10 Manual Performance Alternatives For Half The Price Of The 2025 BMW M2

If you ever want to feel like your money was well spent, get a 2025 BMW M2. This coupe offers a refined driving experience that’s pretty much unmatched by almost everything else on the road, including most other BMWs. Of course, with an MSRP starting at $64,900, before fees, taxes, interest, and options, buying one of your own might be out of the question.

No worries, we’ve got you covered with ten alternatives that will cost you half as much. All rear-wheel-drive, all manual transmission, and all hitting 0-60 in under 6 seconds. Yes, most of them are going to be used models, but the prices cited come from models with less than 65,000 miles on the engine and transmission, and, believe it or not, we were able to turn up a couple of sports coupes from the last few years with MSRPs under $33,000. In short: you’ve got plenty of manual sports coupes to pick from at half the cost of a 2025 BMW M2, including a BMW.

2024 Chevrolet Camaro: $32,495

Believe it or not, there are still some quarter-mile beasts in this model year that can be had for under $40,000. If you’re looking to keep it under $33,000, you’ll have to settle for a base Camaro with a 3.6-liter 6-cylinder engine, but that gets you up to 60 miles per hour in just 5.2 seconds, which isn’t bad for the price. A V8 model will cost you closer to $38,000.

Now in its final year of production, the manual transmission is the default option on a Camaro, so you don’t need to worry about spending extra on a 6-speed stick shift.

We don’t doubt that the nameplate will return at some point, but we can bet it won’t be a manual-transmission ICE-powered muscle car.

2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8: $32,000

A base 1970 Dodge Challenger in good condition is currently estimated at around $20,000. It’ll take you around seven seconds to get up to 60 mph, and it’s going to be very expensive to maintain. A 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 will get you up to speed in under five seconds, and the third-generation ran from 2008 to 2023, making replacement parts easier to come by. We all love classics. But if you’re looking for something that will function as a daily driver and look good at car shows, the 2011 SRT8 might be the smartest way to get behind the wheel of an eight-cylinder Dodge.

We recommend the 2011 model because it handles better than the 2010 edition. The suspension was all new for this model year, with firmer bushings and new shocks and springs. The anti-roll bars are thicker than the ones in the 2010 edition, and the electro-hydraulic power steering is more responsive.

2015 BMW M4: $32,000

Before you go buy a used BMW, it’s worth noting that you really need to be an enthusiast for the brand if you’re going to drive one with no maker-backed warranty. RepairPal puts the annual repair cost for a 2015 BMW M4 at around $2,560 a year. If you’re wondering why a ten-year-old BMW can be had at what looks to be a bargain price, that should explain it.

Now, if you’re willing to make that commitment, the 2015 BMW M4 really is a masterful piece of German engineering. The car is turbocharged with very little lag, and it can run the quarter mile in about 12.4 seconds, owing in large part to the dual-clutch’s launch-control feature, which lends an electronic aid in getting up to speed from a standstill.

2023 Ford Mustang EcoBoost: $29,165

The 2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost dropped the manual transmission entirely, making the 2023 edition the newest one you can get with a six-speed manual transmission. The 2024 Mustang was also launched on an all-new chassis with a redesigned look and a modernized interior, so this model year is definitely the last of its kind.

Your dream Mustang may be a V6, but if you’ve never actually test-driven an EcoBoost, you may be surprised at just how tough that little turbocharged four-cylinder can be, hitting 60 mph in five seconds and cranking out 310 hp. The 2024 EcoBoost actually does beat this one to 60 mph by about a half-second off the starting mile, but with no manual transmission, where’s the fun?

2010 Chevrolet Corvette: $29,000

The 2010 Chevrolet Corvette is technically the same generation as the 2006 edition, which also appears on this list. But the addition of launch control on all manual-transmission models makes a difference of about 0.2 seconds off the starting line in the 0-60 mph sprint. Being a little newer, the estimated annual repair cost is a little lower, too, at around $681 to the 2006 model’s $737. Whenever possible, it doesn’t hurt to buy a car with fewer miles on the odometer. The return of the classic Torch Red exterior color makes the 2010 especially attractive, too.

The C6 model would run for a few more years after the release of the 2011 model. If you feel like shopping around, the 2012 adds an optional carbon fiber hood, and the fuel economy has a slight improvement for this model year, from 16 MPG combined to 17 MPG.

2010 Porsche Cayman: $28,500

It’s a mid-engine Porsche, and it sells for under $30,000. If you didn’t close this browser and load up Kelley Blue Book immediately upon reading it, know that while Porsches aren’t unreliable, they do have high ownership costs, with the Cayman running around $1,135 a year in basic maintenance and costing more to insure than mid-range coupes. Oil leaks have proven a fairly common problem with this car.

If that scares you off from buying one, you’re missing out. The Porsche Cayman is a true bucket-list driving experience. It’s fast and fun, with one of the most intuitive, satisfying manual transmissions in the world. The 2010 model brought a slight refresh to the car, with a larger display, a new navigation system, and optional cooled seats and heated steering wheels.

2018 Dodge Challenger R/T : $25,500

It’s an 8-cylinder HEMI for under $26,000, hitting 60 mph in less than five seconds. For many drivers, that’s the makings of a dream car. The biggest change for the 2018 Dodge Challenger was the addition of a rearview camera and the optional Super Track Pak package, with Nappa leather seating and a 7-inch touchscreen. You can’t really go wrong with any Challenger from this era, but the 2018 offers the best crossroads of price and modern convenience.

When we reviewed the 2018 Dodge Challenger, we noted that the 6-cylinder models were nothing to sneeze at… But a V8 is a V8, and the 6-cylinder models aren’t available with a manual transmission, making the R/T model a must if you want to handle your business.

2019 Nissan 370Z: $24,500

The 2019 Nissan 370Z is available as a coupe or as a roadster, just in case you ever wanted to buy a cheap car that looks very expensive. The roadster edition was retired from the US in 2019 but ran for another year in Canada. The only major change to the 2019 edition 370Z over the 2018 model was the addition of a Heritage Edition package, which was a cosmetic upgrade featuring Pearl White and Deep Blue Pearl color options.

2019 and 2020 marked the final run for the 370Z, with the car selling 2,384 units in the US in 2019 and another 1,954 in 2020. Kelley Blue Book awarded the car for Best Resale Value in 2010, and, seeing as the 2019 model first hit the market for $29,990, dropping less than six thousand dollars in five years, the iconic Japanese sports coupe seems to still be living up to that reputation over a decade later.

2006 Chevrolet Corvette: $24,000

The 2006 Chevrolet Corvette is available in both manual and automatic, so double-check with the seller before you go out of your way to schedule a test drive. The 2006 model is considered one of the best-value years, and it comes with a very manageable annual repair cost estimate of about $737, courtesy of RepairPal. The car is generally considered to be one of the more reliable sports coupes from this era, and the biggest issue you’ll likely run into will be in the gas tank, with drivers reporting faulty fuel level sensors and check engine lights pointing to worn gas caps.

The 2006 Corvette was the second model year of the sixth generation (C6), featuring double wishbone suspension and computer-aided gear shifting, improving the car’s fuel economy. The computer-aided shifter was specifically intended to avoid paying the “gas guzzler” tax.

2014 Ford Mustang GT: $9,000

The 2014 Ford Mustang GT was a slight modernization of the classic pony car, with the instrument cluster getting an overhaul. The sixth-gen relaunch would take place the following year, widening the body and lowering it by about an inch and a half in both directions. A 2015 model will cost you around twice as much as a comparable 2014 Mustang.

So why are we recommending the 2014 edition over the 2015 model if they both cost well under thirty grand? Well, the 2014 Mustang GT is actually a little faster. The difference is small enough that driver skill may be the determining factor, but the 2015 GT’s added weight typically puts it behind the 2014 edition by about half a second.