Car expert reveals 10 ‘head-turning’ motors that look ‘insanely good’ for under £10k – including iconic sports car
A CAR expert has revealed 10 “head-turning” motors that he look “insanely good” but will set you back less than £10,000.
JB, who runs the CarsWithJB YouTube channel, ran through the budget bombshells that will have passersby swooning as you cruise past.
Citroen C6
The C6 is one of Citroen’s relatively rare departures from the hatchback market, instead offering drivers an elongated sedan platform with some extra space to work with.
JB said: “Every so often Citroen decides to pull out absolutely stunning cars, many of which have ended up being worth a small fortune.
“I reckon the C6 is ripe to be the next example of this.
“It’s a very different-looking car but very cool.”
Thankfully, the model has not yet seen prices rocket, so you can still pick one up for around £4,000.
Mazda MX-5 ND
The MX-5 is beloved as one of the first cars to offer sports car-like looks on a friendly budget, so it’s no surprise it makes this list
A two-seater convertible, the MX-5 might be best known for being repeatedly captured in plastic by toy makers Hot Wheels.
Older examples can easily be picked up for under £9,000.
And for that money, you get pretty decent performance, with a 0-60 time of just 8 seconds.
Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Dubbed by JB as “the best looking Alfa” within the budget, the 147 GTA is a V6 hatchback with some real bite and style to it.
Despite its boxier appearance, it’s actually quicker off the mark than the sporty Mazda, with a 0-60 of just 6.1 seconds.
Indeed, that engine is shared with the more expensive 156 GTA model.
However, examples under £10,000 are quite rare and it’d be difficult to find one for much less than £9,000.
Mercedes CL55 AMG
The Merc boasts some big luxury at a small price, with this model gone over by the brand’s in-house tuning division AMG.
With the 5.4 litre V8 putting out 360 horsepower, there’s also a supercharged version with 393 horsepower, which JB described as “insane for the money”.
Sadly, the earlier models are the only ones that fit our price range but they do start at around £6,000.
And don’t be put off by mileages over 100,000 as these a great for reliability and durability.
Vauxhall VX 220
Vauxhall is usually known for its affordable and reliable family cars, but it broke the mould with this sportier offering.
A two-seater drop-top like the Mazda, the 144 horsepower gives it a fair pace advantage over it’s rival, with a 0-60 of 5.6 seconds.
JB called it a “lovely little car” and “more reliable” than some of its predecessors in the range.
They also start from well within the budget at around £8,500.
Just be aware that parts can sometimes be hard to source so make sure you aren’t buying something you’ll need to do a lot of work on.
Eight tips to save hundreds on car insurance
According to SheTalksCars
- Buy in advance – 23 to 26 days before you need cover is the sweet spot
- Add a named driver – even a learner can knock money off
- Try different parking places – a garage isn’t always cheaper
- Choose the right job title – make sure they are always accurate
- Shop around – comparison websites are your friend
- Pick a multi-car policy – share it with others in your household
- Add your licence number
- Pay annually rather than monthly – save yourself interest payments
Nissan 350 Z
Starting from around £5,000, the 350 Z acts as a nice middle point between things like the Merc and the Vauxhall.
With the hard top and spacious interior of the former combined with the sporty styling and nimble handling of the latter, it has the potential to be all things to all drivers.
One thing to keep an eye out for, though, is rough gear changes, as they have been known to suffer from synchroniser wear.
Subaru Impreza WRX STI
The Impreza was legend of the rallying scene throughout the ’90s and early noughties.
Commercially sold versions retained the rally models’ boxy exterior, bonnet scoop and flashy rear spoiler.
As long as you watch out for potential rust, you can get some good examples for around £9,000.
Audi TTS
While JB felt this wasn’t quite as good-looking as its cousin, the TTRS, it was one of the best-looking motors in the price range.
They’re also cheap, with prices ranging from around £5,500.
Prices are likely to start to rise, though, after the TT was discontinued in 2023.
Porsche Boxster 987 S
One of the most iconic sports cars in history, the Boxster is still going today after debuting back in 1996.
The name refers to the fact that it is a roadster with a boxer engine (one where the pistons move opposite to one another rather than in parallel directions).
The latest models start from £53,000 but you can get one from 2007 for around £7,500.
Not that you’ll notice too much of a drop off in pace, with the older model still only taking 5.3 seconds to reach 60.
Jaguar XKR
One of the oldest, but probably the prettiest, car on the list, the XKR was the successor to Jag’s beloved XJR model.
An XKR actually made an appearance in the Bond Film Die Another Day, chasing down Pierce Brosnan in his Aston Martin Vanquish.
But it’s not just one for billionaire supervillains, as they start from just under £4,000 at the bottom end.