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Cheapest Power: 12 New Performance Cars With the Most Horsepower Per Dollar

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Cheapest Power: 12 New Performance Cars With the Most Horsepower Per Dollar

Horsepower is generally the first number buyers look to when shopping for a new performance rig. Sure, there are other important numbers, but the good old ponies still reign supreme. But what about value for that power? We took a dive into the performance segment to figure out which vehicles with at least 400 horsepower offered the lowest price-per-horsepower numbers to find the best value.

Here’s what we dug up.

Methodology

We could spend all day looking at luxury boats with 400-plus horsepower that may be better price-per-horsepower values, but we looked purely at vehicles marketed as performance models. We also limited our scope to vehicles with 400 horsepower or more — otherwise, we’d be here all day.

12. 2019 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400

2019 INFINITI Q50

2019 INFINITI Q50

While the public may still need a little more time before it recognizes an Infiniti as a true sports sedan, the Q50 Red Sport 400 is just that. It boasts a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 powerplant that injects a healthy 400 ponies into this four-door luxury car. While it may not handle as well as a Mercedes-AMG or a BMW M model, Infiniti gets a gold star for finally trying to compete.

What puts this rig on our list is its $51,000 base price, which places it at $127.50 per horsepower.

11. 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

2019 Jeep® Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

The lone SUV on our list of the cheapest power is the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Few actually expected Jeep to follow through on the reports it would drop the supercharged Hellcat V-8 into its resident three-row crossover, but it did just that.

With the Grand Cherokee Trawkhawk’s 707 horsepower and $86,200 starting price, you get a $121.92-per-horsepower figure that makes it a great value considering its people- and cargo-hauling capabilities.

10. 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor

Ford F-150 Raptor

Ford F-150 Raptor

Sure, there are plenty of pickup trucks that beat our 350-horsepower requirement and are decent values for the power, but we also have a performance-built stipulation to qualify for our list. This makes the 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor the only pickup truck worthy of this list. Sure, it is more of an off-road buggy than a street racer, but it handles off-the-asphalt driving like a true baja racer.

With its starting price ringing in at a high $50,675, the F-150 Raptor needs some serious juice from its turbocharged 3.5-liter to make our list. And it does just that as its 450 ponies pull it to a $112.61-per-horsepower number.

9. 2018 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

Value and the Ford Mustang go hand in hand when considering performance per dollar, and the first of the ‘Stangs to make our list is the 2018 Shelby GT350. Sure, it doesn’t have the raw power of the Camaro ZL1 or SRT Hellcat brothers, but it’s a mighty all-around performance coupe.

Under its hood is a 5.2-liter flat-plane-crank V-8 that rumbles out a tidy 526 horsepower. With its $57,240 base price, this puts it at a respectable $108.82 per horsepower.

8. 2018 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

2018 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

Superchargers always lead to insane power for the money, even in the aftermarket realm. Dodge realized this when creating the Charger SRT Hellcat, placing it as the seventh-best cheapest-thrills machine on our list. On top of its insane 707 horsepower and straight-line performance, you can pawn it off as a family car thanks to its four-door body.

Another huge selling point is its relatively low price for its power. The Charger Hellcat’s starting price comes in at just $67,995, putting it at $96.17 per horsepower.

7. 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt

2019 Mustang Bullitt

2019 Mustang Bullitt

I told you there were a bunch of Fords, but what I didn’t mention is just how many Mustangs make the list. The 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt rings in as the second ‘Stang on our list with its 5.0-liter V-8 that Ford bumped to 480 horsepower. Besides the extra power, there is a touch of nostalgia that comes with its famous on-screen nameplate.

With a starting price of just $46,595, the 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt rings in at $97.07 per horsepower, making it a good value.

6. 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Where there’s a Mustang on a list, there is bound to be a Camaro not too far away. The next on our list is the range-topping 2018 Chevy Camaro ZL1. Like its Charger rival, this beast uses a supercharger to milk 650 horsepower from its snarling V-8 powerplant. And with a starting price of just $62,495, the Camaro ZL1 is an insane value at $96.15 per horsepower.

5. 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat

2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat features low-gloss black light

2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat features low-gloss black light

You knew the Charger Hellcat’s sportier coupe brother had to be lurking somewhere on this list, and here it is just three spots below it. Like the Charger Hellcat, the Challenger SRT Hellcat boasts a supercharged V-8 powerplant that injects 707 horsepower into this muscular coupe. But unlike the Charger, this one may be a harder sell to the family because of its coupe body.

What will make it an easier sell, though, is its lower MSRP of $65,495, which makes it one of the best values on our list at $92.63 per horsepower.

4. 2018 Dodge Challenger 392 HEMI Scat Pack Shaker

2018 Dodge Challenger SRT 392

The Dodge Challenger 392 Scat Pack Shaker rolls in boasting a muscular look that’s highlighted by an aggressive front splitter, dark accents, and a massive hood scoop. Plus, its 180-mph speedometer gives you an idea of just what Dodge tuned this beast for. But what really matters here is its 485-horsepower 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 powerplant and $42,795 starting price.

This adds up to a cool $88.23-per-horsepower tag.

3. 2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS

2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS

Now for No. 3 on our list. Chevy fans may groan, but the Camaro SS sits in this slot. That’s not a bad thing, though, because the 2018 Camaro SS still cranks out a meaty 455 horsepower and looks the part of a true muscular sports coupe.

On top of all this, the 2018 Camaro SS is still a great value as its $37,995 base price puts it at $83.51 per horsepower.

2. 2018 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack

2018 Dodge Charger Super Scat Pack

The Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack is the dark horse in this race, as few would look to this four-door muscle car as one of the best performance values. What’s more, minus its hood scoop, the 2018 Charger R/T Scat Pack is a bit of a sleeper as there is little else to tip anyone off to the 485-horsepower 6.4-liter V-8 under its hood.

With its base price of $39,995, this puts the Charger R/T Scat Pack firmly in the No. 2 spot at $82.46 per horsepower.

1. 2019 Ford Mustang GT

2019 Ford Mustang GT

2019 Ford Mustang GT

We’ll give you three guesses to figure out what’s No. 1 on our list, and the first two guesses don’t count… That’s right, the performance car that offers the cheapest horsepower is the 2019 Ford Mustang GT. Besides its value, it looks dang good doing it.

The 2019 Mustang GT carries a base price of just $35,190, and its 5.0-liter V-8 cranks out 460 horsepower for an affordable $76.50 per horsepower.

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