Top 5 Most Powerful Audis You Can Buy for $30K!
Eight, ten, and even twelve-cylinder Audis can be yours for less than $30K.
Intro
The average new car today costs close to $50K. Even the least expensive Audi in the lineup, a FWD A3 will cost you over $40K with a couple of options. It is a fine car, but you get just 201 horsepower from the 4-cylinder engine. What if you desire more power? A lot more power. And what if you have a more modest budget of just $30K? We put together a list of the five most powerful Audis you can buy for that price. Obviously, you are looking at used Audis at that point, but there are some surprisingly powerful options out there. And we are not talking about 30-year-old relics with 300,000 miles on them. The oldest vehicle on our list is from 2007. Refer to our list and see just how much power is available to you for only $30K.
5. Audi RS 4 4.2L V8 (2007 – 2008, 420 HP)
The looks of this car alone should be enough to sell it to you. Those bulging fenders and beefy wheels tell anyone that sets eyes on it, that this car means business. With 420 horsepower under your right foot that business is speed. This car will also make for a fine track day companion thanks to the finely tuned chassis and advanced suspension. And you get to control all of this with a manual 6-speed transmission. For less than 30 grand. Sign us up.
3. Audi S8 5.2L V10 (2007 – 2009, 450 HP)
This Audi S8 is a bit older than the other one on our list and it is down a bit on power. But it is tough to complain about a 5.2L V10 making 450 horsepower. Especially when that engine is derived from the one found in the Lamborghini Gallardo. And a similar vintage Gallardo will cost you at least triple what the S8 can be had for. And the Lambo won’t be as comfortable. Of course, the big Audi is a very different car. This S8 is about effortless power and long, relaxing journeys. And for just $30K it is a heck of a bargain.
4. Audi RS 5 4.2L V8 (2013 – 2015, 450 HP)
The first couple of cars on our list make big power but are not really known for being sporty. The Audi RS 5 with the 4.2L V8 changes all that. This is an ‘RS’ Audi so the sport quotient is dialed up to eleven. The 4.2L V8 revs to 8,500 rpm and sounds glorious doing it. We dare say that it sounds even better here than in the R8. You will reach 60 mph in about 4 seconds flat and race on until nearly 175 mph. This is a peach of a car, and you can buy one today for less than half of the original MSRP.
2. Audi A8 L 6.3L W12 (2012 – 2014, 500 HP)
A 12-cylinder Audi making 500 horsepower for less than $30K. Can you believe it? Sure, any example in this price range will have about 100,000 miles on it. But let us say it again. Twelve cylinders and 500 horsepower. The days of internal combustion are rapidly ending for even little 4-cylinders let alone massive 12-cylinder units. You want a new vehicle with an engine like this then you are shopping at Ferrari, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Maybach. And this A8 L Audi you can buy for less than the sales tax on any of those other models.
1. Audi S8 4.0T V8 (2013 -2014, 520 HP)
Five hundred and twenty horsepower. That is more power than a brand-new Porsche 911 GT3 RS which will cost you well over ten times our $30K budget. Sure, the big Audi won’t match the lap times of the Porsche, but thanks to a twin turbo V8 it will take you and four friends to 60 mph in about three and a half seconds. And you will all be comfortable along the way, with plenty of space to stretch your legs. This car cost over $110K when it was new and now you can get a decent example for a 70 percent discount.