Here are 10 sub-£20k performance cars with over 400bhp we found this week

What a thing. Vauxhall’s resident bad boy gets General Motors’ lumpy 6.0-litre ‘LS2’ V8, good here for 411bhp sent through a chunky six-speed stick to the rear axle. This is no ordinary VXR8 either: it’s got a forced intake from Tom Walkinshaw Racing and new suspension from MW Performance included (but yet to be fitted). Bargain at £18k, considering it’s showing just shy of 55,000 miles on its odometer.

It’s easy to find a good E92 M3 coupe for under £20,000, but a rarer four-door E90 saloon? Slightly more challenging. You’ll find precisely such a thing here, finished in ‘Silverstone 2’ over black leather. It’s also a manual, which is the most desirable trait in used examples of this generation of hot 3er, allowing you to be in full control of that nat asp V8. Warning: the want to redline could become concerning.

Oh yes, it’s possible. Just. After discontinuing the RC F in Britain last year, Lexus announced that its V8-powered showstopper would bid farewell entirely in 2025. Boo. Still, it managed to shift over 79,000 units across a 10-year spell, and here’s an early iteration for a couple of cheeseburgers under budget. 470bhp, 391lb ft, 0-62 in 4.5s and a top speed of 167mph - what more could you ever need?

Each week when we’re putting these lists together, we tell ourselves we’ll avoid the temptation to put in a tech-loaded, big-engined, bargain bucket Mercedes-Benz cruiser from the Noughties. We often fail. Largely because we keep finding cars like this S65L out there. Standard features include adaptive air suspension, suede headlining, a still very much usable multifunction steering wheel… and a 603bhp bi-turbo V12. £13k for this. Seriously.

As many will attest, owning a supercharged Jag isn’t cheap. They go through fuel like Chelsea Football Club does new signings, and on cold mornings, you’ll wake up the entire neighbourhood. And the next neighbourhood if it's below freezing. But the truth is, they make you feel special. There’s a roguish attitude and a wicked sense of self-assuredness that’s hard to find elsewhere in this price bracket, so we’d suggest looking past logical thinking and nabbing yourself this XKR convertible in time for the summer.

One convertible that could hold a candle to the XKR for sheer panto is the Bangle-era M6, thanks to its free-breathing 5.0-litre V10. Both cars have over 500bhp, get to 62 in under five seconds and top out at 155mph, so the deciding factor - aside from design - is noise. The Jag’s supercharger whine is backed by a deep bass, while the Bimmer’s fiery build-up offers more tempo and tone high up the rev range. This one’s also seen 25,000 fewer miles than its adversary. 

Or here’s the solution if you’d rather your brood of Labradors get in on the V10 experience. Plus point: they may even show a continued interest when you keep reminding them it’s a Lambo-sourced engine every day, which your family… probably won’t.

Something completely different for your consideration. The Grand Cherokee SRT gets a 461bhp all-American Hemi V8 and four-wheel drive, which means acceleration that would shame an awful number of purpose-built sports cars. And it does the luxury stuff well too: it’s got a panoramic roof, lots of suede and leather, plus a Harmon Kardon sound system for big decibels. Here’s an example in a spectacular shade of ‘Vapour Red’ for just under £20k. 

Or for a tenner more, here’s an equally red, equally American and equally eight-cylindered version of the world’s most famous pony car. The sixth gen marked a big turning point for the Mustang, because it was the first of its lineage to officially be sold in the UK. To say it’s had some success would be an understatement. This one’s had a single owner since it left the factory, and still looks mint for its age.

OK, it’s short of the minimum power threshold for this week’s challenge by 40bhp, but we’d wager this Pulsar GTI-R time attack build will eat anything else on our list - both on a track and on the road. The seller has spent the last 15 years tuning it, with a lengthy list of modifications to the forged engine supported by a competition-grade flywheel. There’s racing coilovers and brakes thrown in too, so its focus isn’t solely on punching power. Yep, wild. And well short of the budget.