Last week, we set out to create a dream garage filled with seven cars from around the globe. The seven cars that we chose were absolutely spectacular, but the garage would have cost close to $1 million in total. We thought we'd take a crack at creating a second dream car list, although this time we limited ourselves to cars that cost less than $100,000 to keep it slightly grounded in reality. We also decided to keep Sweden and Korea off this list, because our choices of the Volvo XC90 and Kia Stinger probably wouldn't change.
Lexus LC500
First up is Japan, with the Lexus LC500. The LC is the most expensive car on our list with a starting price of $92,000 before destination. Lexus really knocked it out of the park with the styling, and we would be happy to pull up in this head-turning luxury coupe. The LC500 is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 with 471 horsepower going out to a 10-speed automatic transmission. This would be our first choice to go on a weekend retreat, but it lacks the cargo and passenger space to be driven all the time. That is why we have our next car.
Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
The Lexus is a fantastic grand tourer, but sometimes we may need to take a few passengers along for the ride. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio sedan is ideally suited for the task. This Italian beast is powered by a Ferrari-derived 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 with 505 hp. Not only does the Giulia have enough room to haul four people around, it is also the second most powerful car on the list. Unfortunately it is also the second most expensive car with a starting price of $73,700.
Range Rover Velar
The Giulia sedan is our practical choice for everyday driving, but we needed something larger to carry big items. We needed an SUV, which is why we turned to the UK. The Velar is Land Rover's latest addition to the Range Rover lineup. The Range Rover Velar is based on the Jaguar F-Pace, and sits between the smaller Evoque and larger Sport. The base Velar sits just under $50,000, but we'd opt for the diesel D180 HSE R-Dynamic trim for just under $70,000.
BMW M2
So far, we have our GT car from Japan, our family sedan from Italy, and our practical hauler from the UK. We wanted to make sure that we had a sports car with a manual transmission that would be perfect to carve up some canyon roads. That's why we have chosen the BMW M2 from Germany. The M4 is the more powerful car, but the lighter, more simplistic M2 would be our preference. The M2 starts at a more modest $54,500 and comes with a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with 365 hp. There is a more powerful M2 Competition on the way, but for now we'll settle for the standard M2.
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
The BMW M2 is a great canyon carving road car, but we needed something that is a bit more hardcore for track use. That is why we turned to the US for the Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE. This $70,000 track weapon is one of the best values in the auto industry. Less than $100,000 gets you 650 hp from a 6.2-liter supercharged V8. The 1LE also comes with hardcore aero enhancements that make it one of the quickest cars in the world around a track, especially at its low base price. The standard ZL1 is a comfortable cruiser, but the 1LE is built specifically for track use.
