The Mazda MX-5 Miata is excellent value when new, and an absolute steal as a used buy. Usable pre-owned Miatas start at around $5,000, but just a few thousand more will get you behind the wheel of a very decent example – especially when looking at the older generations.
But the Miata is an anomaly among today’s high-powered sports cars. Most cost many times more than the little roadster’s base price, and even some of their options will set you back more than what you’d pay for a well-used MX-5. We picked the priciest options and packages that we could find for some of the most popular sports and supercars available today. The numbers are as shocking as their performance figures.
To qualify for this list, the optional extra or package had to cost at least $5,000, which is what a well-used Mazda Miata can be found for. All performance and pricing data for new models is from the respective manufacturer; pricing excludes destination charges. We list these options from cheapest to most expensive.
10 Ford Mustang
Dark Horse Handling Package $5,495
Ford
Engine
5.0-liter V8
Horsepower
500 hp
Torque
418 lb-ft
0-60
4.1 seconds (MT) | 3.7 seconds (AT)
The Ford Mustang is the perennial sports car: well-priced, capable, and usable every day. In many ways, it’s like the Miata – it’s just bigger and significantly more powerful. The Mustang Dark Horse is a new addition to the range for 2024 – the first Mustang Performance Series model in more than twenty years.
Power is up to 500 hp, so the optional Dark Horse Handling package is highly recommended. It includes adjustable front strut mounts, magnetic damping, a performance spoiler, unique wheels and special tires, and revised chassis tuning. It’s not cheap though, as a leggy Miata could be yours for the same amount.
9 Lucid Air Grand Touring
Extended Leather Option $5,500
Via: Lucid
Engine
Twin electric motors
Horsepower
819 hp
Torque
885 lb-ft
0-60
3.0 seconds
Tesla laid the groundwork for the electric car revolution, and now other startups like Lucid are entering the fray. The Lucid Air sedan is a serious competitor to the Tesla Model S and is available in a range of trims, from mild to very wild. The most expensive model in the lineup costs a quarter of a million dollars – so don’t expect upgrades to be cheap.
The options list is extensive, with various exterior colors, sound and convenience packages, and seat upgrades on offer. The Extended Leather option on the Air Grand Touring is one of the priciest. Available in Santa Cruz, Tahoe, and Mojave flavors, this upgrade transforms the interior of the Lucid Air, but it’s the priciest option of the lot, asking for an outlay of $5,500.
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8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Z51 Performance Pack $6,345
Via: Chevrolet
Engine
6.2-liter V8
Horsepower
490 hp
Torque
465 lb-ft
0-60
2.9 seconds
The basic Corvette Stingray package is a serious performance bargain. For a fiver under $70,000, it comes with a 490-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 with supercar-scaring performance. Unfortunately, pushing that base figure way up with options like the Z51 Performance Package is too easy.
Chevrolet states this package is required for track use, although we’re pretty sure the standard Stingray would cope without it. It is a great package though, offering uprated brakes, suspension, an electronic Limited Slip Diff, a heavy-duty cooling system and much more. You also get a 5-hp power boost thanks to the performance exhaust, all for $6,345.
Related Discussion: Is a Mazda Miata from 1995 the best Miata to own?
Think about it. It’s the first generation of the Miata, meaning it’s the purist embodiment of the lightweight sportscar without weight or too many electronics getting in the way. It’s close to the end of the first generation, so most of the kinks have been worked out, and most importantly, it has pop-up headlights. Sure, it’s slow, but people are too obsessed with power as it is. I guess the question isn’t “Is a Mazda Miata from 1995 the best Miata?” as much as it’s “why Is a Mazda Miata from 1995 the best Miata?”
7 BMW M5
M Carbon Ceramic Brakes $8,500
BMW
Engine
4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 + M Hybrid system
Horsepower
717 hp combined
Torque
738 lb-ft combined
0-60
3.4 seconds
Let’s address the elephant in the room first. The new BMW M5 weighs as much as one. But having experienced the XM SUV, which weighs even more, we don’t think it will be a problem at all.
What may raise more eyebrows is the pricing of some of the options. The M Driver’s Package is a cool $2,500. You get a raised top speed limit and a one-day driving class at a BMW Performance Center. But with extra speed comes the need for extra stopping power, and a set of M Carbon Ceramic brakes will cost you much more – $8,500 more.
6 Audi RS6
Ceramic Brakes with Red Calipers $9,000
ABT
Engine
4.0-liter twin-turbo V8
Horsepower
621 hp
Torque
627 lb-ft
0-60
3.3 seconds
Audi was the first to offer a seriously quick wagon for enthusiasts. The latest RS6 Avant may be up against stiff competition, but even though a new model is on the way, it still looks great and offers mental performance figures.
If the $126,600 base price isn’t quite high enough for you, then options like the Night vision assistant, Bang & Olufsen sound system, and Dinamica headliner will add another combined $10,400 to your total. The matte carbon package could also make it onto this list for its $7,650 sticker price, but the priciest of the lot is a set of Ceramic brakes with red calipers. Those are worth as much as a nice third-generation Miata with low mileage. And more importantly, they are just a little pricier than the same option on the latest BMW M5.
5 Hummer EV SUV 3X
Extreme Off-Road Package $9,995
GMC
Engine
Tri-motor EV
Horsepower
1,000 hp
Torque
1,200 lb-ft
0-60
3.3 seconds
The GMC Hummer EV is one imposing machine. It offers Bugatti Veyron power, BMW M5 acceleration, and Jeep Wrangler off-road ability. It weighs 9,640 pounds and can tow 12,000 lbs. Even the options list, shared with the Hummer EV Pickup, is full of jaw-dropping figures, like the Extreme Off-Road Package for $9,995. Options incude driver-selectable electronic differentials, skid plates, 18-inch off-road spec wheels, and tires. There are even forward- and rear-facing underbody cameras that show you what type of Mazda Miata you have just crushed beneath you.
4 Porsche 911 Turbo S
Lightweight Package $10,330
Porsche
Engine
3.7-liter twin-turbo flat-six
Horsepower
640 hp
Torque
590 lb-ft
0-60
2.6 seconds
The Porsche 911 is simply the most complete sports car on the planet. Even the base Carrera is capable of 183 mph and is dynamically brilliant. But most people want the 911 Turbo S. It blasts past 60mph in just 2.6 seconds and tops out at 205 mph.
Porsche is renowned for its pricey options list, and in this case, the lightweight package is one of the most expensive on offer, at over $10k. As part of the upgrade, you get a sports exhaust system, lightweight glass, and a lowered suspension. But to achieve the claimed 66 lbs of weight savings, you also lose the electric steering column, heated seat function, and rear seats. Trust Porsche to charge you to remove equipment.
3 Mercedes-Maybach S 680 4MATIC
Night Series Design Package $25,000
Mercedes-Benz
Engine
6.0-liter twin-turbo V12
Horsepower
621 hp
Torque
664 lb-ft
0-60
4.5 seconds
Once a luxury car brand in its own right, Maybach is now the most opulent trim in the Mercedes-Benz model range. The Mercedes-Maybach S 680 comes dripping with kit, as you would expect from a $234,400 super sedan.
But in this rarefied world, more is more. You can have a rear-cabin refrigerator with champagne flutes for $4,300 or an Executive rear seat package for $6,000. But the Night Series Package tops them all. It adds several visual upgrades, like animated logo projectors, Maybach emblems in dark chrome, and natural-grain herringbone wood trim. The cost of all this is enough to get you a delivery-mileage Miata: $25,000.
2 Lamborghini Temerario
Carbon Fiber wheels $26,200
Lamborghini
Engine
4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 + Hybrid
Horsepower
907 hp
Torque
538 lb-ft
0-60
<2.7 seconds
The latest ‘entry-level’ Lamborghini supercar is the tongue-twisting Temerario. Its base price will get you 12 brand-new Miatas, and that’s before you delve into the extensive options list.
It is allegedly possible to spec one up to a staggering $550,000, and one of the priciest standalone options is the Carbon Fiber wheels. A set of these costs almost as much as an entire new Miata. You could also buy two pristine second-generation examples with money to spare.
1 Porsche 911 S/T Paint Options
Paint to Sample Plus $43,390
Porsche
Engine
4.0-liter flat-six
Horsepower
518 hp
Torque
342 lb-ft
0-60
3.5 seconds
Porsche tends to overdeliver when it comes to performance-per-dollar. The 911 Turbo models are a great example of that. A standard 911 Turbo comes in at $197,200 and performs as well as many entry-level supercars. However, the value proposition quickly disappears once you start ticking the infamous Porsche options list. We easily specced a 911 Turbo S to $330,000.
Some special edition models, like the 911 S/T, already start at $293,350. Then, it’s time to personalize it. One of the priciest extras is the Paint to Sample option. The standard Paint to Sample for this model is $20,960 and gives you access to additional colors, including historic Porsche hues. For a lot more you can tick the Paint to Sample Plus box. This allows you to submit your own paint sample and if it is technically feasible, Porsche will do it for you – if you have $43,390 to spend. You shouldn’t; but you can.
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