 6.0-second sprint to 60 mph. That’s in the realm of some lower-tier sports cars, and the Trail Boss is a big boy. It doesn’t handle like a sports car, of course, and we’ve justly dinged the 2020 Silverado in general for its uninspired interior, but a big honkin’ V-8 makes up for a lot.
2020 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack | $41,990
The Dodge Charger has been around since before dinosaur-era foliage started its long transition to fossil fuels, it seems. But the Charger’s stylistic updates, bold presence, and plentiful horsepower have kept it remarkably fresh and relevant despite its age. The R/T Scat Pack is the sweet spot in the range, sporting the stout 392 Hemi V-8 which makes a healthy 485 horsepower. Do the math, and you’ll see that the R/T Scat Pack offers one of the best horsepower per buck ratios of any car on the list. Plus, unlike the pony cars on the list, it has a sizeable trunk and back seat for real-world use. For $6,000 more, you can upgrade to the Scat Pack Widebody (pictured), with fat fenders and better launch characteristics. It’s one of our favorite Dodges ever.
2020 Dodge Durango SRT | $64,490
Another Dodge, another great performance value. Actually, “performance value” sounds a bit pat, and the Durango SRT deserves more than that. Like the Charger R/T Scat Pack, the Durango SRT delivers an improbable combination of utility and muscle thanks to a 475-hp version of the 392 Hemi. While it isn’t quite the value proposition the Charger R/T Scat Pack is, the Durango has a third row and can carry much more overall. There’s also a standard rear-biased all-wheel drive system to help put the power down. Sixty mph comes in an astonishing 4.6 seconds.
2020 Ford F-150 Raptor | $55,150
We’re living in an era of redefined muscle. There’s no way that, 20 years ago, a list of 400-plus horsepower vehicles would have this many trucks and SUVs on it. But here we are, and with a vehicle like the Raptor this is a fantastic thing. Ford’s streetable trophy truck has massive suspension travel (and newly upgraded Fox Live Valve shocks) and a big, bad twin-turbocharged V-6. It’s mission in life is low-altitude strafing of wide desert expenses, propelled by 450 horses and 510 lb-ft of twist. It’s also a relatively affordable way to get big utility and comfort with so much all-terrain capability. It’s one of our favorite trucks of all time, and it’s better than ever with its latest revisions.
2020 Ford Mustang GT | $36,825
There are clearly several flavors of V-8 Mustang, including the bad-ass Shelby GT350 and GT500 variants (which at their respective $61,635 and $74,095 prices are in their own right compelling performance bargains). But it’s hard to not highlight the regular ol’ GT, which isn’t so regular in its current 460-hp iteration—and we think Ford is actually lowballing its power figures. There’s a chassis with a lot of potential, too, although we don’t love the stock suspension set up. Out of the box, it’s not quite the track performer as the Camaro, but the optional Performance Packs uncork the ’Stang.
2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT | $70,390
The Grand Cherokee is getting on in years, but 470 horsepower does a lot to keep an aging (but excellent) platform fresh. Sharing its 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 (and its guttural muscle-car attitude) with a gaggle of other FCA products, the Grand Cherokee SRT is simply a brawler of a 4×4. What it isn’t is a rational purchase at north of $70K to start. But with this kind of power on tap, who wants to be rational?
2020 Lexus RC F | $66,950
“The numbers don’t tell the whole story.” Talk to anyone who’s reviewed the RC F, including our own Jonny Lieberman, and they’ll say some variation of the same thing. The RC F simply doesn’t impress on paper despite packing an old-school naturally-aspirated V-8 that makes a healthy 472 horsepower. It’s simply not as quick as its competition, as it’s slightly portly. But on the street, a few tenths of a second to 60 mph just don’t matter. Where the RC F shines is sheer enjoyment. It has a macho, hard-core attitude and the 5.0-liter V-8 growls with old-school muscle-sled ferocity. If you get it, you get it. And we get it.
2020 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 | $55,275
Look, the Q50 Red Sport 400 isn’t a BMW M car, or an AMG. But it’s not meant to be. It’s just a regular Q50 turned up to 11—er, 400. More specifically, a round 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft from its twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6. It’s a great powertrain and a surprisingly entertaining package overall, for a hotted-up luxury sedan rather than a pur sang track machine. It barely squeaks onto the list, but it’s no also-ran.
2020 Mercedes-AMG C63 | $69,095
There are a lot of fast Mercedes-Benz and AMG vehicles out there in a lot of different form factors, all of which are compelling. But the best bang for the buck has to be the formidable C63 sedan, which starts under $70k and packs the company’s outrageously entertaining twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8. It also looks the business, a bit like a buff hitman wearing a tight-fitting suit. It’s here to do a job, and it does it very well. The stouter S versions are north of our price cut-off.
2020 Ram 2500 Tradesman 6.4 | $34,740
What’s a rough-and-tumble truck ready for work doing on this list? One packing FCA’s venerable and vicious 6.4-liter Hemi. The Ram 2500 Tradesman is the best power per dollar buy on the list, and while it has no sporting pretensions it certainly isn’t slow. The V-8 is as stout as ever, making more torque than the previous generation heavies and backed by an excellent eight-speed automatic. In fact, the Ram Heavy Duty is so good it’s our 2020 Truck of the Year. How’s that for power?
2020 Tesla Model 3 Performance | $61,100
It’s hard to fault the Model 3 Performance’s focus on, well, performance. As a 2020 Car of the Year Finalist, you know it’s good. And our gripes were mainly about non-performance aspects, like the screen-centric controls. On track, who cares? It’s well-calibrated for track use, allowing for some oversteer for experienced drivers to exploit. It’s a thrill on canyon roads or just around town, too, with 450 horsepower and an effortless 471 lb-ft of quiet electric torque. Sure, its Autopilot implementation makes us nervous, but don’t use that and focus on having fun and you’ll be just fine.
2020 Volvo V60 T8 Polestar Engineered | $68,295
Volvo’s fascinating T8 powertrain is powerful enough to be on our list in any of its iterations, whether breathed upon by its Polestar Engineered tune or not. But there aren’t many wagons left on these shores, and the beautiful and powerful V60 T8 Polestar Engineered might be the killer app in Volvo’s lineup. It’s one of the sexiest modern wagons around, period, and it’s a serious performer too. For one, there are the manual-adjustable Öhlins dampers for some real hardcore enthusiast cred. And the 415-horsepower, 494 pound-foot plug-in hybrid drivetrain is perhaps the most unique and futuristic on this list. For the record, that 15 ponies and 22 lb-ft more than a regular T8. And remember, the gas engine is both turbocharged and supercharged—how cool is that?
Cars With 400 or More HP for $75,000 or Less
- 2020 Audi S6 | $74,895
- 2020 BMW M2 Competition | $59,895
- 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 | $59,995
- 2020 Chevrolet Camaro LT1 | $34,995
- 2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss 6.2 | $43,965
- 2020 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack | $41,990
- 2020 Dodge Durango SRT | $64,490
- 2020 Ford F-150 Raptor | $55,150
- 2020 Ford Mustang GT | $36,825
- 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT | $70,390
- 2020 Lexus RC F | $66,950
- 2020 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 | $55,275
- 2020 Mercedes-AMG C63 | $69,095
- 2020 Ram 2500 Tradesman 6.4 | $34,740
- 2020 Tesla Model 3 Performance | $61,100
- 2020 Volvo V60 T8 Polestar Engineered | $68,295
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