The £30k supercar garage: 30 dreams you can actually afford

BMW M3 (E46)

A near-perfect size, remarkably communicative and powered by a characterful 3.2-litre straight six, the E46-gen M3 numbers among Autocar testers’ favourite used M cars.

However, it has its problems, including a potentially troublesome Vanos timing unit, the risk of head gasket failure and the possibility of a worn rear axle carrier.

BMW M5 (E39)

There are many great M5s, but most enthusiasts of a certain age would agree the E39 of 1998-2003 is the one they lusted after for its perfect chassis balance, V8 power and slick gearbox.

Today, the best ones cost £50,000, but high-mileage examples start at around £18,000. The model is tough but the steering and suspension need careful checking. From cold, listen for the Vanos unit playing up and be sure the differential isn’t leaking.

BMW Z3 M coupe

To create the Z3 M Coupé, BMW engineers took the Z3 roadster, attached a solid roof to it and stuffed the 3.2-litre straight six from the E36-gen M3 under the bonnet.

The market wasn’t persuaded. Then, for some reason probably to do with its rarity, prices skyrocketed, but they have recently started falling. A sloppy gearchange is an expensive fix, check the boot floor for cracks and listen for engine and suspension noises.

Caterham Seven

After perhaps on a motorcycle, life doesn’t get much more exciting than behind the wheel of a Caterham Seven.

There’s a bewildering number of varieties to choose from, so keep things simple with a straightforward, Ford Duratec-powered 1.6 putting out 135bhp.

It’s not a lot of grunt, granted, but in a car weighing only slightly more than a bag of sugar, it’s enough. Pay an expert to scrutinise it.

Citroen 2CV

Are we having a laugh? In fact, there are enough 2CV fanciers around to suggest this quirky car with its clattery, air-cooled, twin-cylinder engine, roly-poly suspension and have-a-go gearchange is a genuine dream car.

Aside from checking the cardboard air tubes aren’t about to self-combust or the kingpins about to seize, check for terminal rust.

Fiat Coupe

Unless you were around in 1993, you won’t know of the excitement that accompanied the arrival of the Fiat Coupé.

Back then, Fiat was a brand with an image little better than it has now, yet there it was springing one of the most daringly styled cars imaginable. Happily, the Coupé drove well and was powered by a choice of three delightful engines – but, boy, can it rust…

Ford Focus RS

“The 300bhp [Mk2] Focus RS shreds the rulebook on front-wheel-drive dynamics,” said Autocar and duly awarded it five stars.

Checks include pulling out the dipstick to listen for escaping air while the engine is running and feeling for driveshaft, clutch and suspension wear.

Ford Mustang

Obviously, the real Mustang dream car is a 1968 GT 390 Fastback in Highland Green. On our hunt for its £30,000 present-day equivalent, we chanced across a 2019 Bullitt edition 5.0 GT with 80,000 miles for £31,450 – too much, so our pick is a standard GT.

Check the interior is holding up, the clutch is good and the engine isn’t rattly. 

Honda Integra Type R

Honda could have named this model the Integrity, because that’s how the firm approached it.

No corner-cutting here: the Integra had a stronger bodyshell than standard models, balanced by lighter wheels, a thinner windscreen and less sound-deadening material. Its 1.8-litre engine got high-compression pistons, hand-finished intake ports and a modified VTEC system, too. It made 187bhp but was required to haul just 1170kg. Beware rusty rear wheel arches and underside.

Jaguar F-Type R

The F-Type R’s 5.0-litre, 32-valve V8 packs 542bhp and 502lb ft, enough to catapult the car to 62mph in 4.0sec. It also costs impressive numbers to tax (£735) and insure (it sits in group 50).

Make sure its numerous recalls have been followed up, the cam-chain tensioners aren’t noisy, the fuel pumps aren’t failing and the rear differential isn’t leaking.

Land Rover Defender

Old, slow and crude it may be, but for many people, an old Defender is their dream car. For some, it’s the compact and chunky 90 model; for others, the longer and more practical 110 we’ve featured here.

It’s a later model powered by the trusty and torquey Puma 2.4-litre diesel motor from the Ford Transit. Whatever you track down, condition is more important than mileage.

Lotus Elise

Unfortunately, the era of cheap Elises is behind us, but buy a good one today and it’s unlikely to lose anything. What you will get is one of the most enjoyable cars this side of a Caterham but with a dash more civility.

By now the engine should have been cured of most issues (head gasket and radiator among them), so instead examine body gaps and paint condition, check the rear subframe isn’t hanging off, listen for a whiny diff, feel for tight steering and suspension and make sure the hood is okay.

Lotus Evora

In the Evora, Lotus chassis brilliance meets Toyota reliability. Our find, an approved used example with the Sport (switchable modes, oil cooler, titanium exhaust) and Tech (rear parking sensors and camera, upgraded media system) packs, looks tempting. Prices start at around £23,000 for 276bhp cars and a couple of thousand more for the cheapest 345bhp S models.

Check gear cables on early cars, the ECU for over-revving, signs of track abuse and the cabin for wear and tear.

Maserati GranTurismo

The growly Granturismo 4.7 is more than an antisocial nuisance. It’s a full four-seater, for a start, and then there’s the ride and body control, which, on standard springs, is impressive.

Choose a well-used and well-serviced car over an apparently mint low-miler and run a mile from the optional and potentially troublesome Skyhook suspension.

Mercedes C63 AMG estate

A neighbour has owned one of these since it retired from life as a Mercedes-Benz World track car. Almost every weekday morning for the past 13 years, he has hoofed it, from cold, down the road.

Its sound alone would qualify it for dream status, except the C63 wagon is also a terrific driver’s car and practical with it. Check for lambda and thermostat issues, excessive oil consumption, cracked rims and an overly creaky interior.

Mercedes-Benz SL

Cruising the riviera then gunning it down the autobahn: the R230-gen SL 55 AMG with folding Vario-roof is two cars in one. 

Repairs and upkeep aren’t cheap, so buy the best you can, taking care to check the engine is oil- and coolant-tight, the electrics and suspension system are behaving, the aluminium body is dent-free and the roof operates smoothly.

Mini JCW GP

There are plenty of small hatches we could have chosen, but beside the first-generation Mini GP, they’re all a touch ordinary. Here’s a car with an extreme bodykit, a proper mechanical diff and an extra 7bhp over the regular JCW’s 208bhp.

That doesn’t sound like much, but the GP is 50kg lighter than the standard model (it has no rear seats and little soundproofing). The result is a car that’s quick, even sharper in the bends and, yes, a bit noisy.

Morgan Plus 8

Enough folk have grown up believing claims that the Morgan Plus 8 was once the fastest-accelerating car and that you had better put your name down for one at birth if you want it before you retire that acquiring one has become a life’s ambition for many.

That it was produced by bearded artisans in the shadow of the Malvern Hills just adds to its allure. Best bought from a specialist or its owner.

Peugeot 205 GTi

Prices are all over the place for this perfect little slice of hot hatch heaven, so research the field thoroughly. Fortunately, it’s fine to buy a cheap project car, because the 205 is easy to work on and parts availability is excellent.

There’s also a very knowledgeable community you can tap into. The 1.6 versus 1.9 debate still rages, but it’s the drive that counts and that’s special whichever engine you choose.

Porsche 911 Carrera S

The 997-series 911 built on the achievements of its predecessor, the 996, being even better to drive, available with the brilliant PDK dual-clutch automatic gearbox and still reasonably compact.

Stories of bore scoring and IMS bearing failure haunt both generations, but they were rare events and, in any case, many cars have since had pre-emptive fixes

Subaru Impreza

With more varieties of Impreza Turbo than Heinz soup, you really need to know your WRX 22B from your P1. So just go for a limited-edition RB5 instead.

Launched to celebrate Richard Burns’s return to the Subaru rally team, it’s one of the best versions of the first-generation Impreza Turbo and now a future classic that’s still relatively affordable. Beware poor mods and body repairs and over-stretched engines.

Toyota GR Yaris

A former winner of Autocar’s Britain’s Best Affordable Driver’s Car competition and a Britain’s Best Driver’s Car podium finisher, the 257bhp, 266lb ft GR Yaris was brilliant out of the box.

The 0-62mph-in-5.5sec Circuit Pack sharpened it further with the addition of stiffer springs, dampers and roll bars, lighter wheels and Torsen limited-slip diffs front and rear. It's this model we'd recommend.

Vauxhall VXR8

Yes, £20,000 does seem a lot for an old Vauxhall, and we would have preferred it to be the later, supercharged 6.2 GTS-R version, but with just 15 of those cars being delivered to the UK - so the ‘standard’ model it must be.

Behind the griffin badge, it’s a Holden Special Vehicles Clubsport R8 from down under, so imagine you have been dreaming of owning a genuine Aussie muscle car and here it is.

The VXR8’s V8 makes a decent 425bhp and drives the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox (there was an optional automatic). The engine can take more power but be sure any performance modifications have been expertly done, the footwells aren’t damp and the interior is holding up.

VW Golf GTI

The Mk1 Golf GTI is a genuine dream car, perhaps more for what it represents than anything. That said, you will love the heightened sense of connection and the visibility past those narrow pillars.