The fastest cars for under $100,000

By Sam Warren

updated 7:28 p.m. ET Nov. 28, 2008

Speed-obsessed drivers used to have to shell out big bucks for high performance. Want to go zero to 60 mph in 2.46 seconds? That'll be $1.5 million for a Bugatti Veyron, please.

Today, however, consumers see speed as more of a right than a privilege. Many automakers agree and, while they're not delivering the same sort of performance as one finds in the Veyron, several models can get to 60 nearly as fast — without costing more than $100,000.

"Every generation of performance autos gets a little bit better," explains Mike Omotoso, senior manager of Global Powertrain Forecasting at J.D. Power & Associates. "Only supercars used to go 0-60 in less than four seconds. Now 3.5 to four seconds is just the price of admission in this segment."

And the performance segment is broadening. It's not just angular, low-riding sports cars that make up the speed category. Many are now big, bold power sedans. Longtime luxury manufacturers are even keeping up with the sports-car makers, so those in the market for a new car can stop dreaming when it comes to speed and start deciding which package they want it wrapped in.

To find the fastest 2009 cars under $100,000, we looked simply at automaker-provided data models that reach 60 mph the fastest. Unfortunately, there is no standardized form of measurement of 0-to-60 time across the auto industry. The data can vary due to a number of factors — such as the type of tire, road surface, weather conditions, etc. — and all manufacturers have their own testing facilities. Nevertheless, across the manufacturer-provided information, the results were varied: sports cars, muscle cars and high-powered luxury cars. Where 2009 data was not yet available, we used data from the 2008 model.

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The top of our list belongs to a curvy speed machine: the 2009 Nissan GT-R R35. Born of the legendary Nissan Skyline GT-R models dating back to 1969, the 2009 GT-R officially drops the Skyline name. At 480 horsepower, it hits the 60 mph mark in 3.3 seconds and tops out at 193 mph.

This car is the fastest in the pack, but it doesn't necessarily make a statement — it might even get through a city commute without straining too many necks because, while it's sporty, it doesn't stand out the way other performance cars do.

Lotus, a British manufacturer of performance cars since the 1950s, does stand out, however, and uses a lightweight advantage to get two models onto our list: the Lotus Elise SC and the Lotus Exige S 240.

"[Some companies] are getting better performance by using lighter materials," says Omotoso. "Lighter cars go faster and get better fuel economy." Lotus models couple middleweight engines with light frames and aerodynamic designs to create cars that get stellar performance without the soaring prices of high-end engines.

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