So what do you get for $22k? One of the best and most balanced driving experiences of your life. This car is the ultimate daily roadster, and it offers a perfect blend of performance (thanks to a 237 hp, 160 lb-ft 2.2L I4) and handling (thanks to aero upgrades which reduced aero lift by upwards of 80%). It may not fit in terribly well with some of the other crazy cheap cars here, and especially not on craigslist, but it’s worth every last penny.
These RWD monsters are still somewhat pricey due to rarity compared to the sedan and coupe models, but you can expect to find some examples in the ballpark of $45,000. That’s really not bad at all though when you compare this car to the likes of the Porsche Panamera and wagon offerings from Mercedes AMG.
Built between 2004 and 2006, then resurrected for the 2016 model year, the Ford GT is sleek, sexy, and determined to outrun its own shadow. The post-resurrection cars are powered by a 3.5L EcoBoost V6. But this isn’t the same V6 found in a Ford Fusion. It is twin-turbocharged and capable of 647 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque. With a curb weight just barely north of 3,000lbs, the GT is able to blast from 0 to 60 mph in a breathtaking 2.3 seconds, hits 100 mph in just 6 seconds, and has a top speed of 216 mph.
The Grand National came stock with RWD and a 3.8L turbocharged V6 after 1984, so there’s your ideal model year window. It was originally intended to be a very limited production run celebrating Buick’s back-to-back wins in the NASCAR circuit but was so popular that it lived on for five glorious years.