In an effort to increase engagement around here – as if you lot in the B&B have ever been shy with nothing to say – our corporate overlords in Downtown Canada have asked us to pen a few articles of this type, ones in which we muse and mull about some sort of topic we think you’ll find interesting. It’s our way of quenching their thirst for infernal lists without completely selling you guys down the river and still providing something about which you can give an opinion.
With that out of the way, let’s see if we can find a few vehicles that won’t cure somnambulism but also won’t break the bank in terms of initial cost. Sure, some of them might bleed your bank account dry with running costs – but that’s a list for another day. Same goes for insurance.
Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce
It’s no trouble to pick up one of these convertibles for less than ten grand, never mind twenty. History is littered with tales of danger and eventual misery caused by choosing a fiery Italian that likes to drop her top – but the days or weeks leading up to an eventual breakdown are sure to contain wild amounts of fun.
Maserati GranTurismo
Oh, look – another Italian. Precipitous depreciation and drop-dead gorgeous coupe styling assured this car a place on our list today, even if the ones you find in this price range are likely to have a few issues and six-figure mileage on the odometer. Don’t expect a GTS with the Ferrari derived engine here in the bargain bin.
Chrysler 300C
These. Are. Everywhere. Even with the C’s eight-cylinder engine and decent mileage, they can be found all day long for less than 20 grand. The faux Bentley look might fool some strangers but the barking V8 exhaust note will be instantly recognizable by anyone blessed with the gift of hearing. And the Hemi is simple enough to be fixed with a hammer.
BMW M6
There’s nothing more expensive than a cheap German performance car – and that old saw goes double for anything with an M badge. Still, this era M6 has prodigious power and a coupe profile that still gets parked towards the front of a valet line. This author has never warmed to the rear styling, however. At least it doesn’t have today’s Bugs Bunny grille.
Cadillac XLR
We freely admit to not understanding all the hate shovelled at XLR convertibles by dweebs on the internet. Sure, there’s probably a pair of New Balance sneakers in the trunk but this convertible arguably wore Cadillac’s so-called Art & Science styling better than any of its contemporaries. Keep an eye on that engine and don’t expect a V at this price.
[Images: ag1100/Shutterstock.com (lead), manufacturers, Used Car of the Day sellers]
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