When you think of a performance car, what comes to mind? High torque, huge horsepower, a suspension and chassis built for comfort and control during aggressive driving and smooth handling at high RPMs (that's a mouthful). Basically, the same things we think about. Unfortunately, most performance cars aren't cheap. If you want power, you have to pay for it. For example, the 2008 HPA Audi TT will cost you about $60,000. A 2008 Genaddi G-SPT Corvette will run $102,000. And if Ferraris are more your style, then you must have $200,000 sitting around somewhere. That's how much you'll need to buy one.

That's one of the many reasons why we love the Pontiac G8: the low sticker price. You basically get a performance vehicle for the price of a family sedan. There's no "horsepower premium" that you'll have to pay. There's no "performance tax." You can order a G8 GT with the huge 6.0-liter V8 monster of an engine and enjoy much of the same performance as a car that cost twice as much.

Think of it this way: the Pontiac G8 GT has an engine that throws 362 horsepower into action. It costs less than $30,000. You're literally paying $83 per horsepower. That's it. The 2008 HPA Audi TT costs $106 per horse. The 2008 Genaddi G-SPT Corvette will run you $165 per horse. And the Ferrari? That'll cost you over $300 per pony. Again, the Pontiac G8 GT runs $83 per horse.

That's why we love the G8. That's why we bought one. And that's why we can't wait for the supercharged GXP that comes out later this year. That machine's going to have 402 horsepower with the engine of a Corvette LS3. Next time someone asks you why you're such a fan of the G8 series, tell them you know what your money's worth. And dollar-for-dollar, the G8 offers the highest horsepower car on the planet. And that's something you can literally take to the bank.