The average driver doesn’t go over 100mph on a daily, or even weekly, basis. There are very few places in the world where you can go faster than that — well, legally — so there isn’t much need for cars to go any quicker. Many modern vehicles are capable of going 100mph or more, but they are usually electronically limited at about 155mph for driver safety and to protect the mechanical components of the car. While you might never have an actual need to go 200mph, it’s still cool to have a vehicle that could go that fast if an appropriate — and legal — opportunity ever arose. Buying a car that goes 200mph doesn’t have to mean you’re buying a supercar, though, because there are some well-priced options for vehicles that offer some shockingly good performance.

Affordable speed

Some of the cars to make this list might surprise you, while others may not. 200mph seems pretty fast to the average driver, but in a world where the fastest cars are going upwards of 300mph, it isn’t all that fast. Mercedes-Benz is known for luxury as well as performance, and a used S600 AMG can offer 510hp for around $10,000 when they initially cost almost ten times that amount. Luxury cars lose their value so rapidly that it’s amazing what type of powerful luxury cars we can find on the market for near bargain-basement prices. The 2001 – 2008 model years of the Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG, for example, can be found on the used car market for a total steal, and with the speed governor removed is capable of hitting 200mph comfortable and sustainably.

The SL55 is fast and unreliable, but those two words could just as quickly describe our next car: the BMW E60 (2005 – 2010 generation) M5. I’ve said it time and time again that BMW vehicles of these model years are the biggest nightmares that I loved to have, and there is no doubt that they are as powerful as they are beautiful. Like the Mercedes-Benz, they can reach 200mph with the speed governor removed.

Surprisingly affordable speed

On the topic of used cars, you may not have realized that the Bentley GT Continental prices have also dropped significantly — significantly enough that they are priced affordably. They are also one of the more rare and still stunning cars to make this list, and bonus points for the fact that you are buying a Bentley for less than most people finance their new BMW SUVs.

Of course most of the cars on this last are affordable to purchase up front, but they are almost all unreliable — who am I kidding, all of these cars are incredibly unreliable. Maintenance and repairs for these cars can cost an arm and a leg if you aren’t careful, so before you make your way to your local used car dealership or Facebook marketplace you should decide how important — and realistic — it is to buy a car that goes 200mph. If you’re fine with paying for high repair costs and have another reliable car in the garage to drive when one of these inevitably breaks down, they could be enjoyable options.