CHEAPEST NEW CAR OVER 400 HORSEPOWER IN 2024

As technology advances and manufacturing becomes more precise, cars are able to push out more horsepower easier and cheaper. While many brands are reducing their footprint for the sake of better fuel economy, there are still some that are chasing big numbers and impressive race-friendly features. One car in particular does a brilliant job of combining raw, angry horsepower with advanced driving technology to deliver the most affordable package if you're chasing 400 horsepower on a budget; the Chevrolet Camaro LT1.

What's even better is that you can pick up your own for just over $40,000, without sacrificing on all the good things that the Camaro is renowned for. Although be warned, the future of the Camaro is unclear and at present, the 2024 models are the last being built (for now?). We're going to dig into what it takes to get to 400 plus horsepower in 2024 and just how affordable it can be.

The Most Affordable Way To Get 400 Horsepower In 2024

If 400 horsepower is on your must-have list for a new car, then 2024 is a great time to buy. The competition is very close, so you have a good range of cars that hit the mark from multiple classes. The three most affordable options have MSRP's that are within $2,000 of each other, so you aren't locked into one car that is overwhelmingly better than the rest. While horsepower is becoming easier to find with more efficient engines and options like turbochargers, the Chevrolet Camaro LT1 shows that you can still have a high-powered naturally aspirated V-8 without a huge price tag or lack of features.

The Best 400 Horsepower Cars Right Now

The Chevrolet Camaro LT1

The Camaro has had a bit of a rocky past, with GM canceling and reviving the model multiple times - the most recent being the end of the current generation with no clear idea of whether the Camaro will be retired or brought back again. Rumor even has it that the Camaro will be rebirthed as an electric SUV.

But regardless of what’s going on with production at GM, the Camaro LT1 is an incredible car for your money, and it's also the most affordable car with 400 horsepower that you’ll find on the market. While the entry-level 1LT/2LT/3LT models don’t quite hit the 400 horsepower mark, the 3.6-liter V-6 is no slouch at 335 horsepower.

Still, it’s the LT1 model that really steps it up with the now legendary 6.2-liter small block V-8, that pushes out 455 naturally aspirated horsepower. Pair that with a six-speed manual with rev-matching, and you’re in for a driving experience that is hard to match in 2024. The top model ZL1 takes it even further with a supercharger to hit 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque, so it’s clear that power is easy to come by with the LT1 engine platform.

Performance Specifications

(Source: Chevrolet)

Old School Grunt Still Here

As proof that you can still make a powerful car in 2024 without making it a turbocharged four- or six-cylinder, the Camaro is a throwback to proper old-school muscle with a big displacement and plenty of noise. With fuel economy sitting at a combined 19 miles per gallon for the manual (20 MPG for the auto), you’re looking at roughly half the economy of the cars at the top of the list of the most fuel-efficient cars in 2024, but that’s one of the trade-offs you have to accept if you’re planning on daily driving a car with a 6.2-liter V-8.

This is not a car made for just highway cruising, though, with race-ready features like rev-matching and no-lift shifting, the LT1 is ready to let rip when you plant your foot. It has some handy features like the Driver Mode Selector (choose between Tour, Sport, and Snow/Ice mode), and a windshield heads-up display that makes the drive that much nicer.

Just How Much Bang For Your Buck

Since 1967, the Camaro has been one of the big two muscle cars alongside the Ford Mustang, and it’s those decades of development that have led to the 2024 model being such a strong all-rounder. Luckily for all of us, the Camaro starts at a very affordable price. While the top model ZL1 with all the extras almost crosses the $100,000 mark, the V-8 LT1 sits at just a few hundred above $40,000. The Camaro is extremely good value at less than $100 per horsepower, but it’s the whole package that makes this car a great buy; naturally aspirated V-8 goodness with a manual transmission, all wrapped up in a sleek and aggressive body design. In terms of bang for your buck, there isn’t a better muscle car on the market.

Camaro LT1 By The Numbers

Compared to the smaller V-6 models, you’re looking at a more than 100 horsepower and 150 pound-foot of torque increase, with the supercharged ZL1 adding almost 200 more of each. The Camaro as a range of models is perfectly designed to cater to a wide range of drivers. Not everyone wants a big V-8, so the 1LT could be their ideal, whereas the top model ZL1 is a drool-worthy monster for anyone who is a track regular or wants to squeeze as much power out of their Camaro as possible.

Performance Specifications

(Source: Chevrolet)

The LT1 is the best of both worlds; offering V-8 power without being as extreme as the supercharged version, affordable but not cheaply made, responsive and fast but not awfully thirsty on gas (the EPA suggests a 361-mile total range which isn’t terrible). Car and Driver found that the 10-speed automatic LT1 could get from zero to 60 MPH in 3.9 seconds and do a quarter-mile in 12.2 seconds which is impressive for a stock muscle car running no boost.

What Makes Chevy Camaro A Good Purchase

If you weren’t immediately sold by the combination of a 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V-8 and a six-speed manual, there’s a whole lot more that the Camaro LT1 offers that makes it worth every one of the $40,000 you’ll pay.

The Camaro pulls ahead with the right balance of performance and comfort, with sharp and responsive handling, an ‘aggressively elegant’ interior (in Chevy’s words), handy features like wireless device charging, driver assist and safety tech, and a range of design and performance packages you can add on to customize your Camaro. The most convincing reason to buy a Camaro LT1 isn’t the tangible features, it’s the fact that very soon they’ll be gone, and like all good cars, the prices will start to creep higher as models get snapped up.

Other Great Options For 400-Plus Horsepower

For less than $2,000 more than the MSRP of the Camaro LT1, there are two other cars that hit the 400 horsepower mark, and both are very compelling options; the Nissan Z and the Mustang GT. Both cars are stand-out choices in their own right; the Mustang GT another legendary (if not THE legendary) muscle car, and the Nissan Z the culmination of decades of Japanese sports car goodness. Whether you opt for the Chevy V-8, the Ford V-8, or the Nissan V-6, all three are 400 horsepower monsters in 2-door form and for all their differences still offer a whole lot of similarities on the road (or track).

The Nissan Z;:Agile, Quick, And Powerful

The Nissan Z is a car that comes from a very rich heritage, first sold in October of 1969 in Japan as the Nissan Fairlady Z (sold internationally as the Datsun 240Z), is a legendary car that set the stage for the next 55 years. The Nissan Z is an impressive sports car, a little like the smaller brother of the GT-R, with a similarly impressive legacy, toned down slightly (a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 vs the GT-R’s 3.8-liter), but certainly not lacking in any way.

Performance Specifications

(Source: Nissan, Car and Driver)

The current iteration still carries the same Fairlady Z name in Japan, but for the rest of the world we know it as the 2024 Nissan Z. Adopting elements from the greatest Nissan sports cars like the 240Z, 300ZX, Skyline, and 370Z, the Z is powerful, agile and sleek. The Nissan Z has a lot of similarities with the Camaro LT1, offering features to make it an even more fun drive, with launch control, no-lift shifting, and downshift rev-matching. Although the suspension starts to struggle if you’re flying around corners, Nissan has included anti-slip bucket seats and padded knee bolsters to keep you glued in your seat through the tightest bends.

The Mustang GT And Almost 60 Years Of Competition

Currently, the Ford Mustang is set to become the last man standing in the muscle car world with the Camaro being phased out at the end of 2024 (maybe? Probably?). It’s no surprise the Mustang has such staying power, with a rich history spanning decades and the Coyote engine a multiple-time Ward's Best Engine award winner, the Mustang GT is the closest competition for the Camaro, and with such a similar price and powerband you can’t go wrong with either choice. This has been a long battle between the two, with almost 60 years of competition leading to the Mustang and Camaro becoming increasingly fine-tuned and powerful to keep the competition close.

Performance Specifications

(Source: Ford, Car and Driver)

Where we sit in 2024; the choice between the two almost comes down to a coin flip and certainly depends on personal taste. Both cars share automatic transmissions, the 10-speed was a joint venture between Ford and GM, so the similarities are close. The Coyote has a higher redline and 31 more horsepower but less torque than the LT1, and fuel economy is the same too with the Mustang sitting at 19 MPG. The 2.3-liter turbo EcoBoost engine is nothing to write home about, but the Mustang GT includes the 5.0-liter Coyote V-8; a legendary engine that is naturally aspirated, punchy, aggressive, and exactly what you want in a muscle car.

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