Best Supercar Under $150,000

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We went supercar shopping with $150,000 in our back pocket with the goal of finding Australia’s most exciting secondhand supercar for $150K or less. We couldn’t choose just one, so we’ve put together a shortlist of cars that we would happily buy if we had a spare $150K lying around.

2007 Audi R8: $139,888

The Audi R8 is a no-brainer. A glorious 4.2L V8 and a timeless- albeit slightly conservative shape- we’d gladly park the R8 in our dream garage. This 2007 model is the first generation of the R8. It features a naturally aspirated 4.2L V8 with 309Kw and 430Nm- hooked up to a desperately beautiful gated six speed manual- that propels the car to 100km/h in 4.6sec. Whilst this may seem rather modest when compared to the likes of an A45 AMG or RS3 hatchback, the R8 is less about outright speed and more about the sensation of revving an N/A V8 to 7800rpm- where you’ll find peak power.We chose this R8 over the other three in the sub-$150K price bracket because of how well the car has been maintained. With only 53,500km on the clock the V8 has barely been run in and still has a lot of life ahead of it.

Price $189,990 Location Sydney, NSW Mileage 53,500km

2011 Nissan GTR: $125,888

What the Nissan GTR lacks in outright ‘wow factor’ it more than makes up for it with its mind blowing supercar performance. Quite simply, there is no other car that offers this much performance for this amount of money- The Nissan GTR’s performance is punching so far above its price bracket.At the time this article was written there were 35 Nissan GTR’s on the market in Australia for less than $150,000 which made choosing just one difficult. We settled on this 2011 example because of the tasteful aftermarket performance upgrades that the owner has carried out.With upgraded turbo-back exhaust, injectors, fuel pump and tuned for E85 this GTR is making 412kW at all four wheels. The stock GTR is no slouch, dusting off 0-100km/h in 2.9sec – we expect that in the hands of the right driver this GTR would be in the 2.5sec region.

Price $125,888 Location Sydney, NSW Mileage 48,000km

2005 Ferrari 360 Spider: $147,500

What good is a list of supercars without a red, convertible Ferrari? The 360 Spider has aged gracefully over the last 15 years, however, steep depreciation means that you can now pick up this half a million-dollar supercar for less than $150k. The 360 was the first Ferrari to crack the main stream in Australia, as a result, the market is now flooded with clean, low kilometre examples that can be had for the same price as a new Porsche Boxster.The Ferrari 360 is powered by a glorious sounding 3.6L V8. The V8 loves to be driven hard- Peak power is 294kW which is right at the top of the rev range at 8500rpm, Similarly, peak torque (373Nm) is at 4750RPM. Despite a power and torque deficit on the Audi R8, the 360 Spider is marginally quicker to 100km/h at 4.5sec, thanks largely to a brilliant gear box and shorter gear ratios.

There are currently seven Ferrari 360’s on the market for less than $150K. We chose this one for two reasons; firstly, and most importantly- it’s red. Secondly, with just 18,100km on the clock this 360 Spider has travelled an average of just 1700km per year.

Price $147,500 Location Cairns, QLD Mileage 18,100km

Aston Martin V8 Vantage: $142,990

Shopping for an Aston Martin with $150,000 in your back pocket opens you up to a much wider scope of options than you get with other supercar manufacturers. We found several Aston Martin Vantage’s for less than $90k, so, needless to say, we didn’t need to rifle through the bargain bin to find this very clean 2010 Aston Martin V8 Vantage.The V8 Vantage is affectionately referred to as ‘the gentleman’s supercar’. With its reserved styling, civilised ride quality and an almighty V8 bellow each time you stamp your right foot, it’s not hard to see why. The Aston’s V8 produces 313kW and 470Nm of torque to propel the Vantage to 100km/h in 4.9sec- the slowest of any car listed. Whilst it might not be as agile, the 470Nm of torque means that the Vantage is a very comfortable, refined and civilised grand tourer.At $142,990, this V8 Vantage is by no means the cheapest example on the market, it is, however, a significant reduction off its original RRP and with just 53,700 on the odometer the V8 still has a lot of life left to give to its next lucky owner.