They call them "dream cars" for a reason, and that reason has almost everything to do with the fact that we'd only be able to afford the sexiest, fastest, most powerful cars in the world in our dreams.  Very few of us have $100,000 to spend on a Porsche or Ferrari, for example, which means if we want to buy a sports car with as much grunt as possible, our best bet is to close our eyes for a nap and pray for sweet, sweet automotive dreams.

That, at least, might have been the case once upon a time, but as engine technology improves (and it's improving rapidly), more and more automakers are able to sell hundreds of horsepower at a fraction of the price of those pie-in-the-sky models.  In fact, Forbes put together a list of the Top 10 Fastest Cars Under $50,000, and our very own 2012 Chrysler 300 STR8 was featured on it.

For a completely affordable price, Chrysler fans buy themselves a 470-horsepower vehicle that not only rocks the road with the best of them, but also looks like a respectable high-performance machine, too.  You'll only get that kind of HP from a high-performance V8 like the one under the hood of the 300 STR8, and  it also boasts a sport suspension, sport-tuned steering, performance tires, and gorgeous 20-inch wheels.

And you're getting all that for under $50,000.  In San Antonio, the 2012 Chrysler 200 can be had for quite a bit less than that, but if you're looking for muscle you may as well upgrade to the 300 STR8.  It gets you most of the way to a Porsche without having to spend anywhere near as much money.