Five V10-engined used car heroes we found in the classifieds

205mph: that’s the top speed of this almost two-decade-old wagon. It comes courtesy of a modified 5.0-litre nat asp V10, which now sends 556bhp (around 50bhp more than standard) to the rear set of those Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. It’s a solid spec too, with a panoramic roof, heated memory foam seats and a stunning ‘Interlagos Blue’ exterior finish. What a thing.

Why pay almost £45k for a car with no roof, no traction control or ABS, and windows that have to be clipped in? Because it’s a first-gen Dodge Viper, one of the most gleefully bonkers cars ever made in America. Its V10 churns out a relatively modest 400bhp and 465lb ft considering it's an 8.0-litre, but who cares. Strap in, and hold on tight.

Want your R8 with a V10 and rear-wheel drive? Voila. Audi built just 999 examples of the 'RWS', and here’s one for a smidge under £70k. It’s finished in ‘Daytona Grey Metallic’ with black accenting and 19in V-spoke alloys. Performance? Plenty. 533bhp, 0-62mph in 3.7s and a vmax of 198mph. More importantly, it's a terrifically good car to drive.

Yep, you can have your 10 cylinders packed into an SUV. Specifically, the Volkswagen Touareg R50. Here’s one with 344bhp and 627lb ft to haul you, your family and your pooch to 62mph in six-something-seconds. It also rides on air suspension, and includes dual-zone climate control, rear passenger entertainment and grey leather upholstery. Not bad for £13.5k.

Much the same philosophy as the earlier R8, this one-of-250 Gallardo ‘Balboni’ - named after Lambo's test-driver Valentino - ditches the 4WD system to ramp up the intensity. The V10 here gets 542bhp to allow for a 0-62mph run in 3.9s before levelling out at just under 200mph. Plus, it’s got a gold stripe. Everybody loves a gold stripe.

Unquestionably the two greatest V10-engined cars ever made - and it’s unlikely that’ll ever change. If you watched our video in celebration of these heroes and thought you’d fancy some of that, we’ve already found an LFA for you. Meanwhile, the cheapest CGT on sale right now can be seen here. We say ‘cheapest’ very lightly, since it’s still going to cost you £1.35m. Sheesh.