Coupes under $50k
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- Best coupes under $50k
Whether you’re just starting to drive or heading into a mid-life crisis, coupes appeal to all of us. Luckily, these days you don’t need to spend big money to enjoy the thrills of the swept-back driving experience.
While you are able to buy a Subaru BRZ or Toyota 86 for less than $40,000, choices start to expand once you’re shopping under the $50,000 so let’s start there.

Toyota 86
It is getting a little long in the tooth, but the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ combo still offers sports car thrills for an affordable price. Available in manual or automatic with a choice of specification levels, the Toyota 86 has stood the test of time despite external pressure to fill it with extra power.

Mazda MX-5
With the nameplate just celebrating its 30th birthday, there’s small wonder why so many flock to the Mazda MX-5 for an engaging top-down drive. Even if you’re more of a hard-top fan, Mazda now offers the RF version which includes a folding metal roof.

Hyundai i30 Fastback N
A relatively new player to the coupe game, Hyundai’s i30 N was transformed into a four-door coupe following the success of the hatchback. Sleeker styling marries with everything that made Hyundai’s first true hot hatch great

The Weekend Read: 40 Years of M
A smorgasbord of bucket-list BMWs to choose from, and the Nordschleife on which to thrash them. No wonder an invite to M’s 40th birthday bash was the hottest ticket in town

Jags, Rangies to read your diary
Brit luxo brand explores ways to fill the self-driving car’s attention deficit

Get Smart: Pint-sized car plans shift back to showrooms
Online-only strategy leaves Mercedes-Benz dealerships pining for Smart cars

Arctic Trucks in Iceland
Scott crawls his way over Icelandic terrain in a steroid-fed Toyota off-roader

Revealed: The first piece of last-ever Ford Falcon
Headlight teaser image reveals Fusion-like front end for Falcon finale

Kia aims for a bigger slice
Korea’s second brand wants to double its share of the Aussie market

Ford’s final FPV sparks kilowatt controversy
Ford asks Wheels to squash GT-F performance figures ahead of second showdown with HSV’s rival GTS

Australian cars are not too cheap
New Kia boss hits out at claims by Holden that new vehicles are too cheap in Australia, and that prices will rise

First Drive: Audi A3 Sportback e-tron
Audi plays catch-up with its first plug-in hybrid showroom model

First Drive: Lexus NX
Lexus turns the RAV4 into a Euro-worthy compact SUV

STAYIN’ ALIVE WITH A DISCO BALL MIRROR
An exterior rear-view mirror that its creator claims eliminates the driver’s ‘blind spot’ has received a U.S. patent. The subtly curved mirror, invented by Drexel University mathematics professor Dr. R. Andrew Hicks, dramatically increases the driver’s field of view with minimal distortion.

DROP AND GIVE ME 2012!
Czech artist David Cerny has brought his vision of the Olympic Games in London to life, for the 30th summer games.

PEDAL TO THE HOT ROD METAL
There are pedal cars, and then there are miniature, mechanical works of art. A series of nine radical, custom pedal cars have been produced by some of America’s coolest hot rod builders to be auctioned by the Peterson Automotive Museum at next week’s RM Auctions event in Monterey, California.

Gallery: PEDAL TO THE HOT ROD METAL
There are pedal cars, and then there are miniature, mechanical works of art. A series of nine radical, custom pedal cars have been produced by some of America’s coolest hot rod builders to be auctioned by the Peterson Automotive Museum at next week’s RM Auctions event in Monterey, California.

POLAND’S SUPERSTAR SUPERCAR
Maranello, Modena, and St Agata … homes of Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini. For many car enthusiasts they define the spiritual centre of the super sports car universe as northern Italy. Others might nominate Zuffenhausen, Germany (Porsche), Molsheim, France (Bugatti), or Woking, UK (McLaren). But if emerging maker Arrinera Automotive hits its ambitious targets, Warsaw, Poland will soon be added to that impressive, geographic roll-call.

Gallery: POLAND’S SUPERSTAR SUPERCAR
For four years, Arrinera Automotive has been developing the Hussarya, a mid-engine supercar designed to take on the world’s best.

HSV’S QUARTER CENTURY
On debut at the Sydney motor show in 1987, Holden Special Vehicles’ initial offering, the VL SS Group A homologation special was quickly dubbed ‘The Batmobile’ in response to its extreme, aero body kit.

Gallery: HSV’S QUARTER CENTURY
HSV is celebrating 25 years in operation with the release of new, entry-level versions of its most popular models, and significant upgrades to higher spec variants.

Gallery: FPV’S MOST HARD-CORE GT EVER
As previewed by MOTOR in its September 2012 issue, Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) has launched what it claims is the most ‘hard-core’ Falcon-based GT ever, with the release of the new GT RSPEC.

FPV’S MOST HARD-CORE GT EVER
As previewed by MOTOR in its September 2012 issue, Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) has launched what it claims is the most ‘hard-core’ Falcon-based GT ever, with the release of the new GT RSPEC.

VIDEO: FERRARI STAMPEDE AT SILVERSTONE
Ferrari is claiming a new world record for the largest ever gathering and parade of the famous Italian thoroughbred sportscar.

Ferrari stampede at Silverstone
Ferrari is claiming a new world record for the largest ever gathering and parade of the famous Italian thoroughbred sportscar.

HSV celebrates 25 years
Holden Special Vehicles is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a limited edition version of the performance flagship GTS.

Mercedes-McLaren SLR 722 S Roadster review
The car with all the potential, but none of the drive.