10 of the fastest accelerating used cars for around £25k we found this week

One of the very last swashbuckling, petrol-swiggin’ Jags ever made. And yes, we know that’s a sad thought. But you know what isn’t? This pre-facelift is available now for £24.5k with less than 57,000 miles run up on its rampant 542bhp supercharged V8. Plenty of life left in it still, then, and we needn’t remind you of that soundtrack… 

0-62mph: 4.2s

Speaking of soundtracks, here’s a car that also has a lot to say: the biturbo V8 C63. That AMG’s decision to four-pot the latest generation received so much backlash is telling of the sort of impact the W205, and its predecessor, had. Get a shift on in this 2019 example, and you’ll hit motorway speeds almost as quickly as you can read out its name.

0-62mph: 4.1s

There is a very real argument to be had about the world taking TVR for granted when it was around. The Cerbera, Griffith, Sagaris and Tamora are all spectacular in their own way, but the Tuscan Speed Six might be our favourite of the lot. Its design still puts most modern roadsters to shame, and beneath the plump bonnet sits a wicked 4.0-litre all-natural six-pot that’s *claimed* to top out at 185mph. One hundred and eighty-five. 

0-62mph: 3.9s

Oh yes you can. In fact, here’s one for less than £21,000. The C7 in Avant form is a glorious all-rounder. The reasons are simple: it’ll take the kids to school in supreme comfort, have no issues swallowing a fresh Christmas tree (and an army of barbells), and it’s fast. Like, really fast. 

0-62mph: 3.9s

Up until this point, it’s all been about acceleration through raw, unadulterated force. So let’s switch things up with a second-gen Exige, which has a manual gearbox and all three optional factory packages equipped. The result is a car which weighs close to 900kg and changes direction like a cheetah in pursuit, with the icing on the cake being an acceleration figure of…

0-62mph: 3.9s

A face only a mother could love, but there’s no taking away from the Panamera’s numbers: 542bhp, 553lb ft and a vmax of 190mph. Besides, the interior is pretty sweet on this example, and it rides on air suspension with Porsche’s Dynamic Chassis Control, so comfort should be second to none. 

0-62mph: 3.8s

Another high-mileage Audi that’s loaded with mechanical tech, such as cylinder deactivation, torque vectoring and a self-locking diff. You can even adjust the ride height by as much as 20mm on this RS7, and there’s thick 390mm brakes to reverse the catapulting effects of that 552bhp twin-scroll, twin-turbo V8. That’s more power than the current M3, by the way.

0-62mph: 3.9s

Want 600bhp and TVs for rear-seat passengers? This F10-gen M5 ticks those boxes and more, with other standout features including a Harman Kardon audio system and a sunroof. Since it’s a ‘Comp’ spec car, it also gets a blacked-out grille and exhausts to give it more flavour. C’mon, it’s an M5. What else needs to be said? 

0-62mph: 3.9s

Here sits a big, single-owner Bentley that would’ve cost at least £163k when new. Yours now for less than one seventh of that amount.

0-62mph: 3.7s

Yes, we know this Giulia Quadrifoglio is closer to £30k, but consider this: a new one will set you back almost three times as much. It’s not even covered 60,000 miles yet, and as a thing to get in and drive, this chisel-cheeked, perfectly proportioned Alfa is nothing short of magical. Bloomin’ belissima, as we said (multiple times) during our review. 

0-62mph: 3.9s