On our "build a garage" series, we like to prove that you don't need a ton of money to buy several cars to suit all of your needs. We think that the used market is the perfect place to purchase something cool for a fraction of the price of a new car. For less than $15,000, you could walk away with something like a Kia Rio, Mitsubishi Mirage, Chevy Spark, or Nissan Versa. However, what if you wanted a V8 in your garage? Could you actually fill out a garage with three V8 cars for less than the price of one new economy car?
The 2004 Audi S4 came with a 4.2-liter V8 engine with 340 horsepower going out to a Quattro AWD system. The cabriolet model that we found in Tampa Florida is currently being offered for just $4,995. The car has 85,393 miles, and comes in navy blue with a black leather interior. The S4 can fit four people and trudge through any bad weather. Not only is the S4 a comfortable cruiser, the glorious sound of the 4.2-liter V8 will be even clearer with the roof down. Maintenance on an old Audi is typically quite expensive, so you should budget some money if anything breaks. Still, it's amazing to think that you can get a V8 German convertible for less than $5,000.
The V8 engine can be used in many different applications. Some are tuned to be sporty, while others are built to be rugged. The 2003 Land Rover Discovery has a curb weight of over 4,500 pounds, so guess which category it falls into? The Discovery came with a 4.6-liter V8 which produces 217 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque driving all four wheels through a four-speed automatic. The Discovery can take seven people on an off-road exploration in British luxury. We found our Discovery SE for just $5,000 in Providence, Road Island on Pawtucket Ave. Maybe you'll run into Peter Griffin when you buy it.
Lexus built the first generation of the SC coupe from 1991 to 2000; the SC300 which came with the 3.0-liter 2JZ-GE inline-six from the Supra was especially popular. This version could be ordered with a manual, but unfortunately no turbo. The more powerful option was the SC400 which came with the 4.0-liter 1UZ-FE V8. This was the same V8 that was used in the LS400 and reportedly cost over $400 million in R&D. The SC400 was so good that it was named Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year in 1992. We found a 1996 SC400 for $4,925 in California. The SC400 is a nice reliable way to round out our budget V8 garage.