Out of touch. That’s how I feel sometimes when I read these “old-man” car publications. Hagerty could be a good example – they just provided a list of eleven cars that they believe are rising in value, from all walks of life. But I bet I can find something better than a freakin’ DeLorean, so here’s my 2025 car bull market list.
But you know what – how about some bears too? Something that you might have your eye on, but values are still dropping? All of these are hunches, but I’ll use some data points from Classic.com to back me up. I’ll give you some cars that are highly-valued, and some that are very affordable. The first thing to do is give you the list.
2025 Car Bull Market List
2025 Car Bear Market List
2025 Car Bull Market List – The AMG Mercedes SL65 Black Series
On the surface, it’s easy to see what makes this car so special. How about a tuned 6.0-liter AMG V-12 engine with 661 horsies and 738 lb-ft of torque. That’s a lot now, and this car is 15 years old. Just 175 were made for the US market (350 worldwide), so finding one is a pretty rare occurrence.
If you dive deeper, you’ll find a car that’s in competition with itself – meaning the Mercedes-McLaren SLR exists. That car goes for pretty much the same price, even though it was at the time much more prestigious. The latest one sold for $427,000, which is about the most expensive one yet. It’s tough to nail down a certain spec as being the most valuable, though the dark grey metallic seems to be the least popular.
As this car ages and becomes even more rare, I expect values to increase over the next five years.
W20 Toyota MR2 Turbo
If you don’t remember this car, you’re probably younger than I am. Produced from 1991 through 1996, the MR2 was a small little sports car, and the Turbo trim made 200 horsepower from its turbocharged four-cylinder. It never came in a convertible until the third generation, but this car had T-tops on most versions.
Overshadowed by the Supra, the MR2 was always a bit more muscular than a Miata, and values have gone up an average of $3,000 over the past two years or so. Don’t get one for $60k, and don’t get one for $7k – keep it to the mid-20s and you’ll have yourself a fun little sports car that provides that old school 90s feel for much less cost (and complexity) than its big brothers.
Fourth generation Infiniti G/Q40
You might be squinting at the screen right now, mumbling to yourself about how crazy I am, but hear me out.
A pretty good automatic. An excellent manual. All-wheel drive. 328 horsepower from a (somewhat course) 3.7-liter V-6. Direct steering. Three body styles. This has everything you need to be a really fun daily.
If you look hard enough, there are clean examples out there that have not had coffee cans installed as mufflers. Pricing hovers in the mid-teens, but they are starting to creep back up into the low 20s for really nice examples. It might not be long before the rare IPL Coupe version fetches more than that.
Pontiac Firebird – 4th Gen
I admit to always having a crush on this car. It’s the only Pontiac from its time where the ridiculous overwrought styling seemed to make sense.
Firebirds were popular back in the late 90s, but the ones to watch are the Trans Am V-8s with the WS6 package, which had distinctive ram air scoops in the nose. Sure, it had a live rear axle and the interior from Toys R Us, but it was fast, and cheaper than a Corvette of the time for a similar V-8 experience.
There are some special editions that ramp up the prices, but overall the car has gained value over the last few years. My advice here is to pick a late-model higher-end example and take good care of it, as some of these have reached over $60k.
Mk4 Volkswagen Golf R32
The top-of-the-line variant for the Golf, the R had a unique body kit, wheels, and a VR6 engine that sounded like the world’s most aggressive Bull Dog. Actually the entire car looked like that too, with it’s squashed face. Produced only for one model year in 2004, it’s rare, but not so rare that you won’t want to drive it.
Between 2020 and 2024, the R32 has risen in value by nearly $10,000. This is a good car to keep an eye on, because you can get one for $10k and fix it yourself, or find a pristine one for close to $70k. Blue seems to be the one to go after.
Bear Market List – The Nissan R35 GT-R
We’ve just come from this car’s funeral, with it being discontinued in October. But the GT-R is going to be a hard car to pin down on the used market.
First, it was produced for a long time, yet it’s still a rare car. Next are the amount of variations to choose from, with model year changes and special editions to consider. Finally, it never seemed to reach “legend” status like the R34 did, and so it’s hard to tell just how coveted it really is.
All that said, the current curve is trending up, with some special editions reaching over $300k (but there are also plenty for below six figures). My advice is to wait this one out a bit.
BMW E9X M3
The E9X has long been the darling of the BMW M used market, with some Lime Rock Editions fetching six figures.
But the curve is starting to trend down – seems like everybody that wants one of these has had one at some point. If you’re going to buy one, do it and enjoy it, because I don’t think this will be a car you can drive around for 10,000 miles and sell it for $500 less than you paid for it.
Audi R8 V-8
The original R8 is a wonderful car, and I believe the V-8 is probably the better version (sounds better than a V-10). That said, time might be running out to cash in on this semi-exotic.
The average selling price has dropped about $6,000 in two years, and that’s only going to continue as people drive them and the car continues to age. The sellers seeking more don’t seem to be achieving their goal, and so the cars go unsold. If you’ve always wanted one, see what 2025 brings as values continue to dip. Can we get a solid mid-engine R8 example for less than $55k?
