13 GTs for less than £30,000

Ready for adventure

We’re starting to think of long road trips we could embark on this year.

The kind of sojourns that need big-capacity engines, thumping torque and luxury to elevate a destination into a goal, and the journey into a treasured memory itself.

With this in mind, we’ve brought together 13 GTs valued at £30,000 or less, according to Hagerty Insurance’s Valuation Tool, citing ‘excellent’ or ‘condition 2’ cars or independent market research.

Some are pure luxury machines, designed to relax and cosset, while others are more sporting, giving you a reason to explore challenging roads after you’ve dropped the bags at the hotel.

So, which would you choose?

1. Porsche 928 S4 – target price: £30,000

The Porsche 928 was designed to take over from the 911, as its maker saw greater profits in the luxury GT range.

It didn’t quite work out that way, but the 928 has developed a following in its own right.

And why not? With a characterful V8 measuring between 4.5 and 5.4 litres and supercar-smooth styling, the 928 can make the pulse quicken almost as fast as its acceleration.

Porsche 928 S4 (cont.)

For our target price you’ll be looking at an S4, more likely with an automatic gearbox.

The manual transforms the car into something approaching a supercar, but even with an automatic the 928 is compelling.

S4 models have a 5.0-litre V8 with 316bhp and 317lb ft torque; all out you’ll be doing 170mph having breezed past 60mph in 5.7 secs.

2. Toyota Supra MkIV – target price: £30,000

The Toyota Supra MkIV made big news last year – one sold for more than $200,000 in the USA, prompting all sorts of internet fury.

However, in the UK, you can still pick one up for a lot less than that, largely because far more right-hand-drive models were made.

You’ll not get a desirable six-speed manual for our target price, but an automatic gearbox isn’t the end of the world for cruising.

Toyota Supra MkIV (cont.)

For all its Fast & Furious and Max Power grandeur, the Supra MkIV was Toyota’s take on the luxury GT, and most were specified with automatics.

Okay, so its massive rear wing was a little too much for conservative GT buyers, but there was no quibbling with the performance.

According to a gentleman’s agreement between Japanese manufacturers, the Supra is officially rated at 276bhp. However, its 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six actually produces around 320bhp and 325lb ft torque, meaning you can flash past 62mph in 6.4 secs and on to a limited 155mph.

3. Jaguar XJ-S – target price: £25,000

The Jaguar XJ-S had a rough time from the critics for many years – after all, replacing the E-type is no easy task.

However, the car has developed a following of its own and its Art Deco-influenced style has its own appeal.

It’s now one of the most popular cars in the various Jaguar owners’ clubs, and its long bonnet, lashings of leather and wood inside, not forgetting its keen performance, are winning over a surprising number of younger enthusiasts.

Jaguar XJ-S (cont.)

The ‘keen performance’ is best exhibited by the 5.3-litre V12.

Early cars delivered 285bhp and 294lb ft torque, and a top speed of 153mph having blasted past 60mph in 6.7 secs.

The HE model brought power up to 299bhp and torque to 318lb ft, which urged you to 60mph in 7.5 secs and on to 152mph.

If you think this is a bit of a downgrade, it’s the in-gear acceleration where the later car makes itself known. That 318lb ft torque comes in at a lowly 3000rpm, meaning it’s perfect for autoroute overtakes…

4. BMW 635CSi – target price: £24,000

The BMW E24 had a long production run, breaking cover in the late 1970s before ducking out in 1989.

Over that time it ran on two 5 Series chassis, and became a motorsport star.

While the more expensive and rarer M635CSi is the ‘Motorsport’ car, it was the 635CSi that did all the winning in Touring Car races in the mid-1980s.

And it was seriously expensive – the difference between a top-spec 635CSi and an M635CSi was the equivalent to the average UK house price at the time.

BMW 635CSi (cont.)

While you could specify two manual gearbox options, including a highly recommended short-ratio dogleg five-speed, most 635CSis were automatic.

Though the M30 straight-six didn’t quite have the in-gear thump of its Jaguar or Mercedes-Benz rivals, its smooth power delivery and shimmering howl more than make up for it.

It produces 215bhp along with 232lb ft torque, which means you’ll top out at 143mph after kissing goodbye to 60mph in 7.4 secs.

5. Fiat Coupé 20v Turbo – target price: £12,000

The Fiat Coupé 20v Turbo might seem like an odd choice in this company.

However, this Chris Bangle-designed masterpiece is roomy, comfortable and packs an engine that provides plenty of linear torque, making it perfect for GT driving.

The interior is a highly comfortable, beautiful place to be, with a body-coloured wraparound styling motif. 

Fiat Coupé 20v Turbo (cont.)

It’s front-wheel drive, which will instantly mark it down.

However, the turbocharged 2.0-litre five-cylinder engine’s 216bhp and 229lb ft torque is kept in check by the Viscodrive limited-slip differential, which contributed to it being deemed one of the finest-handling cars of its era.

It’s quick too, even by today’s standards: you’ll blast past 60mph in 6 secs dead and run out of revs at 155mph, all with an engaging five-cylinder warble as you do.

6. Nissan 300ZX TT Z32 – target price: £20,000

The Nissan 300ZX TT may be overshadowed by its Skyline siblings these days, but when it was first launched, it was a groundbreaking car that put the cat among the European and American pigeons.

Its styling, interior and quality were vast improvements over its predecessors, and in the USA at least, it earned rave reviews.

It was so good, Toyota stopped work on the Supra MkIV and started again, having seen the bar being raised.

Nissan 300ZX TT Z32 (cont.)

The car is thankfully coming out of its poorly modified phase and is starting to be cherished – one sold at auction in the UK for north of £30,000 in late 2021.

However, we’re seeing that as an outlier, as most are around the £20,000 mark.

That makes it a relative bargain compared to the aforementioned Supra, despite being almost as quick.

Its twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 was bound by the same gentleman’s agreement with about 276bhp, like the Supra, but it’s believed it produces around 300bhp, while its torque figure is 274lb ft. That’s good for a 60mph sprint in around 6 secs and a top speed of 155mph.

7. Buick Riviera – target price: £10,000 (not including shipping to the UK)

Here’s something you don’t see everyday, at least in the UK.

The Buick Riviera name may be better known for its ’60s and ’70s interpretations, but in the 1990s this represented a radical departure from the angular shapes that had dominated for decades.

Its left-hand-drive only nature might not appeal for the UK, but when we’re allowed to travel into Europe, the Buick’s soft nature and easy-going attitude make it great for relaxed cruising where LHD isn’t a problem.

Buick Riviera (cont.)

You could order your Riviera with either a naturally aspirated or supercharged V6, the latter of which came in two states of tune.

The Series II L67 3.8-litre supercharged engine, offered from 1996 to 1999, has 240bhp and 280lb ft torque.

We couldn’t find much in the way of performance stats, but this really isn’t about that kind of thing at all – we couldn’t find a two-door Bentley or Rolls-Royce for less than £30,000 in decent nick, let alone £10,000.

If a similar easy-going driving experience appeals, why not give it a try?

8. Mercedes-Benz 126-series SEC – target price: £25,000

The Mercedes-Benz SEC was beloved by Formula One drivers – it’s easy to imagine the likes of Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna dashing between European Grands Prix in their C126s.

Seems a rather more elegant way to travel than a cheap flight or even a helicopter ride.

It’s essentially a two-door S-Class, which means you get more toys than Hamleys at Christmas, a super-smooth ride and engineering integrity that’s become legendary.

Mercedes-Benz 126-series SEC (cont.)

Several engine sizes were available, with the top-of-the-tree 560SEC certainly being a highlight thanks to its 295bhp/335lb ft naturally aspirated 5.5-litre V8. That’ll get you to 60mph in 6.8 secs with a 156mph top speed.

However, the smaller-engined models are well worth a look, because in the real world they’re not abundantly slower, and with a car this complex there’s more value to be had in having a mint 500 rather than a shabby 560 for our target price.

The 500SEC offers 242bhp/294lb ft, which is good enough for a 143mph top whack and 7.8-sec 0-60mph sprint.

9. Aston Martin DB7 Vantage – target price: £29,000

The DB7 was a shot in the arm for Aston Martin, delivering a volume seller when its traditional big-league GTs weren’t quite doing the business on the sales front.

Its story is well covered, but it’s easy to forget just how desirable this car was when it first broke cover in the early 1990s.

Over its life there was a choice of a supercharged straight-six or a V12, and for our budget you don’t have long before prices for the latter grow higher.

Aston Martin DB7 Vantage (cont.)

The supercharged ‘six’ is your cheapest way into DB7 ownership, and though often maligned, it’s still an engaging car.

The 3.2-litre engine is good for 355bhp and 360lb ft torque, which will propel you past 60mph in 6.9 secs and on to 160mph.

However, if you get a chance to pick up a V12 then it’s well worth doing. The naturally aspirated 5.9-litre engine is good for 414bhp/400lb ft, which means you’ll zip to 60mph in 5 secs and top out at 185mph. 

10. Mitsubishi 3000GT – target price: £12,000

The Mitsubishi 3000GT is often criticised, lambasted and abused, but that’s largely because its looks promise something far more sporty than what was delivered.

Seen through the prism of a super-fast, all-weather GT, then the four-wheel drive, four-wheel steer 3000GT fulfils its brief.

Inside it’s immensely comfortable, and on the outside it’s all-aggression, with lots of vents and grilles. It’s also one of the first uses of active aerodynamics on a production car – take that, Ferrari.

Mitsubishi 3000GT (cont.)

Three versions of the 6G72 3.0-litre V6 engine were available around the world (including a sohc version for the USA and Canada, where it was sold as the Dodge Stealth for a while), but the twin-turbocharged version was by far the most compelling.

It produced 282bhp along with 300lb ft of torque, which was good for a 0-60mph sprint of around 5-6 secs and a top speed of 160mph.

11. Lincoln MkVIII – target price: £11,000 (not including shipping to the UK)

If the Buick Riviera from earlier piqued your interest, then how about another Stateside contender – and one with an extra pair of cylinders?

The MkVIII was the first use of Ford’s Modular 4.6-litre V8 and, like the Buick, is all about luxury, easy power and smooth torque.

It’s left-hand-drive only, but again, if you’re after a fuss-free glide to somewhere sunny rather than an adrenalin-releasing machine, then the Lincoln might be your vat of maple syrup.

Lincoln MkVIII (cont.)

The V8 delivered between 280bhp/285lb ft and 290bhp/295lb ft, depending on which model year you plump for.

We couldn’t glean a top speed, but if the mood takes you this Lincoln can gird its loins and whip to 60mph in 7.5 secs.

Which all seems rather unseemly. Why not ease along, letting that big eight-cylinder take the strain?

12. Maserati Ghibli II – target price: £25,000

The Maserati Ghibli II might be related to the Biturbo, but by the time it was launched it was a far more developed machine.

Better built, designed by none other than Countach stylist Marcello Gandini and supremely quick, it was well received by the press when it was launched in the early 1990s.

It’s a rare car these days with only handful sold in the UK.

Maserati Ghibli II (cont.)

Most Ghibli IIs bought in the UK used a 2.8-litre version of the twin-turbocharged V6, which delivered 280bhp and a thumping 305lb ft of torque, which was good for 155mph all out and a 0-60mph sprint of just 6 secs.

A Cup model like the car shown will cost you more than our budget, but several Italian/European-market, LHD non-Cup Ghiblis are in the UK.

These use a 2.0-litre twin-turbo V6 with 306bhp and 275lb ft torque, giving a 158mph top speed and a 5.7-sec 0-60mph sprint.

13. Eunos Cosmo Series JC – target price: £22,000 (not including import costs).

The Eunos Cosmos Series JC was Mazda’s ’90s take on the luxury coupé market, and was only available in Japan for five years.

Its two powerplants were the first Japanese-built, series-production twin-sequential-turbo rotary engines, beating the RX-7 FD to market by two years.

It was also the first production car to have a built-in GPS navigation system, and it featured a touchscreen monitor for climate control, mobile-phone connectivity, and TV and CD functions.

Eunos Cosmo Series JC (cont.)

Two engines were made available: the 13B-RE, that formed the basis of the RX-7s engine, and the 20B-REW.

The 13B-RE produced 227bhp and 217lb ft of torque, which was good for 143mph when delimited, while the 20B-RE produces 296bhp and 289lb ft, which is good for a 155mph top whack and an estimated 6-sec 0-60mph time.

Unlike the Buick and Lincoln, this is available with right-hand drive – several have come to the UK as private imports.