10 Cheap Coupes with 300+ hp

We love breaking down data in different ways here at Insider. Recently, we decided to look at value through a different lens: cost per horsepower. A healthy discussion ensued, with many of you sharing that you'd gladly pay a little extra for a trimmer body style, a high-performance package, or a V-8.

To our lengthy spreadsheets we returned, playing with the filters to yield a fresh list. This time, we set the threshold at 300 hp and looked only at two-door models. To keep the selection affordable, we restricted ourselves to cars that cost no more than $15,000. We didn't want to just be talking about rough examples, either, so all values you see here are for vehicles in #3 condition-well-maintained, driver-quality cars, in other words.

The choices vary wildly across the decades. First off, no car in the Hagerty Price Guide from the '80s meets these criteria. Sports cars with 300 horsepower existed in the '80s, of course, but none are cheap, as defined here. The same is true for the 2010s: Powerful two-doors abound (hello, C7 Stingray), but they're well into the $30,000 range. We had to head back to 2010 and Ford's Mustang (315 hp, $13,600) to meet each of our thresholds. A smattering of foreign cars from the '90s and '00s fit our filters, but none show up in any prior decade. Together with how expensive '80s cars have become, this won't surprise any good student of automotive history.

In general, you'll find the richest selection of two-door classics with 300 or more hp in the 1960s or in the 1990s through the 2000s. To make sure no decade is under-represented, we've chosen two from each decade-excluding the '80s, for the reasons listed above.

Without further ado, here are 10 affordable two-doors, most of them with V-8s, and all with 300 or more hp.

2005 Ford Mustang GT

Ford

Horsepower: 300

#3 value: $14,800 (convertible)

Mustangs from the S197 generation, especially those that predate the 2010 facelift, are some of the most accessible ways into 300+ horsepower. Even better, both the coupe and convertible variants of the GT model (the entry-level V-8) can be found for under $15K: Droptops are just a skosh under that figure, but the coupes from 2005-09 are only $12,600 in #3 condition. The V-8 got you a host of upgrades from the base V-6 car, plus the glorious exhaust note that's worth the price of admission in and of itself.

2008 Nissan 350Z Roadster

Nissan

Horsepower: 306

#3 value: $11,600 (Base)

Bucking the usual trend of coupe versus convertibles, the soft-top version of Nissan's 350Z is the one that's more affordable. Horsepower varies across the model years, and even among the trim levels until 2007, when Nissan decided to put the same 306-hp variant of its VQ-series V-6 in all of the cars. Redline increased by 500 rpm, to 7500, and fuel economy ticked up, as well. The only downside is the additional cost of the performance goodies: If you want the limited-slip diff, stability control, or cruise control, set aside another two grand and look for the Enthusiast trim. But if you want simple, top-down sporting fun? The base 350Z is your champ.

1999 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Coupe

Eddy Eckart

Horsepower: 305

#3 condition value: $12,400

The fourth-gen Camaro follows the general rule that when the top goes down, the price goes up. If you're on a budget, you can work this to your advantage: a 1999 Z/28 coupe with a manual transmission and the 5.7-liter, 305-hp LS1 goes for $12,400, while the droptop is $20K. (Those who know these cars agree that 305 hp is quite conservative.) This model year also marked the arrival of a Torsen diff for the Z/28 model. Though it ultimately went away after 2002 because of a new head-impact crash standard, the F-body Camaro Z/28 is a stylish, modern, and affordable avenue into the legendary nameplate.

1998 Mercedes-Benz SL500 Roadster

Marketplace/Ryan Merrill

Horsepower: 315

#3 price: $14,800

It's hard to imagine a stronger contrast between the two foreign-make cars on this list, though both are roadsters. As we noted in our buyer's guide for this generation (R129) of SL, this luxurious, over-engineered German roadster hails from the cost-is-no-option era of Mercedes-Benz product development. Both elaborate and stout, this 315-hp, V-8-powered droptop is a ton of car for $14,800. This model year is a bit of a sweet spot: Just two years prior, that M119 engine received individual ignition coils, lighter pistons, and a five- rather than a four-speed automatic. A year later in 1999, Mercedes swapped the M119 for the M113, a single- rather than dual-overhead cam V-8 that made 13 fewer horsepower.

1970 Mercury Marauder

Flickr/Alden Jewell

Horsepower: 360

#3 condition value: $13,600

Unlike many of the cars on this list, the '71 Marauder doesn't require you to give up its highest-spec engine to stay under fifteen grand. Marauders equipped with the 429-cubic-inch, 360-hp Cobra Jet cost just $13,600 today, and even those with the X-100 package are just $15,200. (Ticking that box added a host of options: automatic transmission, rear fender skirts, two-tone paint, leather upholstery, and alloy wheels.) Dripping with power and luxury, this personal luxury coupe nonetheless didn't sell that well, but that just means if you show up at a car show with one today, there probably won't be anything else like it.

1971 Pontiac Grand Prix

Eddy Eckart

Horsepower: 300

#3 condition value: $14,300

If you dig the '71 Grand Prix, you don't just like beak-you like boattail, too. Though not as dramatic as Buick's Riviera of the same period, Pontiac added the distinctively molded rear deck lid to its personal luxury coupe in '71. As has been well-told, the '70s weren't the best time for big power numbers. Compression began dropping after 1970, the industry method for calculating horsepower changing from gross to net in 1972, and the one-two punch of emissions regulations and fuel crisis impact all conspire to explain why all of the sub-$15K, 300+ horsepower cars from this decade hail from 1970 or 1971.

The best deal for the most powerful Grand Prix is the higher tune of the standard, 400-cubic-inch engine, which squeaks into this list with 300 hp. The 455 was reduced from 370 to 350 hp for '71, and costs over twice as much today: $32,000 for an example in #3 condition.

1965-69 Avanti II

Wikimedia Commons

Horsepower: 300

#3 condition value: $13,000

Looking for something powerful but off-beat? Check out the funky fiberglass Avanti II, designed by Studebaker and powered by a Chevy 327 V-8. Available in a wild array of colors, both inside and out, the Avanti II (1965-69) is surprisingly affordable for such an oddball. Values are essentially flat across the production years: a '65-67 model carries a value just $200 higher than its '68-69 brethren. These Avantis, produced after original maker Studebaker closed its factory in '63, reached production thanks to a pair of car dealers from the brand's home town of South Bend, Indiana, who bought production rights to the model name and a bunch of spare parts.

You'll pay another 10 percent on top of the Avanti's #3 value for factory air conditioning or a four-speed … but since that value is $13,000, you're still under $15K with one or the other desirable add-on.

1968 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Holiday Coupe

Flickr/Alden Jewell

Horsepower: 310

#3 condition value: $11,300

Offered across 50 years, the 88 was the top-selling Oldsmobile in the '50s and the '60s. As of the 1967 model year, the 88 received a facelift, adding more beak and more fender flare. The following year ushered in some subtle but elegant changes: the center section of the grille was changed to body color, and the turn signals were no longer squeezed in between each pair of round headlamps. The 1968 model year was the last that "Delta" would denote a trim level on the 88; afterward, it was absorbed into the name of the model.

The 88 may not be as coveted as other names of full-sized '60s performance-Chevrolet's Impala SS, Ford's Galaxie-but the '68 year in particular is one of the best deals for a handsome, powerful muscle car, especially if you forgo the convertible and its $4000 premium: The 425-cubic-inch V-8 made way for a 455-cubic inch mill, adding 10 horsepower, for a total of 310.

1959 Lincoln Premiere Coupe

Flickr/Alden Jewell

Horsepower: 350

#3 condition value: $13,700

Totally new for 1958, with unibody construction, the Lincoln Premiere immediately established itself as large and in charge-not only in luxurious appointments and overall footprint, but in engine displacement: Both the '58 and '59 model years were powered by a 430-cubic-inch V-8, though power dropped from 375 to 350 hp as of 1959. Hardtop sedans were the most popular, and those from '58 and '59 both qualify for this list, with #3 values of $13,700 and $12,000, respectively. We'd dare to say that the Thunderbird below, with its separate grille and headlights, looks a bit more modern: But if you want the most luxurious car made by Ford in the '50s-and if your budget doesn't stretch to a Continental Mark II-there is no substitute for the Premiere.

1959 Ford Thunderbird Coupe

Ford

Horsepower: 300

#3 condition value: $13,900

If you're looking for '50s glamour and a recognizable model name, the second-gen Thunderbird offers a lot of bang for your buck … especially when you consider that the 1959 coupe is nearly $12K cheaper than the convertible, even when both are equipped with the 352-cu-in engine. Touted in a 1959 brochure as the "newest" version of Ford's "famous Thunderbird V-8," this four-barrel powerplant from the FE family was the second-largest engine available for 1959, which saw the introduction of the 430-cu-in MEL V-8. If you're a big fan of the MEL-we are-consider adding $700 to your budget and buying a '59 coupe with that engine: You'll gain an extra 50 hp.

If you're strict about your $15K budget, however, you may need to do without A/C: The factory-installed option carries a 10 percent premium in our price guide, and even if you go the modern route, and shop the Vintage Air catalog, you're still looking at $1900 before labor.

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