Vauxhall have come up with another mental Astra. Following in the utterly crazy footsteps of the last VXR comes a new model boasting an Asbo-friendly 276 BHP. That is an awful lot of power, much more than it’s rivals, the new Focus ST or the Renault Megane RS can muster. It also beats the much more expensive Golf R as well. Indeed, the hot Astra has similar power to current Porsche Boxster and a surprising number of older supercars – Ferrari 308 and Porsche 911 Carrera included. For and Astra it is very expensive though, coming in at around £26,000. You really pay for the privilege of all those horses. So, we got to wondering what kind of genuinely exotic metal you can get your hands on for the same kind of cash if you take the secondhand route. These are proper fast cars – not very fast versions of bread and butter hatches. We are not going to advise you to buy a 70’s De Tomaso or a Lamborghini (though you could) – the following three are exotic but vaguely sensible. You could use them everyday… iIndeed so much so, that our first recommendation is also a Vauxhall, with all the ease of service and dealer ubiquity which that implies. Vauxhall VXR8The VXR8 is Vauxhall’s answer to those who say they don’t make any truly bonkers cars. In comparison to the Astra it looks quite old school and it’s a pretty old-school drive. It’s a very, very fast car – with 60 coming up in 4.9 seconds and an easy 170 mph available thinks to the mighty 6.0-litre Corvette engine. There’s masses of room inside and all the practicality of a big saloon. The VXR8 also has a truly spine-tingling engine note. UsedCarExpert.co.uk Cars for sale: A well looked after VXR8 with 15,000 miles on the clock is available for £20,000. That’s a good £6,000 cheaper than the Astra for a car that’s still under warranty and is properly, seriously fast. Porsche 911 TurboThis car is a real, stone-cold supercar. 0 to 60 takes less than 4 seconds and you will top out at 200mph if you can find an empty autobahn. You can fit kids in the back (small ones), it’s perfectly comfortable, easy to drive and strangely economical. UsedCarExpert.co.uk Cars for sale: A superb, pampered 2004 car, with a modest 69,000 miles on the clock can be had for £25,995. You can’t really get a car of that calibre for any less… The Jaguar XJRA car that is a byword for both speed and comfort. Like the Porsche you will be able to get kids in the back. It’s a brilliant everyday car – extremely comfortable and a doddle to drive at any speed. It got a thirst though. Still, who cares when it makes you feel that good? UsedCarExpert.co.uk price guide: A 2006, current shape XKR with a full service history and 33,000 miles on the clock can be found for £25,495. | 
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