If you live in the United States, the 2020 Corvette C8 is a bargain as pricing starts at $59,995. Even in base form, America’s new mid-engine sports car comes with a 6.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8 pushing out 490 HP and 465 lb-ft. Add the $5,000 Z51 package, and you get 495 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque for a 0-60mph in 2.9 sec.
Of course, you could always use that money to buy something a little more exotic. The idea and format is a staple of Top Gear’s cheap car challenges and it has been copied for the YouTube generation.
Putting that aside, cheap is bit of a misnomer as in this episode of Car Trek, hosted by Tavarish, Tyler Hoover and Ed Bolia, the 2002 Ferrari 360 Spider cost $54,000 and the flood damaged 2006 Lamborghini Gallardo V10 Spyder was purchased for $59,000. Since there apparently needs to be some fake drama and a twist in everything, the 2015 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S cost $69,000 because ‘no one buys the entry-level Corvette.’
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While these ‘cheap’ supercars might be tempting, they’re not exactly in pristine condition. After the Gallardo dies suddenly, it’s discovered the fuel gauge isn’t accurate as a half tank actually means empty.
The cars were also given a once over by a mechanic and the Ferrari was in surprisingly decent shape aside from a ripped soft top and some fluid leaks. Despite being newer, the Aston needs a ton of work including new spark plugs, a motor mount, a steering pump and a clutch. Lastly, the Lamborghini has a number of issues likely related to being in a flood.
The repairs won’t be cheap as the mechanic estimated it would cost around $13,000 to fix the Vantage. The issues with the Gallardo aren’t as bad as the estimate was $8,000. The Ferrari was the cheapest to repair mechanically at $2,600, but a new roof goes for roughly $8,000. And that’s just to start with, as all of these cars will continue asking for expensive repairs and maintenance, not to mention, sometimes hard to find parts, throughout their entire life.