**Secondhand Heroes: Performance Coupes for People on a Budget**

If you're looking for a performance coupe that combines everyday practicality with serious pace, look no further than our selection of secondhand heroes. We've scoured the classifieds to bring you some truly special cars that can be picked up for just £15,000.

First up is the Volkswagen Caddy VR6, which was launched in 1988 and was one of the best-handling front-wheel drive cars on the market at the time. The fact that cars were so much lighter back then played a big role in its success - it weighs around 200 kg less than equivalent models today. With the VR6 engine in the front, the Caddy produced 190 brake horsepower and could accelerate from 0 to 62mph in under 7 seconds. It's no wonder that this classic VW is still a class act even 20 years after its entry into production.

Of course, like all old cars, there are some things to look out for when buying a Caddy. One thing to check on startup is the ABS light - if it comes on and then goes off, it's just an indication that the system is working properly. However, the ABS pump can fail frequently, which requires around £1,200 to rectify. Additionally, listen for any rattling from the engine, as this can indicate dodgy timing chains that are expensive to replace. With proper care and maintenance, however, a Caddy can make a great entry into the performance coupe market.

Next up is the Vauxhall Monaro, which may look like an ordinary car at first glance but is actually an import from Holden's Australian arm of General Motors. It combines rear-wheel drive with a 6L Chevrolet V8 engine, producing around 43 horsepower. And yes, you read that right - 43 horsepower! But despite its modest power output, the Monaro is huge fun to drive and can be picked up for just £8,000.

One thing to keep in mind when buying a Monaro is that it's a bit of a tail-happy car, which means it can be prone to oversteer if not driven carefully. Additionally, some parts can be expensive to source, such as the bumpers and side skirts. However, with proper care and maintenance, a Monaro can make a great addition to any garage.

Finally, we have The BMW M3, which may come as a surprise that one of the ultimate modern performance cars can now be picked up for under £20,000. The e92 version of the M3 was launched in 2007 and was somewhat controversial at the time due to its V8 engine - but this wasn't just any V8, as it was actually a highly-tech normally aspirated 4L V8 that revved up to 82,000 revolutions per minute and produced 420 horsepower.

Of course, like all old cars, there are some things to look out for when buying an M3. One thing to check is the throttle actuators, which can fail at around 40,000 miles and will put the car into a limp mode if not replaced promptly. Additionally, with such powerful acceleration comes a risk of wearing out the tires quickly - so make sure you have some life left in them before buying.

Overall, our selection of secondhand heroes offers something for everyone when it comes to performance coupes on a budget. Whether you're looking for a classic like the Caddy or something more modern like the M3, we've got you covered. So why not take a look at our selection and see what catches your eye?

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: ennext up some secondhand Heroes three like-minded cars for people on a budget this time we've scoured the classified for performance Coupes a beautiful body shape that combines everyday practicality with some serious Pace these are some rather special performance Coupes and you could pick one of them up for just £15,000 my entry-level Choice ceased production 20 years ago but is still a Class Act the Volkswagen curado VR6 back in 1988 when this kada was launched it was one of the best handling front-wheel drive cars on the market and part of that great fear was the fact that cars were so much lighter in those days the this curado weighs something like 200 kg less than the equivalent shroo of today when they put that VR6 engine in the front it gave it 190 brake horsepower and a n to 62 of under 7 Seconds it put the hot into the hot Coupe classic vws are well known for their reliability but there are still a few things to look out for first on Startup make sure the ABS light comes on then goes off to indicate the system is working the ABS pump frequently fails which has a grand to rectify secondly listen for rattling from the engine this can indicate dodgy timing chains they're expensive to replace as it involves removing the gearbox and that's a cool £1,200 to put right the curado offers a great entry into the performance Coupe Market but invest further and you could own a proper Bruiser the voxhall man the Monaro is actually an import from Holden the Australian arm of General Motors and it combines up rear wheeel drive Chassy with a stoning 6 L Chevrolet V8 up front producing a tire smoking 43 horsepower and one of these could be yours for just £8,000 no automatic gearbox option no Flappy pedals just a big chunky man I love this the Monaro is huge fun but keep your eyes and ears open before you buy when driving along do make sure there are no nasty little noises coming from the gear box and that it does change gear smoothly it could just be a 50 lb bearing that he's replacing but if you leave it for too long could be a new gearbox and that'll set you about four grand as the Manara was imported some parts can be expensive to Source such as the bumpers which are £2,000 each and the side skirts 800 so check these areas carefully as you might imagine the Monaro is a bit on the tail happy side in fact it's a readymade drift car my final Choice has been The Benchmark four- Seer performance car for 30 years the BMW M3 it may come as something of a surprise that you can now pick up one of the ultimate modern performance cars for under £20,000 this e92 version of the BMW M3 was launched back in 2007 and it was somewhat controversial at the time cuz it appeared with a V8 engine but this V8 wasn't a big lazy one like that of the manaro instead it was a very Hightech normally aspirated 4 L V8 that revved 82,000 revs produced 420 horsepower of course while this is the first V8 M3 it may also be the last as it's now been replaced by the more economical turbocharger six cylinders thankfully not much goes wrong with the e92 M3 but you do need to check the following the throttle actuators can fail at around 40,000 Mi it's indicated by lights on the dash and will put the car into a limp mode £1,000 puts it right and with all that power and an M badge you'll be lucky to get 16,000 M out of the tires at £1,100 a second make sure you have some life left in them or chop some money off the asking price oh how I'm going to miss cars like this so if you're looking for a performance Coupe on a budget then look no further than our selection of secondhand Heroesnext up some secondhand Heroes three like-minded cars for people on a budget this time we've scoured the classified for performance Coupes a beautiful body shape that combines everyday practicality with some serious Pace these are some rather special performance Coupes and you could pick one of them up for just £15,000 my entry-level Choice ceased production 20 years ago but is still a Class Act the Volkswagen curado VR6 back in 1988 when this kada was launched it was one of the best handling front-wheel drive cars on the market and part of that great fear was the fact that cars were so much lighter in those days the this curado weighs something like 200 kg less than the equivalent shroo of today when they put that VR6 engine in the front it gave it 190 brake horsepower and a n to 62 of under 7 Seconds it put the hot into the hot Coupe classic vws are well known for their reliability but there are still a few things to look out for first on Startup make sure the ABS light comes on then goes off to indicate the system is working the ABS pump frequently fails which has a grand to rectify secondly listen for rattling from the engine this can indicate dodgy timing chains they're expensive to replace as it involves removing the gearbox and that's a cool £1,200 to put right the curado offers a great entry into the performance Coupe Market but invest further and you could own a proper Bruiser the voxhall man the Monaro is actually an import from Holden the Australian arm of General Motors and it combines up rear wheeel drive Chassy with a stoning 6 L Chevrolet V8 up front producing a tire smoking 43 horsepower and one of these could be yours for just £8,000 no automatic gearbox option no Flappy pedals just a big chunky man I love this the Monaro is huge fun but keep your eyes and ears open before you buy when driving along do make sure there are no nasty little noises coming from the gear box and that it does change gear smoothly it could just be a 50 lb bearing that he's replacing but if you leave it for too long could be a new gearbox and that'll set you about four grand as the Manara was imported some parts can be expensive to Source such as the bumpers which are £2,000 each and the side skirts 800 so check these areas carefully as you might imagine the Monaro is a bit on the tail happy side in fact it's a readymade drift car my final Choice has been The Benchmark four- Seer performance car for 30 years the BMW M3 it may come as something of a surprise that you can now pick up one of the ultimate modern performance cars for under £20,000 this e92 version of the BMW M3 was launched back in 2007 and it was somewhat controversial at the time cuz it appeared with a V8 engine but this V8 wasn't a big lazy one like that of the manaro instead it was a very Hightech normally aspirated 4 L V8 that revved 82,000 revs produced 420 horsepower of course while this is the first V8 M3 it may also be the last as it's now been replaced by the more economical turbocharger six cylinders thankfully not much goes wrong with the e92 M3 but you do need to check the following the throttle actuators can fail at around 40,000 Mi it's indicated by lights on the dash and will put the car into a limp mode £1,000 puts it right and with all that power and an M badge you'll be lucky to get 16,000 M out of the tires at £1,100 a second make sure you have some life left in them or chop some money off the asking price oh how I'm going to miss cars like this so if you're looking for a performance Coupe on a budget then look no further than our selection of secondhand Heroes\n"