First popularized in motorsports, turbochargers completely revolutionized the mass auto market in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, giving enthusiasts a way to enjoy ample power and torque from smaller and more economical engines. Of course, the trend also birthed plenty of boosted legends such as the Buick GNX and Porsche 911 Turbo, but these examples that first come to mind are way past their affordable investment windows. The Buick GNX is now regularly selling for $200k for the first time in history, and it’s not even close to being the most expensive turbo car – that distinction likely belongs to the 1-of-19 1993 Ferrari F40 LM by Michelotto that fetched a staggering $11,005,000 in August 2025.However, there are also many other turbocharged cars that never got their time in the spotlight, until now. Several turbocharged cars on this list have been extremely overlooked and surprisingly affordable for several decades and have only recently started to jump in value. The cleanest examples are breaking their respective nameplates’ auction records more than ever before, and their overall recent price trends show a clear upward trajectory. Here are the five turbocharged cars collectors are now quietly snatching up. Volvo 850 T-5R Average Price: $15,750 Bring A Trailer The Volvo 850 T-5R is one of several cars on this list that were made out of a dire need to revamp their respective brands' boring image. To make that happen, Volvo turned to none other than Porsche. The Stuttgart giant got to work on the existing turbocharged 850 T5, tweaking its ECU and turbo boost and adjusting the transmission calibration. Porsche even gave the 850's cabin more pizzazz with walnut trim on the dashboard and alcantara on the seats and doors. As a result, the 850 T-5R produced 240 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque – enough for a 0-60 mph in just 6.7 seconds. Americans could only have it with a 4-speed automatic, with Europe getting an optional 5-speed manual, too.Volvo initially only wanted to produce 2,500 units of the 850 T-5R in 1995 – all in Cream Yellow – but this turbo brick was so popular that production continued into 1996, with two more colors being added to the lineup, and buyers could get each of these as a sedan or a wagon. In total, fewer than 7,000 T-5Rs ever left the factory, and if you were wondering, the rarest combination is the green sedan, with only 329 examples rumored to exist. Today, this all spells serious value potential for collectors, but average 850 T-5R prices are still modest at $15,750.Interestingly, the majority of T-5Rs auctioned off recently have massive mileages, so values for clean examples are ostensibly much higher. For example, the most expensive one that sold in the last five years is a 5-speed manual wagon with roughly 83k miles on the clock that traded for $26,000 in 2021. The 850 R, which started production after the T-5R was discontinued, is also picking up in value. The 250-hp turbo-five wagon was trading hands for around $5k just a decade ago and is now closer to the $15,000 territory. These are still perfect turbo sleepers for collectors on a budget in 2026. Nissan 280ZX Turbo Average Price: $18,338 Bring a TrailerCompared to the original 240ZX that started the legendary Nissan Z lineage in 1969, the 280ZX was larger, heavier, and more refined, with premium features such as power windows, better stereo, and more plush seating alongside optional T-Tops and futuristic digital instrument panels. But despite being fitted with a larger 2.8-liter inline-six, the additional weight still made the standard 280ZX a bit too sluggish. Enter the 280ZX turbo.Nissan's first turbocharged sports car ever, the boosted 280ZX Turbo came out swinging in 1981, packing 180 horsepower and 203 pound-feet – respectable figures for a sub-3000-lb Japanese coupe that arrived in the middle of arguably the worst era for car enthusiasts. Alongside the additional power, Nissan beefed up the 280ZX Turbo’s suspension with stiffer springs, dampers, and larger sway bars. Flat out, Nissan’s first turbo sports car reaches 60 mph in the low 7 seconds with a five-speed manual transmission (although a 3-speed auto was available too).These cars currently go for $18,338, but Classic.com shows buyers are paying more and more for these cars every year, and clean examples now trade hands for over $20,000 and up to $30,000. That being said, collectors are willing to pay upwards of six figures for the cleanest, low-mile examples. In 2024, an undriven original ‘81 280ZX Turbo changed hands for a staggering $150,000, proving just how much value potential these cars have. Dodge Shelby Omni GLHS Average Price: $19,800 BaT In the early ‘80s, then Chrysler-CEO Lee Iacocca tasked Carroll Shelby with helping him rebuild Dodge’s image as a performance brand. One of his crazy ideas included stuffing a more powerful engine in the tiny Dodge Omni hatchback. Short for “Goes Like Hell,” the resulting 2200-lb hot hatch had 110 hp from a naturally aspirated 2.2-liter inline-4, which put it roughly on par with the MkI Golf GTI. But Shelby didn’t stop there. In 1985, he finally gave the GLH a turbo, bumping its power output to 146 horsepower. The hottest and most sought-after Omni arrived in 1986, when Shelby took the last 500 GLH-Ts and shipped them to his personal facility in California before heavily modifying them with a larger turbo, Bosch fuel injection, a new exhaust, and improved suspension. Dubbed the Omni GLHS – “Goes Like Hell S’more” – these pocket rockets now pushed 175 hp and 175 lb-ft to the front wheels, helping them rocket to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds.Surprisingly, these rare relics of automotive history still trade hands for cheaper than a used Toyota Camry. In the last five years, most of them have traded hands around the $20,000 mark. However, its price trend now seems to be on a massive upswing. Recently, several Omni GLHS models were auctioned off for between $30k and upwards of $45,000. On the lowest end of the price spectrum are examples such as this 46k-mile example that sold for $15,400 earlier this year, but it’s a huge outlier when looking at recent sales. For reference, a clean 8k-mile GLHS fetched as much as $46,200 in 2021. 1989 Pontiac Firebird 20th Anniversary Turbo Trans Am Pace Car Average Price: $45,938 Bring A Trailer The year 1989 was a great one for the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. The car was celebrating its 20th anniversary and received an invitation to pace the 73rd Indianapolis 500 race. Instead of building a special one-off pace car, though, Pontiac decided to celebrate by stuffing a 3.8-liter turbo V6 derived from the Buick GNX’s V6 in the third-gen Firebird GTA, alongside special badging, graphics, and aero. The result was 250 horsepower and 340 pound-feet to the rear wheels and a 0-60 in a ridiculously quick 4.6 seconds, making this special Firebird the fastest car Pontiac built in the '80s. Still, only 1555 units ever reached buyers and its value never really reflected how rare and special this car is.That seems to be changing now, as it’s by far the most expensive 1989 Firebird according to recent auction trends and steadily rising in value from under $40,000 in 2020 to an average of $45,938 in 2026. It’s becoming increasingly hard to find a clean one under $50,000, and it seems we’ll soon have ‘89 Anniversary Trans Am Pace Cars exceeding the six-figure mark. Here's one with just 59 miles that recently traded hands for $96,500. Lotus Carlton Average Price: $58,202 Historic AuctioneersA wild collaboration between Lotus and its then-parent company General Motors, the Lotus Carlton is widely credited as becoming the world's fastest sedan when it hit the streets in 1990. Relying on a special bored-out 3.6-liter twin-turbo inline-6 producing 377 horsepower and 419 pound-feet of torque, the Carlton will sprint to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds before eventually reaching a top speed of 177 mph, enough to outrun all-out supercars such as the Ferrari Testarossa along with other period turbocharged sports cars such as the Porsche 944 Turbo. Its performance is only matched by how boring and unassuming the thing looked compared to the cars it outran. That ridiculous discrepancy made it the ultimate '90s sleeper sedan – something certain British criminals quickly caught on to. In 1993, the Carlton made headlines after it was involved in a series of robberies, with the police never being able to catch up to the perpetrators.Only 950 examples were built before Lotus pulled the plug in 1992. This rarity, combined with its impressive performance is what now seems to be driving the Carlton's values through the roof. A decade ago, Carltons were regularly trading hands in the $30,000s; today, their average value sits at around $58,202, but many Carltons now trade for close to six figures and more. For example, a 17k-mile example sold for £111,524 (roughly $140,000) in 2023.Sources: Hagerty, Hemmings, Bring a Trailer, Classic.com, The Classic Valuer, Mecum.