If you miss Ford’s old, relatively in-expensive, lineup of performance Mustangs offered for the previous S550 generation, you’re not alone. The Mach 1, GT350, GT350R and GT500 all started below $100,000. Compare that to the new stuff, and you'll be wondering what in the world is going on with our beloved pony car. The blue oval is trying to move the Mustang into premium territory against souped-up Corvettes and Cadillacs, but is it worth shelling out double what the old stuff used to cost for the new toys?With a delivery price of $108,845, the new Mustang Dark Horse SC is the stepping stone that connects the base Dark Horse with the zenith that is the GTD. It packs the Godly-sounding supercharged 5.2-liter V8 from the old GT500 that cranked out 760 horsepower and 625 lb-ft., but Ford is reluctant to announce power figures just yet. A lot of muscle is left out there for half the price, so we’re curious as to what you’d choose to park in your garage for half the cost of this new Mustang.Every car listed had multiple online listings at or below the $54,422 threshold (half the cost of the new Dark Horse SC) and has more than 500 horsepower. This list is in order of horsepower. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C6) 505 Horsepower 2005-2013 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 C6 Yellow Front Angled ViewWe should be concerned that something like this costs this little, but we’ll never complain about speed and power being priced for the masses. The C6 generation Z06 was gifted the most powerful naturally aspirated motor hand-built by General Motors, just one of the many improvements the Z06 saw over base models. The LS7’s 505 horsepower and 470 lb-ft. of torque found their way to the rear wheels with help from a six-speed manual transaxle.Extra cooling was added to the transmission, along with stiffer suspension, cooling ducts for the rear brakes, lighter wheels, and gobs of carbon fiber all over for additional weight savings and an increased cool-factor. Prices started around $70,000 when new, but today all this comes with a solid discount. We found a few examples ranging from $45,000 to $52,000, with more pristine examples offered at higher prices. No doubt the seller’s white New Balances are as clean as their Corvette, but for the sake of this list, we’re sticking to our budget. Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 526 Horsepower 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Blue Front Angle Track Driving 3/4Ford’s 5.2-liter flat-plane crank V8 comes in two variants: the naturally aspirated Voodoo found in the GT350 and GT350R, and the supercharged Predator version found in the GT500, GTD, and the new Dark Horse SC. Voodoo is the medicine we prescribe to anyone in-need of an 8200 RPM redline, with the GT350 as the perfect doctor to administer it. It’s 526 horsepower and 429 lb-ft. of torque stirs the soul and spins the tires better than anything else we can think of for the price.GT350R trims offer extra carbon fiber bits, but take a look at those prices and ask yourself how much you really need that large wing or rear-seat delete. The GT350 started under $50,000 when new, an insane notion today, and can be picked up for roughly the same money. Low-mileage ones are up in the mid-$60,000s, with higher odometer ones fetching lower prices at $45,000-54,000. 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack 550 Horsepower 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Peel Out And Charger RT Bludiscrous (8)The only muscle car not packing a thumping V8, the new Charger Scat Pack still offers classic muscle car styling and a powerful engine under the hood. What? We could have put the electric Daytona on this list, but we’ll refrain from such heresy, since it’s not too competitive with the new Dark Horse SC. As for the 3.0-liter twin-turbo Hurricane inline-six, the 550 horsepower it pumps out makes it a credible contender in today’s muscle market.The Scat Pack is still power for the working class, despite prices still starting at $55,690 for the two-door. Dealers, however, are slashing prices by nearly $10,000 in some cases, driving that price well below half the 50% of funds needed to secure the chiseled, Chad-looking Dark Horse SC. Cadillac CTS-V (Second Generation) 556 Horsepower 2009-2014 Cadillac CTS-V Sedan Front 3/4Second-generation CTS-V’s are still selling for good money, but ones that have seen better days are a bargain for the power they produce. This was the only generation to offer coupe and wagon variants as well as the sedan, but two of the three body styles are regularly found within our budget constraints. While the wagon would be fun, its price range of $80,000–90,000 is a bit too steep for us.Coupe and sedan models can be scooped up for Toyota Camry money, roughly $38,000-45,000 for decent examples. The last generation of CTS-V sedans bottom out right above our budget, fetching between $57,000-$65,000, but in a few years those will become hard to pass on when they can be had for less than fifty large. 2012-2015 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 580 Horsepower 2010 - 2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 CoupeAfter the Camaro’s return for the 2010 model year, Chevy gave it the ZL1 treatment with a supercharged 6.2-liter LSA V8 producing 580 horsepower and 556 lb-ft. of torque. If the power didn’t speak for itself, the looks helped a bit, too. Ed Welburn, former VP of global design for GM, sketched one of the coolest-looking muscle cars for the 21st century with the 2012 ZL1, helping usher back in the rebirth of muscle cars for the younger generations. Prices for 2012-2015 ZL1 Camaros range between $30,000-45,000 for solid, moderate-mileage examples. 2017-2024 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 650 Horsepower Chevrolet-Camaro_ZL1-2017-Exterior 4At first, we thought we could only include the earlier ZL1 on this list, but we were happily mistaken when we discovered 2017 models had crept below $54,000 for the first time. These newer Camaros offer up a different experience despite lacking the movie car styling of the first few years of the modern ZL1.These models pack GM’s LT4 6.2-liter V8 and crank out 650 supercharged horsepower alongside 650 lb-ft. of torque. A handful of 2017–2024 models can be had from $47,000–54,000, with many still listed deep into the $60,000s. For the price and power—and still under GM warranty for later models—the ZL1 packs a solid punch that makes it a worthy opponent even from beyond the grave. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C7) 650 Horsepower 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 C7 R-Edition front, three-quarterPaying the greatest homage to what is probably the last of the front-engine Corvettes, the C7 did wonders for the brand and made a young man’s car out of an old man’s machine. More specifically, the meaner-looking Z06 boasted an even-meaner sounding 650 horsepower 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 V8 that made its way into the 2017-and-up ZL1 Camaros. Whether it’s the six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic, there’s plenty of fun to be had in either transmission of your choosing. Prices for Z06 C7’s start around $46,000 and creep upwards as the years get younger. 2013-2014 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 662 Horsepower 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 On Road Blue drivingDespite being the second-oldest car on this list, the Shelby GT500 certainly doesn’t act its age. Making the most horsepower in a Mustang up until that point was a supercharged 5.4-liter V8 that came exclusively with a six-speed manual. Something both GT500’s of later years and the new Dark Horse SC can’t say they have. Sure, that’s a lot of horsepower to handle by hand, but it's not even close to what comes next on this list, which also boasts manual gearboxes. 2010–2012 GT500’s produce 540 horsepower, with 2013 and 2014 models good for an extra 122 horses. While not readily available within our set budget, 2013 models are listed at just under $54,000 in both coupe and convertible body styles. Dodge Challenger/Charger SRT Hellcat 707 Horsepower 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Red Front Angled ViewFrom 2015-2018, Hellcat Chargers and Challengers boasted 707 horsepower pumping from a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 Hemi. Later models would produce 717 horsepower in their entry-level trims, with the brawny Redeye making 797 horsepower and the bonkers Demon making 808 horsepower. If those numbers aren’t high enough for you, fear not, for the list goes on.Specifically for the Hellcats, your choice of sedan or coupe flavors came with the Charger or Challenger, with the latter giving you access to a six-speed manual if you so dared. Prices for early Hellcats live around the low-to-mid $30,000 for high-mileage examples, with newer, lower mileage versions costing $47,000-$55,000. Yellow Label Saleen Mustang (S550) 745 Horsepower 2020-ford-mustang-saleen-s302-yellow-label-dsc-5261-21000The only aftermarket-tuned vehicle on this list, a Saleen Yellow Label Mustang produces between 745–775 horsepower and 610-650 lb-ft. of torque. Tuned S550 generations vary in price: $45,000 on the low end and in some cases, north of $100,000. The ones we found within our budget sat at $52,000 when they were sold. Scant are there any currently listed at that price, but they’re known to have existed. Even new Saleen Mustangs give the latest high-performance pony a run for its money, something buyers might consider before dropping a pretty penny on the newest model.Sources: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Saleen