The 20 Best Cars For Tuning

Image via Getty/National Motor Museum/Heritage Images

You can go out and buy a fast car if you want. But some people want to be more involved than that. They want to go out, buy a car, and then make it fast. If you want to take something good and make it great, we suggest you start with one of these rides.

20. Audi TT

Years Of Production: 1998-Present

Potential: Demi-Veyron

Complex Says: A common goal for TT tuners is making two thirds of the power of a Bugatti Veyron at two thirds of the weight. These cars can be FAST.

19. Acura RSX

Years Of Production: 2001-2006

Potential: Pretty Good

Complex Says: Think of it as an upmarket Civic with just a hair more performance potential.

18. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

Years Of Production: 1992-Present

Potential: Mega-boosted

Complex Says: We've heard of people getting more than 500hp out of the EVO's 2.0L engine. Granted, they need oil changes every 250 miles, but it's still awesome.

17. Chevy Corvette

Years Of Production: 1953-Present

Potential: Amazing

Complex Says: The Corvette seems capable of handling any amount of power. There was an 800hp production Vette, and we've seen one-offs make as much as 1,200hp.

16. Nissan Silvia

Years Of Production: 1964-2002

Potential: Plenty

Complex Says: There's no better car for tuning than a simple, front-engined, rear-driven, reliable Japanese coupe. The Silvia is exactly that.

15. Subaru WRX/STI

Years Of Production: 1992-Present

Potential: Dirty

Complex Says: The WRX and STI are only a few small steps away from being full-blown rally cars. They just beg to be "completed."

14. Eagle Talon

Years Of Production: 1990-1994

Potential: Boost-tastic

Complex Says: Mitsubishi plus Chrysler doesn't sound like a very good idea, but it turned out to be a great, capable, and underrated one. Out of all of Chrysler's weird collaborations, this is one of the few good ones.

13. Ford Mustang

Years Of Production: 1964-Present

Potential: Shocking

Complex Says: People have tuned Mustangs to make more than 1,000hp. That is all.

12. Mazda RX-7

Years Of Production: 1978-2002

Potential: Rotary--not the club

Complex Says: The RX-7 is a Wankle-engined masterpiece that we really miss. We've seen everything from mild performance mods to quad-rotor 800hp examples.

11. Nissan Sentra SE-R

Years Of Production: 1991-1994

Potential: Super Sleeper

Complex Says: Let's face it. This car looks like crap. That's why the fact that it set subcompact speed records upon release--and many more once people started tuning it--such a surprise. It looks like something that should take forever to do 0-60 and cost $185 on Craigslist.

10. Nissan 300ZX

Years Of Production: 1983-2000

Potential: Killer

Complex Says: The Fairlady Z is a beloved performance car because of its predictable, fun dynamics. Building upon those dynamics has become a hobby for many a gear-head.

9. Mitsubishi 3000GT

Years Of Production: 1990-2001

Potential: Very Good

Complex Says: The 3000GT was everything Mitsubishi is good at (i.e. turbocharging and AWD), without worrying about building a nice car. People have squeezed tons of power out of these things, and the car can handle it with minimal modification.

8. Classic Volkswagen Beetle

Years Of Production: 1938-2003

Potential: Hilarious

Complex Says: Beetles have been turned into dune-racing Baja Bugs, tire-shredding drag racers, sports cars, and who the heck knows what else. What do you plan to do with yours?

7. Toyota AE86

Years Of Production: 1983-1987

Potential: Sideways

Complex Says: With the proper prep, the AE86 is one of the most competitive cars that exists.

6. Mazda Miata

Years Of Production: 1989-Present

Potential: Awesome

Complex Says: The Miata is a capable platform that has trained more professional race drivers than any other car. Don't disrespect the MX-5.

5. Honda S2000

Years Of Production: 1999-2009

Potential: Race-spec

Complex Says: There's not much to tune on the brilliant Honda S2000. Just put in a few upgrades to make it race-worthy, and you have a really cool car.

4. Volkswagen R32

Years Of Production: 2004, 2008

Potential: Terrifying

Complex Says: It's not hard to find someone promising to wring 600hp out of a VR6 engine. This isn't BS either. A few updates to the transmission, preferably by HPA, and some AWD updates, and you have a five-door Lambo killer.

3. Acura Integra

Years Of Production: 1986-2001

Potential: Great

Complex Says: If you're the kind of guy who likes huge wings and loud exhaust notes, you'll fit right in with the Integra crowd. Unlike the Civic, these things can go fast.

2. Toyota Supra

Years Of Production: 1992-2002

Potential: Huge

Complex Says: The Supra has incredible aftermarket support, which is always a good thing for a tuner. It's no fun to have to get every single thing custom made. The reason this support exists for a car that hasn't been made for 10 years is quite simple. The Supra has tons of potential for performance.

1. Nissan Skyline GT-R

Years Of Production: 1989-2002

Potential: Legendary

Complex Says: The Skyline GT-R is a legend. This car wasn't too impressive directly from the factory, but a simple tuning turned it into total monster.