Here are 10 used performance cars for under £60k we found this week

This Viper RT/10 is the same one we tested in our American icon shoot-out, and what a glorious example it is. Those three-spoke alloys, side-exit exhausts, targa roof and lack of any door handles immediately channel retro vibes. Then there’s the engine co-developed with Lamborghini: an 8.0-litre V10 producing 400bhp. Get your shifts right on the six-speed manual, and you’ll hit 62mph in four-and-a-bit seconds.

Convertible LC500s cost quite a bit more than this week’s budget, so you’ll have to settle for a coupe. No bother, because this Sport Plus model has all of 471bhp and 398lb ft. Admittedly, a 10-speed gearbox is a bit much, but we doubt you’ll care with the astonishing V8 bellow this little Lex creates.

Speaking of fiddly gearboxes, the first-gen Vanquish was notorious for it. But again, it can be forgiven for that noise, those looks and the sheer amount of style oozing from this gentleman’s express. If you can get over the slightly dated technology and appalling rear legroom, here’s a mint example of the Bond-approved V12.

It feels wrong to do a performance car list without a Prancing Horse, and this Ferrari 360 Spider ticks the box. Its first owner specced it superbly, opting for bronzed alloys, a metallic blue body, part-cream interior and lots of optional carbon inserts. There’s a Capristo exhaust installed too, which sings to the tune of 400 Italian horses.

While the Ferrari's V8 sounds like an orchestrated melody, this supercharged Jag’s is more comparable to a rock ballad. It’s a pre-facelift SVR, so the key figures are as follows: 567bhp, 516lb ft, 0-62mph in 3.7s and 195mph all in. There’s AWD too.

Despite having two fewer cylinders (six) and far less power (400bhp) than the SVR, this Tuscan is just two-tenths slower to 62mph, and matches its top speed. Throw a five-speed manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive into the mix, and you’ve got the right conditions for fear.

Unavoidable, given that the R8 was known as the budget supercar for over a decade. Here’s one with a rare ‘Teak Brown Metallic’ body over the brightest interior we’ve seen in some time. It’s got the same 5.2-litre V10 as you’ll find in a Lamborghini Gallardo, with a useful 518bhp sent to all four corners thanks to quattro.

There’s no shortage of choices if a 911 is what you’re after. We’d opt for a 997 Turbo, and while a full-fat ‘S’ is out of budget, a standard variant like this still offers an immense amount for the money. The flat-six is capable of a 0-62mph run in 3.6s, which is mighty impressive considering this car is 15 years old.

As a technical achievement, the 12C was a spectacular entry from McLaren’s road car division. It’s the fastest car on this list by some distance, hitting 62mph in 3.1s and pressing on to 205mph. Here’s the cheapest one we could find right now, and yes, it’s a fair bit over budget. But the 12C is probably the best all-round used performance car you can buy for £60k.

Quite simply a Gulf-liveried Testarossa with a Jaguar V12, a lightweight spaceframe chassis and a five-speed transaxle gearbox. It’s a proper racing car for the road, and one that could be yours for exactly £35k.