The Nissan GT-R remains an icon in the automotive industry, with the Nissan GT-R R35 being one of the best performance cars on the market today. Nissan hasn't changed a lot with the R35 since its original launch in 2007. With a whopping 565 horsepower under the hood of the current models, the Nissan GT-R is a thing of beauty as well as speed. However, with a $115,000 price tag, it is not exactly what you'd call cheap.

To further rub salt into the wound, even a used GT-R will cost you a pretty penny, considering that the car holds its value quite well. The 2009 GT-R costs $59,487 according to KBB estimations, and even though that's a decent price for a car that can go from 0-60 in 3.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 195 mph, it's still out of reach for most budget-minded gearheads.

Thankfully, plenty of alternatives have emerged to satisfy your need for speed, at a much more attainable price point. In this article, we take a look at cheap cars that can give the R35 Nissan GT-R a run for its money.

UPDATE: 2024/04/25 00:40 EST BY MARTIN PETER

We've updated this list with more cheap cars that can take on the Nissan GT-R and up-to-date pricing information. Research was conducted in April 2024.

How we made our model selections: HotCars analyzed the used car market to find cheap cars that can keep up with the Nissan R35 GT-R, with the price limit being $35,000. We got all the prices from Kelley Blue Book (KBB), filtering for fair purchase prices, before arranging the models from most to least expensive. Specifications and performance-related information was sourced from manufacturer websites and reliable sites like Zeroo60Times and FastestLaps.

13 2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06: $34,728

There’s a very strong case to be made for the 2006-2013 Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06, as it's one of the fastest Corvettes ever. This old-school beast is the quintessential American sports car, and with prices wandering as low as $34,728 for a good one, it’s hard to see how this could possibly be anything other than money that’s well spent.

Performance

The Z06's 505 horsepower is more than what the GT-R made at launch, but the ace in the hole is that the C6 Z06 is a whopping 700 lbs lighter. That’s going to be noticeable right off the bat, and with the inevitable modifications you’ll be making, GT-Rs will be trailing in the wake of your Z06. The popularity of the ‘Vette also ensures that parts are abundant and cheap.

12 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio: $33,442

The Alfa Romeo Giulia is a dream car for many gearheads, and if you get the top-of-the-range Quadrifoglio trim, it can have sports cars for breakfast. The Giulia also suffers from terrible depreciation rates, which is why a 2018 Giulia Quadrifoglio costs less than half its original price.

Performance

The 2018 Giulia Quadrifoglio is equipped with a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 pumping out 505 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque, enough to help it achieve a top speed of 192 mph. You won't overtake the Nissan GT-R in this but you can definitely keep up.

11 2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat: $33,323

The modern Dodge Charger may look like a sedan, but many gearheads still consider it to be a muscle car thanks to the V8 engines Dodge puts in it. The SRT Hellcat is a true embodiment of American muscle.

Performance

Just like its two-door sibling, the 2016 Charger SRT Hellcat received a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8, whose 707 hp and 650 lb-ft allowed it to become one of the fastest four-door sedans ever with a top speed of 206 mph. This large 4,500-lb sedan will embarrass Nissan GT-R drivers any day.

10 2015 Jaguar F-TYPE R: $32,935

The Jaguar F-TYPE was supposed to be a “spiritual successor” to the iconic E-Type, but gearheads didn't really warm up to it. As a result, it has suffered from serious depreciation rates, which is why it's among the cheapest fast sports cars today.

Performance

However, don't let its low price tag fool you, as it's rapid. Take the 2015 F-TYPE R, for example. Despite having a price tag of just over $30,000, the 2015 F-TYPE R has a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 that makes 550 ponies. It accelerates to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds, which is just as quick as earlier R35 model years, and will hit a top speed of 186 mph.

9 2016 BMW M4 Competition Package: $32,905

The BMW M4 comes close to the power figures of the Nissan GT-R, for less than half the price. For just over $30,000, you could get the 444 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque that the M4 Competition has to offer.

Performance

This power is enough to get close to the GT-R. But if you want to really beat the Japanese icon, there’s plenty of tinkering around with the engine you could do for the money saved, and after it’s all said and done, it won’t be a tall task to be neck-and-neck with the Nissan GT-R on the highway. As a side note, it also doesn’t have the large grille that the new BMW M4 does.

8 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class SL 65 AMG: $32,554

The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is one of the oldest sports car nameplates still on the market, having made its debut back in the '50s. The SL has been so successful thanks to its combination of looks, luxury, and performance, and it's still going strong today.

Performance

While the standard SL-Class is already among the fastest Mercedes-Benz models, you'll need an AMG version to keep up with a Nissan GT-R, and to meet our budget, we chose the 2009 model year.

The 2009 SL 65 AMG draws its power from a monstrous 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 dishing out 604 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds and tops out at a Nissan-GTR-beating 210 hp.

7 2016 Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG S: $31,262

The standard Mercedes-Benz E-Class offers decent performance, but if you want to keep up with a Nissan GT-R, you'll need to bring out the big guns, and in this case, it's the AMG version: the E 63 AMG S. We went with the W212 generation, and more specifically the 2016 model year as it costs peanuts considering the power and luxury you're getting.

Performance

The 2016 E 63 AMG S has a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 sending 577 hp to all four wheels, allowing it to hit 60 mph in a blisteringly quick 3.2 seconds, enough to beat some GT-Rs. The AMG Driver's package pushes the top speed limiter up to 186 mph.

6 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat: $30,513

It’s well documented now that the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat isn’t just fast, but it is supercar fast. A used example could set you back around $30,000 in the current market, which is miles cheaper than its competitor today.

For that price, the performance of the Challenger Hellcat is absolutely nuts, and it wouldn’t have any trouble gapping the Japanese icon in question with its 199-mph top speed.

Performance

Aided by a 6.2-liter HEMI V8 that chucks out 707 hp, the Hellcat is a sub-10-second quarter-mile car when in the right hands and is one of the fastest muscle cars ever. It’s not an easy car to get off the line or keep in a straight line, but get some practice, and you’ll be beaming from ear to ear at what this monster can do on even the shortest of runways.

5 2014 Cadillac CTS-V: $29,392

The CTS-V is a fantastic executive sedan that provides tons of speed, but also a lot of comfort to go with it. The second-gen CTS-V runs on a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 sending 556 hp and 551 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox – enough to make it one of the quickest sedans ever. After viewing the spec sheet below, you too will be convinced that gearheads should consider the Cadillac CTS-V.

Performance

The CTS-V, for considerably less than a pre-owned GT-R, offers a 0 to 60 time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph, which is close to the GT-R's numbers. The CTS-V is easily the best sports sedan you can buy for less than $30,000.

4 2015 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1: $29,028

If you’re looking to chase down a GT-R, the 2012-2015 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is a great choice. Some searching should land you a used 2015 Camaro ZL1 for about $30,000, which is a great deal less than what a GT-R would cost today.

Performance

For that money, you still get a whopping 580 horsepower, which is slightly more than what the 2024 Nissan GT-R makes. Again, for the money saved, a supercharger and a cold air intake could do wonders for the ZL1. You could, if you take the plunge, have a car that would leave some of the fastest production cars on the planet still spinning their wheels at the lights as you’ve pelted off into the sunset.

3 2015 Mercedes-Benz C63 S: $28,865

It was only a matter of time before an axe-wielding murderer from Mercedes’ skunkworks division came into the fold, wasn’t it? Our car of choice is the W205-era Mercedes-AMG C63 S which, in our opinion, is one of the outright best fast cars you can get for under $30,000.

Performance

Packing a 4.0-liter BiTurbo V8 that’s good for a smudge over 500 hp, the C63s is quick, but not quite GT-R quick. Fortunately, it’s nothing that a little remap or a mild bit of tinkering can’t fix, after which the Nissan GT-R becomes your C63S’s favorite midnight snack.

2 2014 Porsche Panamera Turbo: $28,802

Porsche’s launch of the Panamera Turbo didn’t go all that well with buyers. A 911 with an extra pair of doors and a front-engine configuration wasn’t what people wanted, which led to the lack of hype this car generates. However, we must not forget that under that hood sits a massive engine – undoubtedly one of the coolest features of the Porsche Panamera.

Performance

The 4.8-liter twin-turbo 8-cylinder unit in the Panamera Turbo is good for a whopping 520 horsepower, making it one of the fastest Porsche models with a top speed of 190 mph. With some weight reduction, maybe an A/C delete, the Panamera could heartily take the fight to the Nissan GT-R. The best thing is that, at just under $29,000, a used Panamera Turbo costs half as much as a 2009 GT-R.

1 2010 BMW M5: $15,987

The BMW M5 E60 is one of the fastest and cheapest BMWs you could get your hands on. Admittedly, the S85 V10 engine underneath the car had reliability issues, but boy did it go when it worked.

Performance

With 500 horsepower, the S85 V10 gave the BMW M5 E60 a top speed of 190 mph with the M Driver's package and a higher top speed than the GT-R if you de-restricted its engine, according to various BMW forums. For about $15,000, it’s a much sweeter deal than a $60,000 used 2009 GT-R Nissan.

Sources: Kelley Blue Book, FastestLaps, ZeroTo60Times