Angel Sergeev is a seasoned automotive journalist with over 15 years of experience covering the automotive industry. Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, he began his writing career in 2010 while pursuing a degree in Transportation Engineering.
His early work included contributions to the local edition of F1 Racing magazine (now GP Racing magazine) and roles at various automotive websites and magazines.
In 2013, Angel joined Motor1.com (formerly WorldCarFans), where he dedicated over a decade to delivering daily news and feature articles. His expertise spans a wide range of topics, including electric vehicles, classic cars, and industry topics. Angel’s commitment to automotive journalism is further demonstrated by his membership in the Bulgarian Car of the Year jury since 2013.
BMW’s new M5 Sedan is a monster by any measure. The G90 packs a hybrid 4.4-liter V8 with 717 hp, all-wheel drive, and launch control. BMW quotes 0–60 mph in 3.4 seconds, and the thing weighs in well over 5,000 lbs with a feature list longer than a Nürburgring straight. Price? The 2025 M5 starts at about $119,500 (for the sedan) in the U.S. before options. It’s the most tech-stuffed, most powerful M5 ever – and it feels every bit the Autobahn sledgehammer BMW intended.
Here’s the twist: if the goal is the hardest 0-60 punch for your dollar, you don’t have to buy new. The used market is loaded with cars that equal or beat the M5’s sprint for less money. Some wear supercar badges. Some are stealth sedans with child seats in the back. All of them rip to 60 as quick as the new M5 or quicker – without crossing that $119,500 MSRP line.
The target here is to beat or match BMW’s 3.4-second 0-60 mph claim for the 2025 M5 and its U.S. $119,500 base MSRP. To keep this honest and consistent, 0-60 times below come from reputable instrumented tests (Car and Driver and MotorTrend) or well-established performance references.
For prices, we use Hagerty Valuation Tools (either their “typical #3 Good” values or recent sales recorded in Hagerty’s database). We rank cars from slowest to fastest by 0-60 mph, and every pick is a used car you can realistically find under the M5’s MSRP right now.
The C6 ZR1 is peak old-school Corvette lunacy: a hand-built 6.2-liter supercharged LS9 (638 hp), a six-speed manual only, and a curb weight south of most modern barges. It’s raw, silly fast, and still puts up a 3.4-second 0-60 in instrumented testing – matching the new M5’s claim but doing it with fewer cylinders, less weight, and a whole lot more noise. On a back road, the ZR1’s big supercharger torque and short gearing make third gear feel like a cannon.
Where it wins the value game is the market. Hagerty’s guide pegs a 2013 ZR1 around $76,750 in #3 (Good) condition – clean drivers that you won’t cry over if they see track duty. Parts support is excellent, consumables are cheaper than European exotics, and the car’s analog feel (and steering) make it a favorite at HPDEs. Watch carbon-ceramic rotor life and heat-soak management when you’re chasing lap times; a good fluid strategy and airflow tweaks go a long way.
If you want M5 pace in a tux, the S8 plus is hilarious money right now. Car and Driver clocked the 605-hp, twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 flagship at 3.3 seconds to 60 mph. It’s an aluminum-intensive chassis, Quattro traction, and an 8-speed that somehow makes 4,600 lbs feel light on its feet. Mash it from a dig, and it just hooks. No drama, just big-four-door thrust.
Hagerty’s database shows real-world S8 plus pricing deep under M5 money – examples with miles trading in the $30-50k zone at auction. That’s an absurd value for a 600-hp missile with heated everything. The catch? Budget for air-suspension components, carbon-ceramic brake costs if equipped, and regular big-car wear items. Even then, it’s one of the most ridiculous sleeper buys on the market.
The second-gen NSX is a tech nerd’s fever dream that actually works. Mid-mounted, twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6, a 9-speed DCT, and three electric motors (two up front for torque vectoring, one sandwiched with the engine) provide instant response and a tail that rotates on throttle like you asked it politely. Car and Driver’s full test landed 3.1 seconds to 60 mph and an 11.2-second quarter.
Pricing’s fallen far from new-car levels. Hagerty captured a $108,150 sale of a 2017 earlier this year, putting it comfortably below a base G90 M5. For this money, you get real hybrid trickery, daily-drivable ride quality, and Honda reliability vibes. Track rats: run proper pads/fluid and watch front-motor temps on long sessions. The car is fast, but thermal management matters if you pound laps in hot weather.
The C7 Z06 is America’s sledgehammer done right: an LT4 6.2-liter supercharged V8 with 650 hp/650 lb-ft, a stout chassis, and aero/brake packages that hold up on track. In instrumented testing, auto-equipped Z06s cracked 3.0 seconds flat to 60 (manuals 3.2–3.3). It’s a torque geyser off the line and a monster past 100 mph. If you like big-grip track work, the Z07 pack (aero, Cup 2s, carbon-ceramic brakes) is the move.
Hagerty lists typical good-condition values around $63,850, which is a steal for this pace. Spend the savings on cooling and alignment. Owners who track regularly add better front brake, inspect the supercharger belt, and the intercooler system. On the street, it’s civil with the mag ride and has a cabin that doesn’t feel like a penalty box.
Godzilla kept evolving. By 2015, the R35’s twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 and launch control were delivering sub-3.0 blasts to 60 in top trims, and even “regular” GT-Rs lived in the ~3-flat neighborhood. MotorTrend recorded 2.9 seconds with the Nismo; Car and Driver’s period testing shows the platform solidly in the low-3s. It’s a car that shrinks around you at speed, with an AWD system that claws for traction like nothing else in this price range. Too bad it’s officially dead now.
The market stayed sane. Hagerty’s valuation tool pegs a 2015 GT-R at roughly $82,975 in good condition. Yes, consumables can be pricey (brakes/tires), and the transaxle prefers clean, fresh fluid if you do repeated launches. But for all-weather supercar numbers and tuner headroom in one package, it still punches way above its weight.
The 12C is McLaren’s carbon-tub gateway drug. A 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8, 7-speed dual-clutch, and a trick hydraulic cross-linked suspension (no conventional anti-roll bars) make it as fast as it is clever. Car and Driver’s later 12C testing produced 2.9 seconds to 60, while MotorTrend earlier saw 3.2. Either way, it’s in M5-crushing territory, and it feels lighter and cleaner in its responses than most rivals of the era.
Prices? Hagerty’s real-world sales show $80k–$115k examples trading in 2025, which is well under M5 money. Buy on condition and service history. Verify updated door latches, window regulators, and that the suspension accumulators are healthy. Get a scan for DCT clutch wear. Nail that checklist, and you’ve got a mid-engine exotic that rockets to 60 quicker than the brand-new BMW four-door sledge.
The 997.2 Turbo is the sweet spot for a lot of 911 nerds. It introduced direct injection, a revised 3.8-liter flat-six, and (most crucially) the PDK dual-clutch. Result: 2.9-second 0–60 runs in instrumented testing and absurd real-world pace thanks to all-wheel-drive traction and short gearing. You get the old-school size and feel with new-school speed.
Hagerty’s ~$76,875 good-condition value estimate keeps it safely under the M5 bar. Turbo consumables aren’t cheap, but reliability is strong if you stick to maintenance and cool-down discipline. Bonus: tons of aftermarket support if you want to chase 60-130 mph times without nuking daily drivability. If you know, you know: this generation still feels alive at sane speeds.
The W213 E 63 S is the stealth assassin. AMG’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 (603 hp), a lightning MCT 9-speed, and 4MATIC+ with a variable front/rear split give you 2.9-second 0–60 launches in Car and Driver’s testing – yes, in a big, comfortable, quiet sedan with a real back seat. The party trick is Drift Mode, but the real value is traction and repeatability off the line.
Hagerty’s auction data shows clean cars selling far below M5 money – $75,762 and $90,950 are recent comps. The platform is tough, but you should budget for brakes and the usual German performance car upkeep. If you want M5 speed with less badge-heat and more sleeper vibes, this is it. Also: wagons exist, and they’re glorious, but sedan pricing stays friendlier.
Yes, that’s another 911 Turbo. The facelifted 991 Turbo sharpened an already ridiculous package. Porsche massaged the 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six, refined PDK, and made launch control feel like a time warp. Car and Driver clocked 2.6 seconds to 60 in the 2017 car (mechanically akin to the 2016 update). That’s savage quick – and it does it all day without drama.
Hagerty’s value guide shows a ~$109,375 typical #3 figure for a 2016 Turbo, safely under new-M5 money. Maintenance is Porsche-standard (not cheap, not supercar levels of insane), and reliability is excellent if you keep up on intervals. The AWD system makes it a genuine four-season supercar. You can run errands, then run 10s. That duality is why these cars hold value.
Source: Hagerty, Car and Driver, Motor Trend.
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