Jon Taffer's First Car Was A Helluva Muscle Car
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Every New Car Under $50,000 With 350+ HP

Every New Car Under $50,000 With 350+ HP

If horsepower per dollar is what you're after, these are some great choices.

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Image for article titled Every New Car Under $50,000 With 350+ HP
Photo: Stellantis

New car prices are higher than they’ve ever been, and that got us thinking. What cars could you buy for under 50 grand that’ll still have a good deal of oomph when you mash the gas pedal.

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In terms of “oomph” I settled on 350 horsepower. That’s a good, round number in my opinion. Same thing goes with $50,000. Is it a bit arbitrary? Maybe, but don’t worry about that.

All in all, there aren’t as many entrants on this list as there once would have been, but that’s to be expected. Car prices are going up. Regardless, it’s still a good, chunky list of cars.

There are technically some trucks and vans you can get that would fit the criteria, but they don’t really fit in with the ethos of this list.

Come with me on this journey of performance bang for your buck. No, these aren’t ranking. They’re in alphabetical order.

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BMW M240i Coupe - $47,900/$49,900 (xDrive) - 385 hp

BMW M240i Coupe - $47,900/$49,900 (xDrive) - 385 hp

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Photo: BMW

This is somewhat-surprisingly the only European car on the whole list. If you can get past the questionable styling, it’s certainly a good entrant. However, you’ll have to be option-limited because the MSRP is dangerously close to the dreaded $50,000 mark. That being said, you can get one in RWD or AWD, which is neat.

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Chevrolet Camaro LT1/SS - $35,395/$38,895 / 455 hp

Chevrolet Camaro LT1/SS - $35,395/$38,895 / 455 hp

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Photo: General Motors

The Camaro LT1 may be the biggest value out of all the cars on the list. You get GM’s 6.2 liter V8 for the price of a Camry. Hell, even the SS isn’t too dear either. Good choices all round.

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Chrysler 300S - $45,350 / 363 hp

Chrysler 300S - $45,350 / 363 hp

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Photo: Stellantis

God, even though the 300 is old, it still looks good to me. Despite that, you never see them. I’d hazard a guess this is probably one of the rarer cars on this list. You get my respect if you buy one.

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Dodge Challenger R/T - $39,075 / 375 hp

Dodge Challenger R/T - $39,075 / 375 hp

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Photo: Stellantis

A base R/T in bright orange is one of the best looking cars on sale today, if you ask me. No, I will not be taking questions. This is my story.

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Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack - $46,150 / 485 hp

Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack - $46,150 / 485 hp

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Photo: Stellantis

Right here we have the most powerful vehicle on our list. It’s perfect. 6.4 liters of American fury for under $50,000. What’s not to love?

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Dodge Charger R/T - $41,405 / 370 hp

Dodge Charger R/T - $41,405 / 370 hp

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Photo: Stellantis

You don’t see too many base Charger R/Ts out there, but I’m sure they are. A good value, for sure.

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Dodge Charger Scat Pack 392 - $47,780 / 485 hp

Dodge Charger Scat Pack 392 - $47,780 / 485 hp

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Photo: Stellantis

This is the car you get when you want to do tremendous burnouts but also be there for your kids on the weekends during visitation hours. I can think of nothing better.

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Ford Mustang GT - $38,045 / 450 hp

Ford Mustang GT - $38,045 / 450 hp

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Photo: Ford

It’s nice to see that all three of America’s “muscle cars” (though only the Challenger really is) on this list. If one thing has been consistent throughout time, it’s that performance cars from the Big Three are always a good value. This could also be the best handler of the groupe.

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Genesis G70 3.3T - $44,650(RWD)/$46,750(AWD) - 365 hp

Genesis G70 3.3T - $44,650(RWD)/$46,750(AWD) - 365 hp

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Photo: Genesis

This is probably the most sensible vehicle on this list. It competes with the likes of cars from Mercedes, BMW and Audi, but deeply undercuts them on price. It’s nice to see... literally. The G70 is a very pretty car.

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Kia Stinger GT - $45,035 - 368 hp

Kia Stinger GT - $45,035 - 368 hp

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Photo: Kia

Pour one out for the Stinger. It’s a car that’s been almost-dead for a while. We’ll enjoy it while it’s still here, though. The Stinger is also quite a looker in its own right, and it’s the only liftback sedan on the list.

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Nissan Z - $39,990 (Sport)/$49,990(Performance) - 400 hp

Nissan Z - $39,990 (Sport)/$49,990(Performance) - 400 hp

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Photo: Nissan

The Z isn’t quite on sale yet, but when it is it’s gonna be quite the bargain. It also seriously undercuts its closest competitor, the Toyota Supra, in terms of pricing. On paper it’s got more power too.

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Also, would you just look at it? It’s a marvelous thing. On top of that, it comes with a manual standard. Oh no, I want one desperately now.

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