When Chevy switched to mid-engine for the Corvette, they created a giant-killer. The C8 generation was the first to adopt this true supercar layout, and matched with a 6.2-liter V8 LT2 unit, it was enough to give Ferrari nightmares. Not only was the performance up there with some of the best supercars of modern times, it had the racecar feel of a true exotic.Then Chevy delivered the killer blow. The base C8 Corvette would be sold at a starting price of $59,995, which sounded like the equivalent of an oil change on some hypercars (OK, well not exactly). This made the Corvette not only one of the best value supercars around, but it was arguably the best bang-for-your-buck performance car ever. Period. But there is one American muscle car that these days offers even more horsepower for the dollar. It's a wild ride too... The Corvette C8 Is A Supercar For M3 Money Chevrolet Even six years into the C8 (has it been that long?) it's still excellent value. The base Corvette LT1 costs from $68,300 and that is a lot of car for the money. For that price you get a Stingray with a 6.2-liter V8 engine, packing 490 horsepower at 6,450 rpm and 465 lb-ft of torque at 5,150 rpm. The transmission is an 8-speed dual clutch 'box. The car has plenty of racecar features, such as a dry sump oil system. To put that into perspective, the Stingray is cheaper than a 473-horsepower BMW M4, the benchmark of practical performance, which is fitted with a TwinPower inline 6-cylinder 3.0-liter engine and costs from $82,200. Both fabulous cars, but with very different approaches. The C8 Has Mind-Blowing Performance With the available Performance exhaust or Z51 Performance Package in the Corvette, you get 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque, with 60 mph arriving in 2.9 seconds. Without those add-ons, the 'Vette still reaches 60 mph in 3.0 seconds, although independent tests show the C8 to be a shade quicker than the official figures anyway. The sprint to 100 mph is accomplished in 7.2 seconds, and you'll hit 150 mph in less than 20 seconds. The quarter mile is a scant 11.2 seconds. As a point of reference, a $247,305 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni reaches 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, 100 mph in 7.8 seconds, and covers the quarter mile in 11.6 seconds. C8 Corvette value for money is off the scale, in other words. The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Is Way More Powerful Than A C8 Dodge But what if you want to do the whole power and performance thing completely differently? Enter the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. Not only is this V8 coupe old school in looks, it's pure old school muscle. Here you have a classic muscle car with a lot of power and traction that needs to be controlled with the right foot. But while its retro looks may not give too much away, the Hellcat was, when launched in 2015, mind-blowingly powerful. In fact, as one magazine pointed out, there were only six cars on the market with more clout, and that included the 1,200-horsepower Bugatti Veyron, the 950-horsepower Ferrari LaFerrari, and the 903-horsepower McLaren P1.The supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 under the hood of the Hellcat made it the most powerful and fastest muscle car ever at launch. The unit packs 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. The sprint to 60 mph takes 3.6 seconds and the quarter mile elapsed time is 11.2 seconds at 125 miles per hour on street tires. What's more, it hits 150 mph in 17 seconds flat, which is more than two seconds quicker than a C8 Corvette. The Hellcat Is A Bargain Used Dodge So how much does all this HEMI madness cost? Challenger production finished in 2023, so you won't be able to buy one new. On the used market, they are surprisingly cheap given the amount of performance in store. A 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat SRT costs $43,500 in good condition, according to Hagerty, with a Widebody version of 2018 (same power) costing $57,000, and even a 2022 Hellcat (with 717 horsepower) coming in at $70,600. Meanwhile, that Ferrari LaFerrari will set you back $3,350,000.A look through the classifieds reveals that there are a number of Hellcats that dip under $40,000, with this 44,000 mile 2017 model selling for $36,250. The Corvette Stingray holds its value well, with a 2021 model having a good condition average price of $67,100, which is around what it would have sold for new. The Hellcat Was A New Type Of Muscle Car Via: Bring A TrailerYes, the Hellcat is unashamedly channeling the looks of the 1971 Challenger, but it is modern underneath. The Hellcat was the only Challenger to use hydraulic power steering, and also comes with a suite of “Drive Modes” to control horsepower, transmission, traction, and suspension settings, as well as allowing you to store custom settings. There are electrically actuated valves on the exhaust tubes; a segment-exclusive TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission (or six-speed manual); plus 186-mph-plus-rated 275/40 Pirelli P Zero Nero All Season tires on 20-inch forged aluminum wheels. The SRT Hellcat Might Be The Last Of The Line DodgeBy the time the Hellcat bowed out in 2023, the Challenger had gone out with a bang. Buyers could select the 1,025-horsepower Demon 170 SRT version, fitted with a modified 6.2-liter supercharged V8 under the vented hood. This unit has a host of changes, including a modified 3.0-liter supercharger that features a larger snout with a 105mm throttle body and 3.02-inch pulley. Filled with ethanol, the Demon will devour a quarter-mile of asphalt in an incredible 8.9 seconds at a speed of 151 mph. Oh, and 60 mph arrives in just 1.66 seconds.The Challenger was replaced with the Charger Daytona EV, which, while impressive from a performance standpoint, not many people really wanted. But it's not all bad news. Stellantis, Dodge's owner, is bringing back the Hemi V8, which means that there could be a chance of seeing a Challenger-style muscle car in the future. The Other Ways To Spend $40K Bring A Trailer If you don't fancy a Challenger Hellcat, or a BMW M4 for that matter, there are other options. For $49,000, you can get a good condition 2010 Porsche 911 Carrera S, which comes with a useful 385 horsepower. For even less, and closer to the Hellcat's output, is the 2010 Mercedes-Benz AMG SL63, with 604 horsepower and used price tag of $35,500.Or, for a totally different big engine coupe style to the Hellcat, you could opt for the suave 1972 Ferrari 365 GT4, with 340 horsepower — yours for just $47,000. Whatever you decide on, it will be hard to match the horsepower and speed you get from a Dodge Challenger Hellcat.Sources: Hagerty.com